Exploring Life & Business with Ellen Zibell of The Perennial Gardener and Sense of Place

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ellen Zibell.

Hi Ellen, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Before my husband and I started The Perennial Gardener and Sense of Place, I didn’t have much retail experience. We really loved the downtown area and the opportunity to buy and renovate historic buildings in the heart of Old Town was the catalyst to bring our business ideas to life. We imagined a different kind of retail store – a store without the usual straight aisles and racks of merchandise. We are all about creating an amazing experience for our customers! The moment customers step inside they are greeted with an abundance of offerings. We’ve assembled beautiful collections to bring their home and garden to life including fountains, art, garden statuary and seeds. If they’re looking for something more personal, we also have fabulous jewelry, scarves and fashion accessories that will astound and delight. We are grateful to be a downtown favorite and are celebrating our 27th anniversary this year.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
In our 27 years, we’ve seen booms, recessions, supply chain issues and a pandemic. The challenge and the opportunity is to evolve with every situation. The advantage of being a small business is that it’s easier to do just that. For instance, the pandemic has allowed us to identify and focus on what’s most important to our customers. It can be difficult to find time to focus when things are very busy and everything seems to be working. We will be a better business because of some of the lessons we have learned in the last two years.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
We specialize in garden and nature-inspired gifts as well as home decor. One thing that sets up apart is that we believe we are in the entertainment business. If customers escape into our stores and enjoy themselves, the sales will take care of themselves. A major key to our success is that we offer a very large selection of merchandise in our stores. We want to make sure that we always have a look of abundance. No one wants to escape into a space that looks sparse and picked over. We maintain this look regardless of the economy.

What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
As always, there will be challenges ahead. After the last couple of years, I can’t begin to predict the next 5-10 years. I do know there is always a place for a well-run local retail business that supports their community. We will continue to connect, react and look for opportunities.

Contact Info:

• Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/ThePerennialGardener/