Photo courtesy of Eliza Scott.
Lauren Scott, left, and Josh Miller from Wildgoose Garden.
Lauren Scott, left, and Josh Miller from Wildgoose Garden.
Q: Tell me a little about yourself and what sparked your love for gardening and plants.
A: I’m originally from South Carolina, and growing up, my mom was what I’d call a master gardener — she never had the certification, but our garden always looked like it came out of “Southern Living.” Gardening was her peaceful time, and while I didn’t fully appreciate it then, I do now. My family also had a farm called “The Wildgoose,” which is where the name Wildgoose Garden comes from. Gardening and plants have always been part of our life. Later, during COVID and a personal transition, I found pottery as a form of healing and creativity, which eventually became the second half of what we do here.
Q: What sets Wildgoose Garden apart from other nurseries or garden-focused businesses?
A: We’re very small, and that’s intentional. We focus on personal interaction and helping people feel comfortable asking questions. A lot of people are intimidated by plants, and we want them to feel welcome, not rushed, and not pressured to buy anything. We curate a smaller inventory, offer container gardening design and even have a concierge potting service where people can drop off their pots and pick them up finished. We also help diagnose plant problems — we jokingly call my mom the “plant doctor.”
Photo by Diane Poole.
Wildgoose Garden + Pottery shop in Trussville
Wildgoose Garden + Pottery shop offers houseplants, potting plants, gardening tools, pottery, home decor and more.
Q: How did pottery become part of the business?
A: Pottery started during COVID when I needed a creative outlet and a place of healing. I began taking classes at Earthborn Studios and met my pottery partner, Josh, there. When we opened the shop, we decided to teach pottery classes alongside plants. Now we offer handbuilding classes, wheel throwing, paint-your-own pottery and popular dinner-and-pottery events that often sell out. It’s been incredible to watch people discover creative abilities they didn’t know they had.
Q: What have been some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced as a small business owner?
A: Neither my mom nor I had retail experience, so learning about licensing, taxes and regulations was overwhelming at first. Hiring a small-business-focused accountant was one of the best decisions we made. Plants are also a perishable product, much like food in the restaurant industry, which adds another layer of challenge. Road construction on Glenn Avenue significantly impacted us at one point, and expanding pottery offerings helped us survive that period.
Q: What do you hope people feel when they visit Wildgoose Garden?
A: We hope people feel welcome, inspired and encouraged to be creative — whether that’s through plants or pottery. We want this to be a place where people reconnect with nature, slow down and feel confident trying something new. Everyone is welcome here, just like on my grandparents’ farm, where you never knew who might show up for Sunday lunch. If people leave feeling relaxed, inspired and a little more connected to themselves, then we’ve done our job.
