“Plants are proven to purify the air and boost our mood,” says Chrissy Pirnak, owner of Willow + Bloom (6 Sound Road, Wading River, 631-886-1701), the charming, compact plant and gift shop in Wading River’s historic downtown. Anyone looking to punctuate that point and add some seasonal blooms to their surroundings would do well to visit the cozy, rustic brick-and-mortar with its Cottage Core aesthetic (a style idealizing a more natural, rural life that blossomed during Covid when people largely spent their time at home).
Pirnak describes the almost two-year-old business as a houseplant shop with a generous spirit, offering unique gifts and home décor options, too. “I try to carry a lot of locally made items to keep the small-business aesthetic,” she says. “I get all my plants from small businesses—sourcing from eastern and western Long Island, and a few from high-quality family-run companies from Florida and California.
As far as the greenery goes, philodendrons, pothos and succulents are well-represented at the shop, along with a few rarer varieties of plants like the unusual, wide-leaved xerographica air plant. There are plenty of whimsical planters, pots and hand-crocheted plant hangers to choose from as well. For those without a green thumb, Pirnak is glad to make recommendations based on the customer’s needs, and notes that prayer plants and snake plants are non-toxic and easy to take care of.
Hanging on the walls throughout the shop is a “library” of small cuttings of different types that are available for anyone to take for free; Pirnak also offers repotting services for all sizes of houseplants and rehab services if you have a plant that needs a little TLC.
The shop stocks handmade journals, plant-related books, natural soaps, jewelry and items made by Pirnak’s father, Robert D’Alessandro, who repurposes scrap wood into planters and rustic shelves. “He’s a gardener and a very hands-on guy,” she says. D’Alessandro, along with Pirnak’s volunteer firefighter husband, Jamie, and their two young children all pitched in to help remodel the store in advance of its opening in September of 2023.
A member of the Wading River-Shoreham Chamber of Commerce, Pirnak also works with differently abled children, like in the upcoming Sensory Saturday at the Duck Pond Shops event on April 26th from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., where quiet activities and take-home goodies will be offered to kids with special needs. “The support of the community and the customers has been really awesome,” Pirnak says. “I’ve met the greatest people.”
Committed to both the greening and education of indoor plant enthusiasts, stay tuned for Pirnak’s upcoming potting workshops, a moss wall art Mother’s Day craft session, and fall Witching Hours, when the Wading River shops will be open from 5-8 p.m. on selected Friday nights.
Check Willow + Bloom’s Facebook page here for the shop’s hours and upcoming events.
