A Black Mountain native is opening a garden shop retail space in Swannanoa, with an expected opening date of Mother’s Day weekend.
Logan Turner, owner of Unicorn Farm Nursery and Landscaping, said the idea to open a retail space evolved from selling extra stock at the Swannanoa Farmers Market. That market was established after Tropical Storm Helene as a way to bring together community vendors in the hard-hit unincorporated town.
Turner said there was “an immense amount” of interest in their products at these markets.
He said the retail space “fell into place” when a property at 6 Avery Wood Drive in Swannanoa became available. Though construction is still taking place to fit the needs of the proposed space, Turner said it should be ready for an opening of May 9.
The shop will host plants from his nursery and will also be open for vendors to sell on consignment. Turner said he is looking primarily at smaller growers who traditionally sell at farmers markets.
“We’re trying to draw a lot of vendors from the green industry to us,” Turner said. “So far, we’re getting a lot of traction. I’m super excited.”
Turner said he also hopes to have a rotating list of food trucks come in.
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The long-term plan is to sell traditional garden shop goods in season and to have other plans for off seasons, traditionally in July, August, January and February. He plans to offer classes during these months for the community. In the fall, he has plans to have a pumpkin patch and fall decor, and sell live Christmas trees during the holiday season.
After the Mother’s Day weekend opening, Turner said the first event will be two weeks later with the Asheville Community Plant Market, where local vendors will come in and sell house plants, pressed flowers and more.
Unicorn Farm Nursery and Landscaping is opening a garden shop retail space in Swannanoa in spring 2026.
Turner said it is important to be in Swannanoa because that is where he and most of his staff live and they directly saw the impacts of Helene. At his farm, Turner said more than 50 trees were lost and all the bridges that led to the farm were washed out. He said it was “a very stressful time for all that are involved” and he is looking to provide a space post-Helene that is something the community needs.
“It’s not another brewery,” Turner said. “It’s not another restaurant. This is a third space that offers something different to the community.”
He said he wants to be a place where locals can go for advice.
“It’s just a great time to be here, to be the ones that can offer people beautiful flowers, the shrubs that they need for restoring the yard, the advice that a lot of locals are going to want,” Turner said. “We have a big DIY population in Swannanoa that is going to be happy to do their yard restoration themselves. They just need somewhere to go for the advice and the supplies.”
Unicorn Farm Nursery and Landscaping is opening a garden shop retail space in Swannanoa in spring 2026.
Turner said he wants the community to know the shop is there for them and this is a “discovery process” about what the eastern part of the county is looking for in a garden center.
“We’re here to serve them,” Turner said. “We’re a community of experts in the horticulture industry and I hope that they come down and us ask about any problems that they’re having with their flowers or trees or what we would suggest to put back in their yard post-storm.”
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Karrigan Monk is the Swannanoa Valley communities reporter for Black Mountain News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at kmonk@blackmountainnews.com.
This article originally appeared on Black Mountain News: Swannanoa garden shop opens Mother’s Day weekend
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