Visit to Potted garden shop in Los Angeles
Last Saturday my husband and I flew to Los Angeles, rented a car, and drove to Santa Barbara, where we spent a relaxing 3-day weekend and celebrated our 23rd anniversary. We visited Lotusland and Santa Barbara Botanic Garden (my picks), as well as the historical Old Mission Santa Barbara and courthouse (David’s picks). We sat on the beach, watched dolphins, drove through the mountains, walked State Street, and admired the jacarandas in full bloom. We ate seafood on the wharf at Brophy Bros., tri-tip sandwiches at Cold Spring Tavern, and delicious breakfasts and happy hour snacks at the Cheshire Cat Inn, our B&B. In other words, we had a great time.
I’ll write about the gardens and a few other things we saw soon, but today I want to treat you to a virtual visit to Potted, an L.A. garden shop (their tagline is “Indoor Style for Outdoor Living”) that I’ve long wanted to see. We popped by for a quick visit on our way to the airport on Tuesday morning.
Located on a busy commercial street in a neighborhood of tiny bungalows, Potted has a small street presence.
But once you walk through the gate, the place is so chock-full of tempting garden decor, furniture, and potted plants that it seems to double in size.
First let’s stroll around the outdoor patio displays. I immediately spotted this grouping of Potted’s City Planters on a turquoise wall.
Nearby, on a wood-slat screen, hung several City Planters in white. These are so striking, especially the vertical style.
Pretty pots and interesting plants abound.
Egg-shaped ModPod birdhouses make a pretty collection. And that’s a red tractor seat on the wall, stuffed with tillandsias.
True to its name, Potted is known for its potted succulent arrangements.
Colorful pots, a smattering of colorful aquarium gravel, and vintage cast-offs, like this faucet handle, give them a playful look.
Look closely at this trio of potted plants and you’ll notice a small, red motel chair as accent in the middle container.
Color-block with sea urchin (bottom right)
Pure kitsch — I love it.
Around the side of the building, a large selection of colorful pots adds a tempting rainbow of color.
In a potting workshop in back…
…you can pot your own plants or have a staff member do it for you.
I love these colorful tiled pavers set into the concrete patio.
Similar ones are for sale, inviting you to jazz up your own patio space with a little color.
Step inside the store and a colorful mix of furniture and accessories greets you. Doesn’t it make you want to slap a fresh coat of paint on all your outdoor furniture — or replace them with these stylish pieces?
A Crayola box of metal bistro chairs hangs on the wall, while round, retro chairs and a tiered Fermob side table make a cool seating arrangement on the floor.
Striped Esther Pottery shares space with books about succulents and houseplants.
I absolutely coveted this tile-top table — not for my patio or deck but for my kitchen. Colorful Steel Life planters display a few tillandsias but would also make fun fruit bowls.
A wider view reveals a green hutch and porcelain, candy-striped hanging lamps. Love! I’d like to see Austin’s nursery shops step up their game with more home-and-garden furniture and contemporary-retro pots and decor.
Here’s the team that makes Potted such a great shopping experience: Cristina, the potted-plant arranger; Mary, co-owner; and Karen, who was working the register. I missed meeting Annette, Potted’s other co-owner and the store’s ambassador thanks to her blogging for Potted, but she was out of town the day we visited.
Annette and Mary generously donated a “grass” pillow for my book party giveaway in celebration of Lawn Gone!‘s release. Check out their online store if, like me, you live too far away to shop regularly. You might already be familiar with some of their products, like the famous Circle Pot. I have an orange-red one myself, and I would have been tempted by the new chartreuse color that’s on order, but it wasn’t in yet. Ah well, next time!
Update: As of June 2023, the brick-and-mortar Potted has closed for business.
All material © 2006-2013 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
What an extra-ordinary shop! I think I’ll go pot up one of our yellow Tonka trucks. Thanks for the tour.
My pleasure, Rebecca. They definitely have a knack for potting things up! —Pam
So sorry to have missed you, Pam. Great blog post and wonderful photos. Enjoyed seeing your version of our City Planters too. I guess imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
I’m glad you think so, Annette. I feel a little guilty over that copy, but, well, I have a welder friend. 😉 Anyway, I love everything in your store and feel sure that I’ll be making an online purchase as soon as those chartreuse Circle Pots are in. —Pam
Oh, I made that same trip (fly to LA, drive to SB) just a few days before you. Wish I’d remembered about Potted in LA, I would have stopped in. Didn’t get to do garden-y things in SB (little free time on a work trip) but did visit the courthouse. Lovely views there.
Yes, the views from the bell tower are amazing, aren’t they? Santa Barbara is a beautiful town. I hope next time you go you get to visit some gardens. —Pam
I’ve enjoyed seeing your tour of Potted and it would be on my list if I find myself in LA. It’s a great store and I even headed over to my favorite junk shop today seeking possibilities for their current contest.
Looking forward to seeing the rest of your trip.
I hope to have my first Lotusland post up sometime this weekend, Shirley. I have a lot of photos to go through first. And I look forward to seeing what you come up with for Potted’s contest. —Pam
Congrats on 23 yrs, and a great place to finish a nice trip. Those City Planters look great, but I think yours came out just as nicely. Glad Potted is nowhere near me, too many temptations…
Oh yes, it’s quite tempting. I’ve tried to tempt the owners into opening an Austin Potted, but it’s probably better for my own pocketbook if that doesn’t happen. —Pam
Ah you take me back Pam…it was Memorial Day weekend last year that I got to shop Potted. Such an amazing place with more imagination than I can come up with myself in an entire year. I need to go back…soon!
I remember your post well, Loree. It cemented my decision to visit Potted for myself one day soon. Just as your posts about Lotusland convinced me that I needed to go. Working on my own Lotusland posts now… —Pam
Thanks for touring us..
My pleasure, Natalie. —Pam
I think that you were REALLY in L.A. to take a meeting about a movie deal for your book. Hmm?
Love the colorful “3 squared” pavers!
Ha — good one, Cyndi. Aren’t those pavers fun? I wonder how easy it would be to make your own. —Pam
HOLY everything!!!
I wanna LIVE there.
I think we should open a store here in Austin called … wait for it …
Pot Heads.
It could be in an old house on the east side.
We could have workshops and wine tastings and show our wares.
We could have a couple of store cats.
Who’s got lending money? Huh? I’ve got the wits!
I like the way you think, Mamaholt! I think a store like Potted — Pot Heads??? — would be a great fit for Austin. —Pam
Thank you for taking the time to stop by our little corner of the world. We love your blog and it was a treat to meet you and your ever so patient husband, David. Cheers!
He is very patient, bless his heart. As for the Potted visit, the pleasure was all mine! I’m so glad to have finally seen the store in person, and it was lovely to meet you all. —Pam
What a great shop! Thanks so much for posting about it. I want one of those white city planters. I don’t think the rusty ones would work with my house, but a white one would look great! And the paving stones with the mosaic squares, Love those!
The white City Planters are so clean and contemporary, and so tempting. As was everything, really. I’m glad you enjoyed the virtual visit. —Pam
Hi, Pam, Congratulations on the lovely anniversary trip! What a feast for the gardener’s eye! I agree that table would be lovely inside. I can see you found lots of succulents in your adventure! Nice!
I did indeed, but I only brought home a tiny yucca from Santa Barbara Botanic Garden. Restraint! —Pam
I love the Potted blog! Thanks for the tour of the store.
I’m glad you enjoyed the tour, Cindy. —Pam