Ask most garden shops for help with a wreath and you get pointed toward an aisle. At Red Onion, the staff will sit down with you and pull ribbon until the colors work. That kind of hands-on service is the core of this Baton Rouge boutique nursery, which Brenda Goff opened in 2002.

## An old building on a nine-acre property

The flagship store at 15680 Perkins Road occupies a reworked older building on nine acres owned by Ralph Helms, founder of Gulf Coast Plantsman. Red Onion's own history admits the tucked-away spot meant a slow start. The payoff is the setting: mature trees, gardens and the occasional rabbit, plus Helms' 30-year-old greenhouse next door, where he sells unusual plants alongside Red Onion's selection.

A second location sits at 1680 Lobdell Ave., Suite A.

## What you'll find inside

The store mixes plants with home and garden goods: styled plant arrangements, statement pottery, outdoor furniture, home accessories and hand-selected ribbon. Red Onion carries Elegant Earth, a line of planters and garden furniture handcrafted in a restored historic factory with water-based finishes and organic pigments.

## Services worth knowing before the holidays

Three services set the shop apart as the season turns:

Custom ribbon selection: work with the team in store to build a ribbon mix for a wreath, an event or seasonal decor.

Custom container arrangements: bring your own planter or pick one in store, and the design team helps choose plants suited to your light and space, then plants it and sends you home with care instructions.

Outdoor seasonal container planting: the team selects and plants seasonal combinations for your existing outdoor containers. Inquire through the website.

## Hours

The Perkins Road store is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m.; call 225-753-5448. Lobdell keeps the same weekday and Saturday hours but closes Sunday; call 225-771-8771.

Photo courtesy of Red Onion.