A locals’ favorite, Yellow Springs Botanicals is a work in progress. Meaning, Steve and Karen Reed(two of the co-owners I met-super nice!) obtained the abandoned Stutzman’s Nursery and is in the process of clearing debris, repairing greenhouses and building gardens where you can cut your own fresh, organic herbs and vegetables. Sound good? There’s more. George’s Village Greenery, a nursery that used to sell exotic plants downtown, consolidated with YSB. So, you can now buy their exotic and tropical plants alongside perennials, local trees, bushes, ferns, carnivorous, cacti and succulents, local pottery, organic herb and veggie plants and more! Since the site is still being remodeled it’s a little rough-not as polished as most nurseries, but it’s getting there. They just built the«New Garden Market» which includes really nice indoor plants and local décor. I purchased a Silver Table fern for only $ 5-something I’ve never seen before. While walking through the greenhouses I experienced a lot more new things, like a pineapple plant that had a little pineapple on top of it and several plants I’ve never seen also in bloom, including cacti. I saw a healthy amaryllis and it’s not even November! Sorry, I’m nerding out. You’ll also experience Muscovy ducks from South America walking around helping to keep the bugs at bay. They also apparently ate all the kio in the fish pond, so their presence is, or was, bittersweet. A small grey cat also greeted us and said farewell-the apparent mascot. I forget his name. Osiris, maybe? Probably so since he looked a little rough… The owners know they can’t compete with all the chains that sell annuals at discounted prices. I don’t think they even want to, to be honest. They’re trying to rebuild the past but make it bigger and better, adding new experiences and education to the community. Both of which I definitely left with.
