Stop at a Garden Shop

Southern Living, Feb 2004 by McKenzie, Jennifer L

If you're looking for terra-cotta with a twist, rummage through this unique Florida store.

Duh.

One word snagged my attention. That's exactly what owners Quinn Stinson and Jim Rigsbee were thinking when they branded their cool garden and home shop with those three simple letters.

Duh, in Pensacola, carries everything you'd ever want to make your treasured castle, well, yours. The store offers not only masses of garden accessories, but also home furnishings bursting with personality. These items make Duh the kind of place you never forget-and the type to which you'll return often.

The Name Game

Quinn and Jim wanted to create their own Tuscan farmhouse. They also wanted their business to carry a memorable name. So they gathered a group of pals and asked them to come up with five possible store names. The only rule: It must be both playful and unpretentious. Duh was the winner.

"We've gotten a lot of attention from the name," says Jim. "The local paper did a story called 'The Name Game.' " Once inside the store, however, it's not the name, but the amazing offerings that cause all the chatter.

Endless Treasures

"Good grief. This place just keeps going and going," says one visitor from Alabama. In the front of Duh, you'll find plants, garden statues, and outdoor knickknacks. The concrete pig, monkey, and frog statues sell so well that the store can't keep them in stock. Follow the front room back to an outdoor patio where the sunshine spills onto a terra-cotta mecca. From pots you can fit in the palm of your hand to gigantic planters as tall as an adult, the assortment astonishes customers.

Out back, visitors find sophisticated antique pieces in a two-story building. An Italian sconce with lemons, instead of the usual flower design, goes for $240. You can spend $5 on an old feed bag or small trinket or invest in a large piece, such as an Italian rust-and-teardrop chandelier with six lights for $2,200. "We have stuff from $5 to $8,000. We import directly from Italy about twice a year," says Quinn.

From the extensive collection of chandeliers and salvage finds to the vast array of pottery, you won't be able to pin down the most impressive part of Duh. Is this place worth a visit? Well, duh. JENNIFER L. MCKENZIE

Duh: 501 North Ninth Avenue, Pensacola, FL 32501; (850) 439-0640.