Planting new roots
Beloved Fort Worth outdoor living store closes this weekend for new digs at Clearfork
The days are numbered for Into the Garden's longtime location in a sweet little old ice house on Camp Bowie Boulevard and Hulen Street. After two decades "on the bricks," the beloved west Fort Worth destination for outdoor furnishings is closing on Sunday, November 21, and moving to the ritzy Shops at Clearfork complex.
"We are closing the Camp Bowie store this weekend at 5 pm on Sunday, November 21, and will reopen at the Shops at Clearfork, 5133 Marathon Ave., on Sunday, January 2, 2022, at 11 am," spokeswoman Mary Van Meter confirms.
Originally opened in 1993, Into the Garden has occupied its highly visible corner spot at 4600 Dexter Ave. since 2001, selling everything from outdoor sofas to decorative wreaths. But times have changed, and so has this family-owned business, Van Meter says.
"The Clearfork store is a larger, more modern space in a vibrant shopping center," she says. "We have a huge internet business and will now have more space to display new collections from the various outdoor furniture manufacturers that we represent."
The Shops at Clearfork, home to several luxury home design stores, will also allow Into the Garden to attract new customers who regularly travel the Chisolm Trail Parkway.
"We are looking forward to more foot traffic and expanding our brand to the new, exciting clientele at Clearfork, and broadening our customer base," Van Meter says.
The new store will offer an even wider range of furniture, including outdoor sofas, dining tables, chairs, daybeds, fire pits, and more. Customers can expect some of the quality brands they've come to know and love at Into the Garden, including Barlow-Tyrie, Brown Jordan, Kingsley Bate, KNF-Neille Olson, Lloyd Flanders, Ratana, Tropitone and Woodard. And staff will be on site to help clients build outdoor rooms of their dreams, they say.
"We are remodeling the Clearfork space a bit to add more natural light and updating it with warmer colors and finishes," Van Meter says.
But wait, there's more to come, she entices.
"We are building out a 950-square-foot patio on the western sidewalk so customers can peruse lifestyle groupings," she says. "We will be debuting new outdoor furniture and accessory lines while still featuring some of our best sellers."
The new Clearfork shop will take over the old Z Gallerie space, next to Arhaus. A soft opening will happen in January, with the official grand opening planned for March 2022, Van Meter says.
But first come sales — final sales at the old location before the doors officially close.
All moving sale items at the old location are 75 percent off until doors close Sunday. They're also selling many of the display fixtures, which, they say, are great bookshelves and storage solutions.
The iconic cactus in front of the old store? Too late for that, it's already sold.
As for what might be moving into the old shop on Dexter Avenue — once home to Celebration Restaurant — Van Meter says, "Everyone is hoping for a restaurant."