This originally appeared in the 2019 Best of Louisville issue of Louisville Magazine.
The air inside Mahonia on East Market Street smells of spicy soap and rich dirt. Deep greens take over the bright-white space, plants in woven baskets resting on dark wood tables and jute rugs. I wander and find a carefully curated corner full of succulents of all sizes in handmade pots, sitting alongside bronze elephant statuettes and books like The Drunken Botanist.
Lily pad-looking leaves — the Pilea peperomioides, or Chinese money plant — seem to be propped up on sticks. Strings of green pearls cascade from terra-cotta pots. A large table displays flowers for sale by the stem. Deep-red blooms fade to burnt orange, deep pink, coral, yellow and white. Ceramic flowers hang on a wall, and a dried bouquet sits encased in glass, preserving reds, pinks and greens. Glass terrariums abound.
This originally appeared in the 2019 Best of Louisville issue of Louisville Magazine. Read more.
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Photos by Joon Kim, studiojoon.com
