Plant shop moves into permanent home on Portage Avenue

SOUTH BEND, Ind.—A plant shop that started as a pop-up in April has moved into a permanent space in South Bend’s Near Northwest neighborhood.

The Botany Shop opened at 909 Portage Avenue in mid-July after spending a few months operating out of Thyme of Grace off of Mishawaka Avenue.

“It allowed us to get up and running before committing to our own space,” owner Benjamin Futa said.

The South Bend native recently moved back to the area and wanted the business to be close to home and part of building a more connected community.

“The space at 909 used to be a floral shop, so it feels lovely to bring some beauty back to this space,” Futa said.

The plant shop sells a variety of plants, gardening tools, décor, cosmetics, self-care products and art.

Its summertime hours of operation are Wednesday from 5 to 8 p.m., Thursday and Friday from noon to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Futa said in the future, the shop will hold events, workshops and classes.

The shop also hopes to support local beautification projects and organize a group of community volunteers to help with the projects.