What a wonderful local plant nursery! The sign out front (plus the Waze app) helped me find it, and there was plenty of parking between the nursery and the gorgeous white-washed church next door. (Walk around to the front, facing the street, to get in.)
Dru seemed very friendly and easy-going. He greeted me when I walked in, introduced himself with a handshake, and encouraged me to wander around to whichever parts of the area pulled me to them. It was a lovely place to wander up and down the aisles and between the plantings. It's mostly outdoors, but didn't feel overwhelmingly warm because there was plenty of shade, mostly in the form of trees and bushes. I felt like I could have quite happily brought a book, found a comfy spot in the shade, and enjoyed a peaceful afternoon surrounded by desert-friendly plants.
Beyond the great atmosphere and welcoming vibe, I very much enjoyed seeing the propagations Dru had going, as well as the variety of cactus and other succulents, and even a few tropical houseplants.
I had gone to pick up a water-wise plant to fill in a hanging basket, and ended up with three happy, healthy-looking jelly bean sedums, as well as a store credit to give as a birthday gift for a relative who hasn't been to Drutopia before and would LOVE it. Once I have the sedums planted and out in the sun, they should fill in the basket nicely, hanging over the edges and turning red in the sunshine.
At the end, Dru thanked me, shook my hand again, and asked if he could take a photo of me with my plants. (He has a lot of fun photos of customers on his Instagram, so I'm assuming it was for that.)
All in all a wonderful experience, and a shop I will definitely visit next time I'm in the area.
Tip: Some plants are priced, but others are not. If you're not sure, ask Dru and he'll let you know. read more