Four friends have banded together to open a new plant shop and apothecary in downtown Jaffrey.
The two couples, including Sarah and Myles Decker and Emily Aylott and Ellis Johnson, have been longtime friends, having met through their children who went to school together, said Myles Decker.
Over a game night, it was initially Aylott who had the idea of opening up a shop together. And, specifically, a plant shop, a shared love, particularly between Aylott and Sarah Decker.
“My parents were always good outside gardeners, though once the plants came inside, they died,” joked Aylott. She herself has always favored indoor plants, which is the shop’s specialty, and many of the plants for sale in the shop were grown by either the Deckers or Aylott and Johnson.
Similarly, Sarah Decker said that she enjoys botanicals and studying roots and herbs, which is where the apothecary side of the business fits in.
All four already have full-time jobs, with Myles Decker working in manufacturing, Johnson in contracting, and Aylott and Sarah Decker both in the healthcare field, with Aylott also working as the chief executive officer for the nonprofit Mothers Against Addiction. The shop is planned to be a passion project for the four.
It may have been brought up casually, but once the idea was out there, the four moved quickly on it, leasing a space on the corner of Main Street and Blake Street in Jaffrey, and starting some renovations to freshen the space to open a store that sells houseplants, plant accessories and apothecary items like herbs.
“The goal overall is to bring the community together: ‘Locally Grown: Community Rooted,'” said Sarah Decker, quoting the shop’s tagline.
Along that line, the shop plans to offer community workshops, some aimed at children and some at adults, for events like pot painting and building terrariums. There’s also an intent to have a focus on veterans, a cause near and dear to their hearts, as Myles Decker is a Navy veteran.
Petal & Pestle hours will be from noon to 6 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. For more information, visit petal-and-pestle.com, the Petal and Pestle Facebook page, or @petalandpestlellc on Instagram.