The Taproot Collective is a new addition to the local businesses of Athens, and one of the area's only floral shops. The store is filled with dozens of different plants from local growers and stocked with candles and artwork from local artists.
The Taproot Collective, located on 14 W. Stimson Ave., has been open for about six weeks, although the official grand opening of the shop is Dec. 2.
Julia Penland Dykstra, the owner of The Taproot Collective, brings Ricki Barbie, her French bulldog rescue from Bella Run Equine and Canine Rescue, to work. She happily sleeps on her dog bed or sits in the sunshine while Penland Dykstra works on her wreaths, propagations and other arrangements.
Penland Dykstra also works at Purple Choptix and is balancing her time between the restaurant and the shop. She said it is not easy for her, especially on her weekly salary, but supporting local growers and artists as well as being able to collaborate and communicate with customers makes it worth it for her.
"It's definitely been a sacrifice,” Penland Dykstra said. “It's just a lot of little odds and ends that go into this place where every time I have an extra 50 bucks, it's all in this.”
The pricing for a vase arrangement starts at $25 dollars, with the vase costing from $5 to $10. A happy birthday or another celebratory stick can be added for $5. Beeswax candles in the shape of mushrooms and French bulldogs from BeeLite Creations are sold for $4 to $8, and intention candles with crystals from Moonbean Designs are $20 to $40 dollars each.
Penland Dykstra created her own signs for the shop using her laser engraver and painted a crashing wave on the green wall. She said she still has a lot of space on her walls for more art from local artists, but so far she has partnered with a couple people already. Mad Scynce Labs has a couple of hand-crafted live edge wood pieces on her wall, and she and is currently working with artist Connaught Cullen to include her paintings in the shop.
Cullen said she heard Penland Dykstra needed local art in her business and was happy to collaborate with her. Cullen has been painting and selling her pieces since the 1990s.
“(Penland Dykstra) seemed very nice, and I'm always looking for places maybe they could sell some art for me,” Cullen said. “I'm looking forward to seeing how she develops that as an art space.”
Sitting alongside the candles and art are the plants. Some are from Penland Dykstras own home and collection, while some are from Lil Green Leaf, a small plant business out of Lancaster owned by Danelle Raver.
Raver said Penland Dykstra found her posts of her plants on Facebook and asked if she had any interest in collaborating in her shop. She took down about eight of her plants shortly after for Penland Dykstra to sell.
“I'm hoping that with my product and her as a person and her knowledge that she can build us up together, and make what we're trying to do more profitable for us for the long run in the future,” Raver said.
The Taproot Collective strives to be zero-waste and uses natural and recycled materials. The lights and decorations for the wreaths Penland Dykstra makes are usually from Dollar Tree, but all of the greens are harvested by Penland Dykstra in Athens, something she describes as a balance.
The Flip Side Skateboard Shop, which was owned by Moss Miller, an Athens local and avid skater, sat in The Taproot Collective’s spot for 25 years. Miller loved the shop, but he said it was not financially stable for him to keep it running anymore, so he decided to move online and host pop-ups at Skate Jam and other events.
Miller grew up skating with Gabe Fisher, who owns Purple Chopstix, and often visits the restaurant. He met Penland Dykstra while she was waitressing, and when she heard Miller was selling the store, she told him she wanted the space for her plants and local art.
“I thought it was a great idea,” Miller said. “Now, anytime I've driven by, I haven't really got a chance to stop in there, but it looks like she's really made the place feel warm and welcome.”
