PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM 115 When Jennifer Lee Segale’s regulars show up at her nursery with pictures of their children, they’re not showing off strollers with chubby-cheeked cherubs, but pots harboring leafy green things. Proud plant parents are only natural in Jenn’s line of work. “They tell us, ‘Oh my gosh, you were right. Here’s what happened with this tree or this plant,’” Jenn says. “It’s really fun to hear their feedback on their fails and wins in gardening.” It figures that Jenn was practically born sucking a green thumb. “I’ve been gardening since I could hold safety scissors,” she relays over the satisfying crunch of gravel underfoot. Weaving through Garden Apothecary’s inventory of watering cans, clay pots, miniature greenhouses and abundance of botanicals, Jenn showcases her thriving plant haven in downtown Half Moon Bay. Pausing by the gardening tools, Jenn motions at a display of Tobisho pruners and Chikamasa shears: “I don’t bring in anything I haven’t used for either a client’s garden or for my own garden or farm.” She’s referencing Wildflower Farms, where she organically dry farms saffron, lavender and other medicinal plants, not minutes down the road. The definition of a flourishing botanist, Jenn also provides garden design services as well as blends botanicals from her farm into her acclaimed skincare line and more than a dozen organic loose leaf teas. As you might imagine, she’s most at home where the wild things grow.
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