Can 600 cozy square feet of marinaside store-frontage possibly contain 45 years of horticulture expertise? It can in the hands of small-space gardening expert Mark Hiltz.
Alongside his partner Tim Hiltz, a realtor by trade and fellow green-space enthusiast, the two consolidated their decades of knowledge into Coal Harbour Florist and Green Design a light, fragrant and pet-friendly one-stop garden store facing the promenade at lands-end of Jervis Street. But dont be fooled by the conciseness of the layout.
Its amazing what I can put together from what I have. I have a daughter, whos an adult daughter now, but when she was little she lived with me for quite a few years and shed always say, Theres no food in the house, because it wouldnt look like there was a lot. But there would always be enough to put together a good meal. I kind of operate on the lean side and it forces you to be more creative, Mark says, while glancing around the store.
Promoting the concept of living well by living green, CHF also offers a broad spectrum of interior and exterior landscape services to the residential and corporate communities of Coal Harbour including ingenious lifestyle solutions like and sleek Lechuza self-watering planters that minimize watering schedules for customers who travel often or have strata issues with planters that leak.
We live in a city with a lot of balconies and a very green agenda, adds Tim. We have this vision of having all the balconies in Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»dripping with plants.
With an emphasis on relationships, the Hiltzes hope their locally sourced floral creations have a place in all the special occasions of their customers lives. Since their opening in January, the greenscapers have been welcomed by the neighbourhood. People wave to them as they walk home along the seawall. Their arrangements have even found terra firma in the watery confines of boats moored across from their entrance.
I had a shop in Seattle for 12 years, in the Magnolia section, an area like Coal Harbour, and we were the Magnolia Village Florist, Mark recalls. It becomes part of your life, you know each other by name. So when we decided to call it Coal Harbour Florist and Green Design, we had friends in marketing who said No, no too restrictive. You need a catchy, one-word name. I know there are other ways to go, but Im not out to conquer Greater Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»or Canada; if I have the support of the neighbourhood, Ill be happy.
They also share their sunlight with locally-made artisan work such as Heather Dahls and Winnie Tams .
Tim was shopping on Granville Island and came across one of Tams whippet brooches, and thought of a regular customer who has three of the dogs. He bought the brooch for the woman to thank her for her loyalty a shortly thereafter added Tams popular accessory line to the front counter.
With customer service like that, Coal Harbour might not be big enough to contain the gardeners. Until that day comes, you can find them at 60-323 Jervis St. or .
You can follow Kelsey on @kelseyklassen.
