Description: Rustic and very green; these structures are actual barns that house clothing, jewelry, bookstores, restaurants and gift shops. It's built on several levels with small hills and stairways, and beds of succulent plants and glorious flowers. I was immediately drawn to the first shop facing the large parking lot as they displayed some wind chimes and water fountains by their wide open doors.
Succulent Gardens & Gifts is a place that needs to be savored slowly, one shelf at a time, lest you miss something exquisitely ingenious. The fountains are in the front as they ought to be, and they are taking some incredible creative license with their design. There is also garden furniture, pots and pottery, some blown glass pieces, stones with clever sayings on them, birdhouses, weathervanes, and lots of windchimes.
What I found especially gratifying was the no pressure dialogue with one of the owners, who made sure I knew that they ship all over the United States. If you are curious, you can find them at link
The prices are median to high, but then we are in Carmel. The emphasis in this town is on small boutiques, high quality merchandise, lots of art, and handcrafted goods. The Crossroads Shopping Center is right across the way from the Barnyard if you don't get your fill here. There is an excellent independent bookstore here which is as famous for its eatery as it is for its books. The eating area is devised so that there are a host of cookbooks around, so that if your palate has been tickled, you'll certainly be tempted to take a book home and try something.
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