close to home: shopping for your garden

Garden stores across the South open their doors to shoppers who want to spruce up their outdoor living space.

Looking for a bronze urn on a pedestal or a glazed bonsai container? Search no more. A legend in Dallas since 1983, Jacksons Home and Garden stocks more than 1,200 styles of pots and containers in terra-cotta, concrete, glazed ceramic, cast iron, marble, granite, and bronze.

You'll find an array of sculpture, high-end barbecue grills, seasonal plants and seeds, patio furniture and gazebos, garden tools and statues, and even indoor accessories. Bob Jackson, the store's owner, says they also have a great selection of gas logs as well as indoor and outdoor fireplaces.

If that isn't enough, the store hosts a monthly cooking class taught by Houston chef John Henry, who cooked for President Bush's inauguration in 1989. Says Bob, "There's no charge for the classes. Plus, you'll be as full as a tick when you leave." Jacksons Home and Garden: 6950 Lemmon Avenue, Dallas, TX 75209; (214) 350-9200, 1-800-340-6747, or www.jacksons homeandgarden. com. JENNIFER MCKENZIE FRAZIER

Homewood, Alabama

Eun Joo Meriwether and Jon Culver's garden shop feels like visiting the home of a good friend with a green thumb. Winding paths connect the greenhouse and an interiors shop, located in a quaint cottage. Sweet Peas Garden Shop: 2829 Linden Avenue, Homewood, AL 35209; (205) 879-3839.

Santa Rosa Beach, Florida

Visitors stroll among the gardens at this nursery between Seaside and Rosemary Beach. The shop also stocks folk art and gourds of all shapes. The Gourd Garden and Curiosity Shop: 4808 East County U.S. 30-A, Seagrove Beach, Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459; (850) 231-2007 or www.gourd garden.com.

Charleston, South Carolina

Hyams Garden and Accent Store is well-known throughout The Palmetto State. This South Carolina classic carries a large variety of nursery plants, pottery, and fountains, and it also has its own greenhouse. Hyams Garden and Accent Store: 870 Folly Road, Charleston, SC 29422; (843) 795-4570.

Middletown, Maryland

This family-owned nursery and farm offers 3 splendid acres of gardens to explore. Visitors can take a self-guided tour or call ahead for a guide and a special herbal luncheon. The Garden Shop at Surreybrooke: 8537 Hollow Road, Middletown, MD 21769; (301) 371-7466 or www. surreybrooke.com.

Copyright Southern Progress Corporation Mar 2005
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