Zinnia's: Great Garden Shop in Bellville, Texas

I am an official, "dyed in the wool" garden nut. I will bypass new clothes, new shoes, even chocolate in the pursuit of a new plant or knick-knack for my garden. In the tradition of gardeners worldwide, I want to share the extraordinary out of the way shop with a lot of character.

In my small town of Bellville, Texas, there exists a quirky little nursery called Zinnia's, only open Thursday through Saturday , from 8am to 4 pm. It is worth the hour or so trip out of Houston just to visit it. The building that houses Zinnia's is reminiscent of a German Sunday House, compact and charming. The owners are welcoming, knowledgeable and friendly. The prices are reasonable, the selection is always interesting, and the gifts are often one of a kind. I recently have made it a habit of going to shop there every Saturday, and I never come away disappointed or empty handed. Zinnia's also offer to find plants you are looking for and will order it for you, now that is personal service! I have purchased four birthday gifts in the last three months, and all of them were well received and appreciated.

Zinnia's carry garden furniture that is mass produced, and some that has been handmade and decorated by talented local craftsmen; all of it is attractive. The items in the shop have obviously been carefully chosen, because, a lot of it cannot be found in the massive chain store nurseries or other gift shops locally. Zinnia's stock a multitude of different wall art, some that I would refer to as 'fun', some unusual, but it is easy to see that they have items for eclectic tastes, sure to please most everyone.

An added attraction to Zinnia's is that the owners also offer dog training lessons after store hours. In keeping with the dog training, Zinnia's have a line of pet products, mostly for the dog in your life. While I was there, some dogs on leashes visited with their owners each on their best behavior as teacher was there. The dogs are enthusiastically welcomed and pampered.

The final and a major attraction is that Zinnia's offer landscaping services, believe me, that is a boon to a small town.