Shoptalk: The Forest Flower

Seafoam walls and a hunter green door more reminiscent of a beach house than a houseplant shop greet customers at The Forest Flower, which is surrounded on all sides by bright pink and red flowers and terra cotta pots. Inside, a tangy grapefruit scent wafts among the hundreds of potted succulents and indoor plants. The selection is supplemented with shrubs hanging in chic macramé holders, handcrafted watering cans, and floral jewelry from Paris. When owner Leah Flanagan acquired the property a year ago, the dilapidated buildings and grubby supplies were remnants of the 1856 Bash Seed Company. Flanagan wanted to maintain the charming, old-time feel of the original garden and seed shop she and her family patronized, so she reworked fixtures from the early 1900s to fit her vision of a contemporary plantscaping boutique. Keep an eye out for the reproductions of 1920s Bash seed-packet posters, and take a moment to pore over the 100-year-old seed cabinet whose small drawers now display little delights like potted plants and vintage matchstick packs.

The Forest Flower
3205 W. 71st St., 317-291-1441

Don’t Miss
Costa Farms’s coral cacti, a flamboyant, fan-shaped graft of two succulents that requires minimal maintenance.