The Little Nursery with a Big Vision
I hope you had an enjoyable Saturday.
Here, the sun was warm and the skies were blue. Tomorrow...rain!
So it was a day I wanted to get out, out and about.
This morning we were up and out of the house at 9am - went toy shopping for a little girl, ages 1-4. This was for the toy donation drive, Operation Blue Santa. They were having a drive-thru, drop-off.
⬆️
Afterwards, I wanted to visit this charming new non-profit training center I had been hearing about, for underserved populations seeking employment in horticulture or food service. These populations include individuals who may face barriers to employment, such as people experiencing homelessness, former foster youth, and those with disabilities like my step-daughter, Char. It does this by functioning as a Boutique Nursery and outdoor café - called PLANTABLE.
Source: Instagram
They took an old, blighted structure...
AND fixed it up, and now it is a cool place to shop for nursery plants, grab a panini, soup, salad, or freshly made beignets, and, every Friday night, they have live music and food trucks. Free! Of course, you pay for your food and drinks. The staff there were incredibly knowledgeable and genuinely took the time to answer all my questions. While the prices were a wee bit higher than the big box stores, they are absolutely justified by their wonderful cause.
The nursery is located in downtown, an area that is being revitalized. This change is bringing new life to the once-rundown neighborhood, with busy cafés, art galleries, and improved public spaces. We're still waiting for our Redding Public Market to open. I'm really excited about that.
I fell in love with these structures - made with recycled metal pipes and wood slats.
This was in October - we hope to make it this Friday night, weather permitting.
I took a few photos of the plants and flowers. If I didn't name it, I either didn't know what it was, or I forgot the name...
Maybe you can help me?
#1
I think I know, but could be wrong...
you tell me...
#2
A grapefruit
#3
Who knows? I sure don't!
#4
Pomegranates
Their recycling container.
Red Roses
Bougainvillea
#5
Azalea
They have many sitting places where you can eat or just relax.
Arbutus 'Marina or Strawberry tree.
Check out what Sue from Photowannabe shared on her page! She captured some stunning shots of this tree in her yard that totally outshine this one.
Quick Facts
These showy little trees are often stars of the garden! They’re well-adapted to this area's climate and loved by many! Though the name can be confusing, the Arbutus Marina’s fruit is not the traditional strawberry in grocery stores or desserts.. Though it is edible!
#6
Kumquat?
We enjoyed our delightful lunch right here! I savored a tasty ham-and-pepper jack cheese panini with pesto, while my husband relished a salmon panini topped with pepper jack and homemade mayo. Sitting amidst the birds and basking in the sunshine made for a very nice lunch.
Just some nice flowers by the paths...
I can't wait to return to this amazing place. I'm looking forward to their spring and summer! The photos I’ve seen from those seasons are absolutely beautiful, and I can’t wait to enjoy them!
On the road to home...
Until Next Time...
Debby
I am pretty sure #1 is also a rose.
ReplyDeleteRedding is such a beautiful place! And I love that the new nursery Plantable is helping so many people.
That’s what I thought except they were so big! I’ve not ever seen such a large rose. 🌹
DeleteOooooh! I love this place and the ministry it has! If I was close I would be there.
ReplyDeletePlant #3 is Grevillia or spider flower.
All plant purchases and food purchases help support the cause. So it’s a nice lunch place in a nice setting. There also was a creek that runs in the back - charming.
DeleteWhat an amazing place! And they have made it look so high-end!
ReplyDeleteAnd so much of it is recycled and reclaimed. Love it.
DeleteWhat a perfectly productive and wholesome Saturday. Seriously, hitting the drive-thru for Operation Blue Santa is such a sweet way to start the day, and that's giving massive holiday spirit already.
ReplyDeleteYes the donation drive was fun and we were happy that we could do it!
DeleteWhat a gorgeous place, Debby! Thanks for sharing your photos of the plants and flowers, and how this place helps those who would otherwise not find meaningful employment. Have a blessed Sunday!
ReplyDeleteI can’t wait to go back!
DeleteGood morning, I really enjoyed your post The nursery looks amazing
ReplyDeleteHappy Sunday
The spring and summer will be amazing.
DeleteI cannot name any of the ones you need. So sorry. What a wonderful place that was remodeled and re-envisioned. A great place to visit now. Janice
ReplyDeleteI like finding out- of- the- ordinary type of places.
DeletePlantable sounds like a very worthwhile venture. It's so encouraging when people set up venues like this.
