“We’ve been told by our customers that the quality of our plants is what sets us apart,” saidStefani Heffner, who runs Secret Garden Designs with her husband, Tom, and their two sons, Jordan and Nathan. This unique business at 609 First St. in downtown Brentwood features succulents, rare plant varieties, greenery, pots, accessories and more.
“For me, the best part is when people walk into the shop and they say, ‘Oh, I feel so calm here. I feel so happy here,’” Stefani said. “That’s truly the intention. For me, plants are very healing. Finding plants healed a part of me and our number one objective was to create something like that for the community. I didn’t really feel there was anything like that in Brentwood, where you could hang out and learn about plants while also receiving great customer service and seeing exotic plants that aren’t commonly found in big box stores.”
When customers purchase a plant from Secret Garden Designs they will also be provided with proper care instructions and knowledge for each particular plant. The store also hosts various events such as workshops, Plant Bingo and special events with other local businesses. They recently launched a plant membership program where customers who sign up will receive three plants a month for $29.95 delivered to their door, including a guide on how to care for them.
Stefani first began selling succulent arrangements at the farmers market in 2018. From there she began offering individual plants and began selling them out of her home and advertising it on Facebook Marketplace. Before she knew it, there was a long line of customers every weekend, she said. But Stefani’s love of unique foliage was instilled in her long before she began selling her wares professionally.
“My mom inspired my business,” Stefani said. “I started playing with my mom’s succulents in the backyard and making little arrangements. I would go over there every day and help her take care of her plants. My mom always had a jungle, and I realized early on I had a knack for making arrangements and people were asking me to buy them. Before I knew it, I was advised I should sell at the farmers market.”
After seeing the popularity of her arrangements at farmers markets and on Facebook Marketplace, Stefani–with help from her family–partnered with several local businesses for a series of pop-ups. From there, her business continued to blossom. She recalls meeting a woman at one of these pop-ups who managed Sunset Plaza on Brentwood Boulevard and who encouraged her to set up a store in the plaza.
“She said ‘there’s a vacancy there and you and your husband should come take a look. You guys obviously need a store. You guys have a good clientele,’” Stefani said. “We both felt something…we totally could visualize it. My husband and I just made the decision. I think we signed the contract a couple of days later.”
Stefani and Tom opened their first storefront in January 2021. She said they were always wanting to be downtown. When their lease was up at Sunset Plaza, they moved to their current location downtown, which opened in November 2024.
“We are so grateful for our customer base, who has continued to faithfully shop with us from our backyard to our storefront,” she said.
She added that the best part about owning a business in downtown Brentwood is the area’s sense of community.
To this end, she and her family are in the process of creating a walk-in creative area in the store where customers will be able to create their own arrangements later this year. Secret Garden Designs also features products from local artisans, echoing how Stefani’s business got its own start at local pop-ups.
“We host about 27 local artisans in our store where they sell their beautiful handmade products,” Stefani said. “We have things from crystals to even kids toys like Labubus and local pottery makers that sell their hand-thrown pots. We have soap makers, candle makers. So there’s really something for everyone. It’s a one-stop shop in our store. We also have Olive and Orange in our store and they have their beautiful vintage home decor in the back. You can really find anything you’re looking for here.”
Secret Garden Designs can be found on Instagram and Facebook @secretgardendesigns18. For more information on the local business or their events, visit www.sgdplants.com.
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