Edmonds’ Garden Gear, the go-to local source for the garden lover, is closing up shop after almost three decades in the same downtown location on 5th Avenue between the fountain and the Log Cabin.

Owned by long-time Edmonds residents – and avid gardeners – Don and Lili Hall, the shop has been a fixture in downtown for the past quarter century, adding a colorful splash to the local street scene with sidewalk displays of wind socks, pinwheels and whimsical garden décor. It was hard to walk past without breaking into a smile.

Don has always been the gardener, while Lili came to it later after working for years in the corporate sector. By any measure the garden they built and continue to tend around their Edmonds Bowl home is a showcase. It has been a featured stop on the Edmonds in Bloom garden tour, and is a stunning example of what can be done in a small space. When asked during the 2015 tour his secret for small gardening, Don Hall remarked, “The secret of small gardening is using every square inch to full advantage. If there’s dirt, there’s room for another plant.”

The Halls were inspired to open a garden shop during a visit to Victoria, British Columbia.

“We were just wandering around and came across a little garden shop,” recalls Lili. “They carried an array of goods from some well-known garden suppliers like Smith and Hawken. Previously, I’d looked longingly at the Smith and Hawken catalogs, but I’m not a mail-order person. I like to see and touch the goods before I buy. And I guess that planted the seed, so to speak. Get quality goods and give people the chance to see and touch them first-hand.”

Returning to Edmonds, the couple couldn’t get that little shop out of their minds, and when a space opened up just two doors from the fountain, they decided to jump.

“We had absolutely no retail experience at the time, so it was a big learning experience for us both,” laughed Lili. “But we kept at it, picked it up bit by bit, and came to really love running a shop in our community.”

But now, after 27 years, it’s time to let it go.

“Don and I just decided it was time,” explained Lili. “We’ve had a good run, but much as I enjoy running the business, after nearly three decades now looks like the perfect time to step away.  Our retirement plans are simple – we’ll stay in town, hang out in Edmonds, and tend our garden.”

The store officially closed its doors on Feb. 28, but the lease will not expire until the end of March. Lili plans to be there off and on while she sells off the last of her remaining stock, shelving and store décor.

— Story and photos by Larry Vogel