ReplyDeleteI agree!
DeleteWhat a cool place, my friend. Wishing you a lovely day.
ReplyDeleteThanks Linda!
DeleteThat spidery plant is indeed a spider flower. Originated in Australia and it's scientific name is Grevillia (I think). I've seen them and they are so pretty! This really looks like a neat place. someone put a lot of work into making this a beautiful garden area.
ReplyDeleteThanks on naming that pretty spider flower. They really did a lot of work on the place.
DeleteI wanna go there what a fun place to take photos and I love that it was a broken beaten down place, turned into a land of plant and magic. Brilliant.
ReplyDeleteThat’s how I feel about it. My kind of place totally!
DeleteWow, Debby, what a cool place you wrote about! Your lunch sounded yummy, too. Thanks for your visit and comment at Writing Straight from the Heart. Always appreciated. Have a blessed Sunday and a good week ahead.
ReplyDeleteOh that panini was delicious and kept me satisfied all day. Thanks for dropping by Susan. It’s always a pleasure.
DeleteThis is a neat place. Haven't heard of it yet. That's nice that you spent some time here and appreciated the flowers and plants and had a nice lunch. The outside chair looks comfy. This is a good place for all those that are needing help during this season. I think that first flower is a Rose, and you know how much I loved the red roses. The kumquat is interesting, and I love the pomegranate tree. Now, I'm wondering what area in town this is - is it by the train tracks, where the shuttles are?
ReplyDelete~Sheri
I’ll email the address. It’s on California St
DeleteNow, this is my kind of place. I love the life changes the place will bring about. Those trellises are so neat.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the "shout out" ... the "strawberries" are just about finished but I did get brave enough to eat 2 of them the other day. The skin is pretty gritty and not to my liking but the inside pulp was really good, kind of sweet/tart. It reminded me of a very ripe persimmon. Wish I had known about those things being edible years ago!!
Thanks for the tour of the place. I think it would be really fun in the Spring time.
Sue
I like persimmons! Yum. I used to make persimmon bread when my boys were young. I haven’t had that in years.
DeleteI just love that place - what a wonderful thing to have for people. Beautiful flowers. Such a different life there.
ReplyDeleteSpring and summer will be beautiful there.
DeleteWhat a lovely place! I can see why you would want to go back.
ReplyDeleteIf I don’t buy plants 🌱 I can always have lunch there which was very good! It’s all for a worthy cause.
DeleteFlower #3 is especially pretty. I don't know its name at all. Beautiful post!
ReplyDeleteIt’s a spider flower.
DeleteWhat a great initiative, Plantable! I hope it exceeds beyond all expectations!
ReplyDeleteI do too!
DeleteWhat a wonderful place to spend time in!!! 1 looks like a rose to me.
ReplyDeleteI believe it is too. It threw me off because it is huge. About 6-7 inches wide.
DeleteLooks an amazing place, I do hope it does well.
ReplyDeleteHave a blessed Sunday.
All the best Jan
Thank you, Jan
DeleteNeat place. Lots of stuff there too. I have been on the hunt for a specific fruit tree, but our area nursery locations do not sell them for some reason. I know the tree exists, as a childhood friend's grandparents had the tree in their back yard not far from here.
ReplyDeleteWhat’s the name of the tree? Sounds interesting.
DeleteWhat a great place! There is an app you can put on your phone called Picture This and it will identify any plants or flowers. There is also one for birds, insects and rocks!
ReplyDeleteMy iPhone used to have that built in to the photos and then one day it was gone. I checked Picture this but it’s not free. I’d like the one for birds insects and rocks!
Deletewhat a super idea and a wonderful place to wander, stroll, take photos, shop, eat drink and be merry. ha ha.. love it and if you put your finger in the middle of the flower, push down and pick search by Google lens it will tell you what they are. even dogs or cats or sometimes a mountain. I do it daily... if you do it to Beau it will say Dane/catahoula.
ReplyDeleteMy iPhone used to identify and then one day after an update it was gone. I didn’t know about the google lens - just tried it. Thanks. I learned something. 😘
DeleteWhat a great day you had. Thank you for sharing it. I love the photos you shared. The flowers are beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThat really looks like a great place to visit! I love nurseries with an extra purpose like this...and the sitting areas and food, etc., all sounds so lovely! Thank you for sharing the beauty with us. I would definitely enjoy visiting there with you! :)
ReplyDelete