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Welcome to San Francisco’s gardening mecca, Flora Grubb.
Years ago when I was addicted to Tumblr, I remember the first time I saw what appeared to be an epic succulent wall. What is this magic? Where is this? And how can I get there? I was living in New York at the time and life in California seemed a century away. Fast forward to 2011, when my husband and I quit our jobs, packed our things and headed west. Though Flora Grubb has been a dream location on my list of San Francisco musts, I still hadn’t made my pilgrimage to the succulent wall. That is, until a few weeks ago when the totally inspiring maker and flower enthusiast Jessica Pezalla headed this way to shoot our brand new DIY Paper Flowers Class.
As a former San Francisco dweller, I knew Jessica would have a top notch list of spots to hit up for creative inspiration. And number one on her list was the one, the only Flora Grubb.
Named after the owner — yes Flora Grubb is her actual name — this gorgeous space dedicated to all things gardening was created as “a place where people could gather and geek out on their plants.” In addition to every type of foliage, greenery and, yes, flora you can imagine, there are plenty of places to take up residence for a morning or afternoon as well as a coffee shop. So not only is this grove of gardening awesomeness super useful and well-stocked, but it’s a gathering place as well.
There’s something warm and cozy about being surrounded by plants, especially in the middle of a city. It looks like something that’s been around for centuries, dressed in corrugated steel and reclaimed wood, with the appearance of actually being overtaken by plants. Grubb describes, “The building is more like a trellis that serves as a backdrop for the plants. We really wanted to open it all up.” (h/t Dwell)
Jessica and I spent an afternoon wandering through the colorful scenery of this space. And honestly, we could have spent an entire day there. From that epic wall of succulents to about a dozen things you never realized could be a planter (cars, bikes and sinks, oh my!), this iconic SF spot is overflowing with creative inspiration. For more on what inspires a pro paper flower maker, head here to read all about Jessica Pezalla.
For more floral inspiration, be sure to sign up for our new DIY Paper Flowers Class, taught by Jessica Pezalla of Bramble Workshop. And don’t be surprised if you end up turning your home into your own version of Flora Grubb ;)
