Any time customers would visit The Gardener of Bath, the door was slightly ajar, always welcoming them to a place of unique gifts, delicious ice cream and a roaming store cat. The beloved community gift shop closed down after twenty years in business, and residents of the Bath area will miss the homey atmosphere. With wooden walls and floors and herbal candle scents filling the air, the space was small, but the products could entertain customers for hours.
“The store is really about culture,” Heather Girves, co-owner of The Gardener of Bath, says, “It’s really about cultivating your space and relationship to each other and the things within your space.”
In April of 2006, Justin Girves worked with his mom to start The Gardener of Bath, which began as a garden center as well as a gift shop. Once the store began focusing on products like trollbeads and trendy jewelry, it departed from its reputation of a garden center with few customers.
“We actually, in two years, became one of the biggest dealers in the nation,” Justin says, “which made no sense at all. It was shocking to the entire corporate culture.”…