On the corner of North 35th Street and Albion Place North in Fremont sits Piriformis Nursery & Garden Art. The small shop, obscured by the plants blanketing its surroundings, has been supplying drought-tolerant plants to the avid, novice and "lazy" gardener for more than seven years.
In a city constantly plagued by summer-drought concerns, owner Tori Galloway has found a successful niche as one of the few (if not the only) nurseries to specialize in unique and interesting, drought-tolerant plants. She works hard to find plants she describes as "low maintenance with high drama."
She also ensures that every plant ordered will stand up to dry conditions. "If they need a drink once a month to survive, they don't make it into the shop," she said.
A different type of nursery
Piriformis Nursery & Garden Art, opened May 1, 1998, at 1051 N. 35th St. Previously a small café and floral business called Crazy for You, the majority of the property is exterior space, with only a small store near the entrance.
Occupying the outside, plants like lemon verbena, Japan pepper, rootbeer hyssop, shrubs and palms create a sensory experience, almost overwhelming the indoor space.
Inside, Galloway sells locally designed garden art, garden antiques, funky garden accessories, tools and books. Compost tea, a special treat for plants and soil, is brewed on Saturdays.
"I even get to make a lot of fun things to sell. I make a lot of the birdhouses," Galloway said.
Albeit hidden, Piriformis Nurs-ery has not gone unnoticed in the gardening nor the conservation world. In 1998 Garden Design Magazine voted it one of the Best Garden Shops in America, and it was a Gold Medal winner for "Garden Creator," at the 2001 Northwest Flower & Garden Show.
Galloway also does a lot of public speaking. Last spring, she spoke about plant selection and what is a drought-tolerant plant for one of Seattle's water-saving programs.
A team effort
Open seven days a week, Galloway has only two part-time employees: Kyle Henegar and Cindy Spurgeon. Together, the three women make a dynamic team.
Galloway does the ordering, restocking and paperwork.
Spurgeon, a great organizer and native plant expert, takes care of plant placement outside and the descriptions posted for many of the plants.
Hanegar works outside, re-potting, cleaning and grooming plants.
"We really work as a team; the three of us orchestrate it well. It was just natural for us," Hanegar said.
A small business, the team enjoys the nursery's community feel and getting to know their neighbors. "We're on a first-name basis with the majority of our customers," Hanegar said.
A Fremont resident for eight years, Hanegar has worked for Galloway for two and a half years and truly enjoys her job. "On Thursday nights, I always look forward to coming to work on Friday - coming to see what new plants we have and to see my people."
A change in plans
Galloway was not always in the retail business. For 13 years, she owned Victoria Gardens, a design-build landscaping company.
Plans changed when she injured her piriformis muscle near her hip and thigh in a car accident and was unable to do the intense labor involved with landscaping. Not the kind of boss to sit and instruct others, she quit her business and looked for other less physical ways to be involved with plants.
One day she stopped in to get coffee at Crazy for You and discovered it was up for sale. Galloway seized the opportunity.
"It seemed almost serendipitous, finding the shop," Galloway said.
The property, two-thirds of it open space, is shaped in a triangle (the same shape as the muscle she injured). Galloway cleared the grounds and named her new venture after the muscle injury that inadvertently led her into her new business.
Today, Galloway has the best of both worlds: She is able to work with plants and can have fun interacting with her community.
After all, for Galloway, gardening doesn't always have to be work, work, work. As Galloway said with a laugh, "Essentially, I am a lazy gardener. I want to watch the world go by."
Abby Lund writes about places Off the Beaten Path on the third Wednesday of the month. She can be reached at needitor@nwlink.com.
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