Shop tour: North Carolina plant store The Zen Succulent

If I ever get myself to North Carolina THE ZEN SUCCULENT is going to be on my list of places to visit. Full of not only succulents but all matter of beautiful plant life as well as a wide array of gifts this store is a feast for the eyes. After writing a book and creating a thriving Etsy business, Megan George opened a shop with her mom and business partner in Durham. Luckily for us, Rachel of BLUE BARN PHOTOGRAPHY went along to document all the lovely corners of this delightful store. You can read more about them below, and if you’re in the area, their WORKSHOPS look well worth a visit!!

Created and owned by mother and daughter team, Margaret & Megan, THE ZEN SUCCULENT has opened a brand new plant & gift shop in downtown Durham North Carolina on historic Parrish Street. Opened in early May after having a thriving online business since 2012, the storefront beautifully blends their living terrarium landscapes and lush North Carolina grown greenery with curated goods and gifts from regional artisans.

Gleaming on its single storefront window are the words ‘Plants bring life, joy, and inspiration‘ which is a theme for this plant oasis. From the shops central workbench, to the white shelfs placed with one-of-a-kind plant gifts and terrarium glassware, to the plant filled front window space that contains a indoors garden of succulents and houseplants, Margaret & Megan have managed to cultivate a warm space for plant knowledge and beautiful exploration while making it welcoming for all, both green thumbs and black alike.

The space also doubles as Megan’s working studio where she daily runs the shops plant designs services, as well as creates and ships nearly 80 of her in-house terrariums weekly. This dedicated time experimenting with different ideas helps develop new collaborations and designs which moves their business forward, and is a big credit to their success.

Unique to The ZEN Succulent is their in-store Terrarium DIY Bar where customers can effortlessly build their own terrariums using the abundance of glassware, plants, terrarium materials and toppings under the guidance of staff. They also offer after hours plant care classes through their Plant Craft Workshop Series including how to build a terrarium, mount a Staghorn ferns, and house plant care, which aims to create a community through knowledge and creativity. Margaret & Megan can’t be more proud of their budding shop and look forward to sharing their knowledge and love of indoor greenery thoughtful their new line of plant stands, launching very soon.