GRDN Is The Touch Of Nature Downtown Brooklyn Needed

When you walk into GRDN, a tucked-away garden shop off the always-bustling Atlantic Avenue, your senses are quickly heightened: You inhale the scent of blooming lavender, you take in floor-to-ceiling greens, and you hear a soft greeting from owner Susanne Kongoy. This immersive experience is by design, naturally: Susanne opened GRDN fourteen years ago when — as someone living in the area — she felt “people needed access to nature.” She also had an inkling that Downtown Brooklyn would be “the next SoHo” so, needless to say, her instincts are spot on in more ways than one.

Three things you should consider picking up at GRDN?

1. A pothos, a fern or a ZZ plant to liven up your desk — all are relatively simple to keep alive. Just water them when they look wilted, and avoid placing them in direct sunlight.

2. An understated yet elevated Ben Wolf Pottery pot for that new desk plant.

3. And just because: In the very center of the room, there is a round wooden table covered with dozens of clear glass vases filled with a whole spectrum of cut flowers. (Susanne’s favorite? The weeds.) Grab a few stems and make your own unique arrangement, or enlist Susanne to guide you.

One more thing you should consider at GRDN? Stepping out into the lush backyard garden for a moment of peace and quiet in the middle of a busy workday in the bustle of Downtown Brooklyn.