EC: The shop is housed in a 1936 Conoco gas station—a whitewashed building that was once home to Ruth Chenoweth’s real estate office. The fenced backyard is full of trees, shrubs, perennials, antique roses, and water-wise plants, and inside the original station are houseplants, a great selection of small cacti, seeds, heirloom bulbs, and a collection of furniture, pottery, and garden artwork. We also have our organic solutions for pest control and soil amendments.
D: What’s the philosophy behind the store?
EC: We focus on native and adaptive plants for our region and organic soil amendments, and we are continually learning and sharing our knowledge.
D: Why should we go native?
EC: Native plants do better in our soil with fewer amendments, require less water, and they also support our local wildlife.
D: Organic gardening seems intimidating. What’s an easy way to get started?
EC: Stop spraying pesticides. When you spray, you kill the bad bugs, but you kill the good ones, too. And adding some compost when you garden is a great start.
D: Tell me about the artwork, pottery, and furniture you display.
EC: Right now, all of the paintings are by my brother Scott Webber. Then we have tanned and blown pottery by David Day of David Day Designs. The tables and benches are from JD Tree Service. They take trees that have fallen down naturally or had to be taken out of necessity, and they make tables and benches. And all the wood is locally harvested.
D: Why Oak Cliff?
EC: We saw a need for a garden center in this area and decided to start one. It helps that Oak Cliff is friendly to small businesses.
Repotted 700 W. Davis St. 214-948-4770 repotted.co
Rug Doctors
Dallas rolls out the red carpet for J.H. Minassian & Co.
Some people might say that Dallas has gone Hollywood. We would argue that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Take J.H. Minassian & Co. The company was founded in Los Angeles in 1905 and has become known for its inventory of fine rugs—both antique and modern—as well as its extensive knowledge, garnered from four generations of fine carpet craftsmanship. Lucky for you, they’ve opened a new 4,000-square-foot showroom in the Design District, and it offers the same caliber of merchandise and service as the L.A. store. J.H. Minassian craftsmen also repair and restore carpets. 1250 Slocum St., Ste. 749. 214-651-6000. jhminassian.com.
