Nursery Meets Boutique    
Considered a gem among locals, Gardens in Austin, Texas, is a nursery and gift shop rolled into one. Specializing in hard-to-find plants such as Japanese maple, plus a variety of succulents, the company also stocks Italian terra-cotta pots, its own line of concrete containers, Felco pruners and other gardening equipment. Imported teak tables and benches from Indonesia and antique pieces from Japan can be found here as well. In the boutique area, customers often opt for fragrant Italian potpourri, chocolates, Alex Marshall pottery and Henry Dean glassware, says the manager. And each spring, the nursery makes room for about 30 varieties of tomato plants.

Gardens opened a second store in Dallas in January. Landscape design services are available at both locations. Pictured is a corner area of the Austin showroom, where seed packets share space with tableware, books and miscellaneous home furnishings.  

Stop by the Austin shop at 1818 W. 35th St. For more information, log on to gardens-austin.com, or call (512) 451-5490.

Garden Variety
In business since 1965, Roger’s Gardens in Corona del Mar, California, is a 7-acre destination for gardeners and outdoor-living enthusiasts. Presented in a gardenlike setting, the nursery showcases annuals, perennials, landscape plants, hanging baskets, colorful pots, fountains, arbors and imported pottery. An extensive  selection of roses is offered, including exclusive varieties.

Inside, a separate area showcases houseplants, as well as gardening and design books. Another section is the Gallery: a 5,000-square-foot space filled with antiques, casual furniture, home-decor and gift items, plus holiday ornaments and keepsakes that are available year-round. Lastly, a patio shop offers furnishings for alfresco living areas. Pictured here is an angel garden statue surrounded by paperwhites and other plants.

To see this super-sized nursery, go to 2301 San Joaquin Hills Road. For information about upcoming seminars and events, visit rogersgardens.com, or call (949) 640-5800.


City Oasis
In the middle of the concrete jungle of Los Angeles is a green oasis called Inner Gardens. The half-acre nursery features such vegetation as rare orchids and exotic specimen plants, while the 15,000-square-foot indoor showroom offers everything from vintage and antique garden furnishings and large-scale planters to sculpture, birdbaths, lighting and fountains. Inner Gardens’ own collection of planters, and concrete tables with a high-gloss finish also are showcased. The company recently was named the exclusive dealer of Barbara Israel’s new line of reproduction garden antiques.

Another Inner Gardens location featuring a smaller nursery can be found on Melrose Avenue in West Hollywood. Landscape design services are available through both stores. Shown here is a large antique clock and three circa 1930s hourglass-shaped roadside planters from France.

Visit the Los Angeles shop at 6050 W. Jefferson Blvd. For details, call (310) 838-8378, or go to innergardens.com on the Web.