Share Story :

Store manager Haley McMillen points out the pony palm stores water in its base.

Finally, There’s a New Nursery in Town

There used to be two nurseries in Pacific Palisades: The Outdoor Room on Sunset, where the Chabad now stands, and Yamoto’s Nursery at the corner of La Cruz and Alma Real, where Village School’s athletic and art center is located.

They closed years ago, leaving only Norris Hardware, which didn’t sell plants, but did have potting soil and gardening tools. It closed in August, leaving plant enthusiasts with nowhere to go.

So, it’s with great excitement that a nursery, Acme 5 Life Style, has now opened at 810 Temescal Canyon Road (across from the Maggie Gilbert Aquatics Center) at Palisades High School.

Circling the News stopped by to interview store manager Haley McMillen, but I ended up purchasing an olive tree (fruitless) and poinsettias, and I may return to buy succulents as possible holiday gifts.

Currently, there’s a variety of pre-made succulent arrangements in six-inch pots ($25) and in larger pot ($35).

Succulents in 6-in. pots are on sale for $25.

Various succulents are also for sale. McMillen said that if a customer wants to choose specific succulents and have those potted for a gift, that can be done.

“We work with landscapers and designers,” McMillen said. “We also offer our own designs.”

She noted that if someone wants to spruce up their yard, Acme 5 could do a 3D program, much like an architectural rendering. “People can see what it would look like.”

Owner Anton Goss, who also has a nursery in Santa Monica (on Lincoln) and one in Yucca Valley, is a production designer for television, including “Shark Tank” and “The Steve Harvey Show.” He noticed that on talk shows and other shows, plants are important with the overall visual effect, which led him to open the nurseries.

McMillen, who earned a degree in set design from the Vancouver Film School, said: “We try to have plants that you won’t see in every nursery.” She pointed out a triangle palm and said, “We try to bring in plants that are rare.”

This is a triangle palm.

The nursery has a wide selection of agaves, aloe and cacti. “Palms are exciting to us,” said McMillen, who has worked on various farms around California. “I’m in awe of all the varieties.”

McMillen said that the store focuses on drought- tolerant plants, and cited the pony palm, which can grow 10 to 12 feet, but holds water in its bulbous base.

They have an extensive selection of larger pots from $45 to $1,100 (for a 3 ft.-diameter pot). “We have antique and handcrafted pots,” McMillen said, noting “we work with local artists.”

The nursery has a small greenhouse that will hold the indoor plants once they arrive. There are soil and pebbles for sale, and McMillen promised that potting soil will arrive soon.

There are trees on site, and McMillen can order a specific tree—fruiting or non-fruiting. “We can come to the property and give recommendations,” she said. They deliver and will also plant the tree for you—and answer any questions one might have.

The nursery has partnered with Palisades High School and is selling large poinsettias for $10—as long as they last. The school is donating all of the proceeds to victims of the Woolsey Fire, through it’s Give Back 360–Philanthropy Reimagined program.

Plants are presented in interesting, crafted pots.

“We’re planning to have a grand opening, probably in January,” said McMillen, who promised she would let Palisades residents know the date.

The nursery is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call: (310) 314-0505 or email McMillen at hayleymcmillen@gmail.com.

Share Story :