The wait is over. Southwest Gardener is now open at The Newton at Third Avenue and Camelback Road.
The gardening store had outgrown its original location of 15 years at 2809 North 15th Avenue and moved a few miles down the road to a more spacious spot at The Newton. Owned by Amy Carlisle and Lynn Town, the store continues to serve as a go-to space where folks can meet, plant, and learn about how to create their own Southwest oasis.
"You can live outside nine months out of the year; why not have it be beautiful?" Carlisle asks, while she and Town cheerfully discuss inventory. The new space radiates sunshine and feels more like a greenhouse than a store. And it is so much more than a store.
See also: Southwest Gardener Moving to The Newton; The Newton Reuse Space; Southern Rail at the Newton
They have chosen their new space well. The Newton complex is at the location of the old Beefeaters building, a Phoenix staple, and is aptly named after J. Newton, Beefeaters' owner. The complex offers communal or private event rooms in an inclusive and adaptive space. In addition to the Southwest Gardener, the Newton Complex houses Changing Hands Bookstore, First Draft, and Southern Rail. The feel is communal, lively, and buzzing with patrons. The public is invited to join the Newton complex for its grand opening on Saturday, October 11, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., when guided tours and live music will be offered.
Southwest Gardener's relocation comes on the heels of needing a bigger space which now meets their need of wanting to offer indoor classes to the public. "The educational component of when to plant, soil questions, and simply just helping people realize they can have fabulous gardens here in Arizona and not just places like Illinois," Carlisle says. She and Town strive to stay mindful of buying domestically and/or locally, getting seeds from two suppliers, Renee's Gardens (Felton, California) and Botanical Interests (Broomfield, Colorado). The store boasts an array of eclectic garden décor items, from kitschy holiday garden art to ceramic garden markers, ranging in price from $12 to $30, to beautifully ornate wind chimes around $100, gardening gloves from $20 to $30, and gardening seed packets from $2 to $10, in addition to many more unique knickknacks.
Indoor classes will be offered in one of the three event rooms located across the hallway behind the store. The craft classes offer hands on instruction in creating mosaic art pieces, wind chimes, Scandinavian Christmas trees, and Day of the Dead skulls. Classes are now being offered for Chic Two Layer Fantasy Soda Can Flower Stakes class on Saturday, October 11, for $42, or the Welcome to My Garden Mosaic workshop for $115 offered on Sunday, November 2.
Find more at www.southwestgardener.com. Store hours are Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
