Garden centres are naturally beautiful places, but something about Artisan's Garden in Sooke especially stands out.
First of all, it's nestled on the seaside with beautiful views of the Olympic Mountains and Juan de Fuca Strait.
But even more beautiful is the community that's been cultivated, just as carefully as the flowers, by owner Gwen Fisher and her family.
Since Fisher moved to Sooke in 1996 with her husband and kids, she has created a hub that is not just a colourful garden centre, but also a destination with a relaxing coffee bar, a home goods store stocked with local artisans and a gathering place for workshops or events. It's a place where the rowing ladies' and yoga groups meet, plus there are markets with local artisan creations, occasional live music, medicinal herb workshops and more.
"We're a destination for the community. We have regulars that come in sometimes every day," said Fisher.
Fisher envisioned the space with her two daughters Shelby, 32, and McKenzie, 34, who still work with her. McKenzie does the home shopping with Fisher while Shelby, with her background in food service, runs the coffee bar. "She talked me into opening the coffee bar. At first I thought she was crazy, but the three (parts of the business) work well together."
The family collaboration mimics Fisher's upbringing. She was raised to be venture-minded from a young age, growing up with parents who were business owners in the restaurant industry where, "cleanliness, customer service and being aware of tourism were always drilled into us."
Fisher carried those values into her almost 40-year career in the salon and spa industry. She owned her own business, Pure Elements, which eventually led to her purchasing a house-turned-commercial property that now hosts Artisan's Gardens. In 2016, she added a garden centre and by 2022, she had fully switched to her new passion.
"I think because I was a hairdresser for so long, I love creating an environment that people can come in and enjoy. Just seeing people relax and enjoy the garden. I love seeing people light up when they come in."
That's not to say the transition has always been easy. But, Fisher has an approach when it comes to moving forward. "I feel the fear and do it anyway."
"And the renovations, I'm lucky. I have a husband and kids that all dig in. We had to hire a couple of trades (workers), but otherwise, we do all the sweat equity."
Reflecting on the greatest challenge as a business owner, she expressed that living in a small "bedroom community" can make it hard on local businesses. Most locals are commuters which leads to shopping outside of the community while highway traffic deters tourists from stopping.
Fisher and others have approached this problem by putting pressure on politicians and helping one another. "It's incredibly important for us to support other local businesses," she said.
She also prides herself in creating a welcoming, accessible environment where customers want to return.
"We have a lot of seniors that don't have a lot of places they can go with their walkers or wheelchairs. Throughout the summer, with the gardens so beautiful, they come down the long ramp and enjoy it. They're always looked after and people take time to talk to them."
When asked what it takes to be successful in her industry, Fisher said she's still learning, but was quick to highlight the values that she lives by.
"I have good staff retention. I work with a great team of women. We're keeping things afloat. For me, success is creating a positive, healthy environment that brings out creativity and supports local artists.
"We're very inclusive of diversity and our community. And that to me, is success."
This article is a special feature from Sooke Women in Business.
