A POWER STATION and an interstate loom near Digs Garden Center in an industrial pocket near downtown, yet you’ve never seen a place more full of life. Heath Outdoor has sown an oasis of creativity and color in the grit of Near North Mass (the area anchored by the Circle City Industrial Complex to the northeast of Bottleworks). Digs sells an array of annuals, perennials, veggie starts, and trees, plus compost, mulch, birdseed, and backyard chicken supplies. It’s also host to a wonderland of sustainably sourced art installations, including a front gate made of garden tools, a vintage robin’s egg–blue step van fitted with pots where the engine used to be, plant displays made of recycled shipping containers, and a retired grain bin. A path of permeable decorative pavers loops around the courtyard like a scenic trail, passing one surprise (tropical palms) after another (a casita that was once a micro-library and was rescued from demolition). But one of the most impressive surprises is invisible: As a part of its commitment to sustainability, Digs collects and repurposes all of its water in an underground reservoir hidden beneath the charming stone water feature.
Digs Garden Center
ADDRESS
1302 Columbia Ave.
HOURS
Daily, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.
