Stephanie Reed and Her Family Are Taking the Guesswork out of Plant Parenting
Written By: Jordan Nishkian
Photographed By: Josie Gonzales San Diego Nurseries
Tucked away in a narrow unit on Park Boulevard, local plant shop EDEN bursts forth with a lush indoor jungle of gorgeous greenery handpicked by Co-Owner Stephanie Reed herself. “I love picking out all the plants,” Reed says with a smile in her voice. “We don’t preorder anything, so I get to go to a lot of local north county wholesalers and pick out the best of the best.” San Diego Nurseries
The quality of the plants is evident even when you first step through EDEN’s doors. Even the air itself seems to change, wrapping patrons in a clean, pleasant humidity. “People always say, ‘Oh, the air is so clean! It smells so good in here!’” Reed says. And there’s a good reason: “More than half of the plants in EDEN are air-purifying plants.” Not only does EDEN promote healthy, beautiful indoor spaces, it also promotes peace of mind—without that boutique price tag. “I really want our store to be for people who don’t necessarily have a lot of money—college students, stay-at-home moms, people who just want to add a little bit of life to their space without breaking the bank.”
Although many attribute the store’s success to the family’s green thumb, Reed insists, “Houseplants are a lot easier than people think! When people go online and they’re reading all this insane amount of information, it can seem daunting, but really, it’s not that hard.”
The family business began when Reed, along with her mother, sister and brother-in-law, bought Northpark Nursery, and “about six months or so into owning it,” they opened EDEN. “We noticed that indoor plants were becoming trendier,” she explains, “which is something I really grappled with: it is trendy. It’s very fueled by social media, so I get a lot of people [who] want the trendy plant, and the trendy plant is now something overpriced.”
Instead, Reed makes a point to introduce her customers to other plants to ensure that they’re making the best choice for their space and their wallet: “I’m always trying to remind people that there are so many pretty plants that aren’t trendy, that aren’t overpriced, that are easy to care for. Just because you haven’t seen it hashtagged a billion times, doesn’t mean it’s not worth having.” San Diego Nurseries
While there are plenty of studies that back up the physical and psychological benefits of plants, Reed thinks it’s a personal experience. “I don’t know if plants just make people kinder or if just being surrounded by nature naturally creates a calm,” she discloses. “Either way, it’s all good vibes from here at the store!”
EDEN
4636 Park Blvd
San Diego, CA 92116
619.431.5095 San Diego Nurseries
Born and raised near the Pacific Coast, Jordan Nishkian is a California girl through and through. She graduated from Cal State Long Beach with a BA in Creative Writing and a BA in Anthropology, and her favorite place to be is curled up in a comfy chair with a book in her hand and a pen in her hair.
