Photo by Mahika Kukday | The Crow’s Nest
By Mahika Kukday
Flowing floral sundresses, leafy-themed rompers and eclectic jewelry marked the theme for St. Petersburg market-goers on Sunday, Sep. 8 — Indie Flea’s Plant & Garden Show received an enthusiastic welcome from the sunshine city.
This is the event’s official return since the plant pop-up in Gulfport in 2019. While there were 15 vendors present then, over 50 garden and greenery-themed businesses took part in Sunday’s show.
Dedicated friends, spouses and partners accompanied their “plant person” to this botanical paradise. A comment from @maxjblowers on an Indie Flea Instagram post read, “Omg my husband gonna need a leash for me.”
Photo by Mahika Kukday | The Crow’s Nest
Peyton McManus, a senior political science and English major at USF St. Petersburg, accompanied her “plant friend,” Anastaciya Pellicano.
“We immediately bought something. I was expecting it to be like ‘Oh, look at these pretty gardens’, I wasn’t expecting to be able to buy stuff,” McManus said.
She purchased real selenite flower earrings and zodiac necklaces to match Pellicano and their friend Bella Fuentes.
McManus also enjoyed a bottle of lavender rose honey from How’s Your Day Honey, one of the food and beverage vendors. She told The Crow’s Nest that she emptied the bottle in four days.
The mini food-court served as the entrance to the main attraction. Long-time Indie Flea partners Mother Kombucha and Latin Lunch Box were also among the featured vendors.
The main attraction, however, was the multitude of plants, roots and shoots on display. From funky succulents and potted milkweed, to towering anthuriums and Florida native florals, shoppers faced no shortage of choices.
Equally as popular, were the many ceramicists and craftsmen selling hand-made pots, crocheted plant-holders and garden-themed jewelry.
Lizbeth Diaz builds every ceramic piece for her business, Lizbeth Diaz Ceramics, on her kitchen counter, and fires it in the kiln in her garage. It was her first time at the Plant & Garden Show.
“I love it so much, everyone comes and says hi, everyone is so nice,” she said, smiling as she greeted the crowd admiring her famous straw cups.
Photo by Mahika Kukday | The Crow’s Nest
While Diaz has showcased her ceramics in an Indie Flea market before, it was fellow artist Dani Henkel’s first time with them.
Henkel makes a variety of plant-themed accessories like pins and bookmarks. Her signature items are macrame pot hanger earrings.
“I started with macrame, it was like a pandemic hobby. I was looking for something to do,” Henkel said.
Her business, Willow & Hitch, is now three years old. For her, the best part about finally getting off the vendor waitlist at an Indie Flea market is interacting with the supportive and engaging crowd.
This year’s Plant & Garden Show was sponsored by the Sunken Gardens Forever Foundation. Every hour, the organization’s Education Director hosted demonstrations about attracting pollinators.
According to its Instagram, they were able to raise over $200 to support educational programming and advocacy to preserve the Sunken Gardens.
Additionally, the Morean Center opened up their studio to market-goers. The main artists’ space is linked to the Historic Train Center, where the Indie Flea event was housed.
After visiting the show’s vendors in the main event space, one had the option to take in a pottery demonstration. People could peruse the many shelves full of completed and in-progress sculptures, ceramics and paintings by the many artists that call the Morean Center home.
Indie Flea said it will be an annual event. More information about upcoming markets can be found on their Instagram.
