"The Gaia hypothesis sees the earth as a self-regulating system able to maintain the climate, the atmosphere, the soil, and the ocean composition at a fixed state that’s favorable for life. ... in that sense, the earth is a living thing." —James Lovelock, 1979

Shelly chats easily as she tends to her plants, pruning a leaf here, a seed pod there. She offers their names and how each benefits the environment in its own way. The experience is not only informative, it’s enriching. And so it should be, since enrichment is Shelly’s passion, and is the mission of Gaia’s Garden’n Gallery.

"When we say we ‘own’ a piece of property, too often we forget that it is actually loaned to us, and that maintaining it means helping it live. We tear out native plants. We add pesticides and artificial fertilizers. We remove the micro-organisms that give life and nutrition. How can we say we are a healthy society when our food has lost so much of its nutritional value? That is the purpose of organic gardening. It turns ‘dirt’ into ‘soil.’ It brings the earth back to life."

Gaia’s Garden’n Gallery is the self-proclaimed lifelong dream of owner Shelly Langshaw. Growing up in northern Indiana farm country, she learned how essential vegetable gardens were to getting through the long, cold winters. She brought that clarity of focus with her to Florida when she fell in love with the ocean, moved, and began a life on the gulf coast. Graduating from the University of Florida in 2003 with a B.S. in Environmental Horticulture, she immediately created a five-year goal of having her own shop that would specialize in native plants, offer organic gardening and house products, and feature local artists that might not have any other avenue to show their work.

Gaia’s offers all of that, and more. In true organic fashion, the shop has grown like the living entities it nurtures. Inside, one room spills into another as artwork, tools, supplies, products, plants, books, cards, and gifts are presented in playful, colorful arrangements. Outside, a walk around the shop reveals a garden, created by both in-ground and potted plants carefully placed, yet creating the feeling they are where nature intended them to be.

Asked about her plans for the future, Shelly is pensive. "Gaia’s has surprised me and taken a life of its own since we opened in August. I want it to keep growing with its own energy. With all of the new development along the coast, though, I do want to see more people remembering why they came here in the first place, and deciding to keep the beauty of the natural plants. I want to see them giving back to the earth, keeping it healthy for a healthier us. If Gaia’s can be a part of that, I’ll be happy. I don’t want Gaia’s to be just a business; it’s a lifestyle."