The small-but-beloved nursery Leaf & Petal Co that operated out of a quirky location at 302 Colorado Ave. has now permanently closed, but the daughter of the owner has opened a brand new nursery called Staghorn at 2923 Wilshire Blvd. (A staghorn is a family of fern that look like deer or elk antlers, hence their unusual name.)
“We offer everything in the botanical industry from soil to staghorn to statues and other exotic plants. We also do landscaping, design and outdoor furniture from Australia and lots of different parts of Asia,” owner Julie Kim said, adding, “We do flower arrangements too and we specialize in cactus succulents.”
Staghorn officially opened last Thursday and is in the former site of Jerry’s Liquor, utilizing the parking lot space outside. Fingers crossed it will become as established as the Armstrong Garden Center located just a few blocks further along Wilshire Blvd.
Leaf & Petal Co was at the Colorado Ave. site for over 35 years, but was unable to renew their lease, so Julie’s mother took the opportunity to retire, passing the botanical baton to her daughter.
“Santa Monica has always felt like home for us. We love the diversity in this community and how supportive everyone has been and everybody has a good heart,” Julie said.
