JASON VARNEY
JUSTIN TSUCALAS
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: HOWARD PETERS RAWLINGS CONSERVATORY & BOTANIC GARDENS, DRUID HILL PARK / B. WILLOW, REMINGTON / PENDRY BALTIMORE, FELL’ S POINT / ALMA COCINA LATINA, STATION NORTH
birds of paradise and blue trumpet vines. And in the winter months, feast your eyes on an array of poinsettia, etrog citron and gardenias.
Next up: retail therapy at B. Willow. The plant shop is a local favorite in the Remington neighborhood. Pick up a new plant baby, like a rubber tree or a ZZ plant, and get tips from the knowledgeable staff on how to care for and travel with it. Before you stop by, check their events calendar. They offer opportunities to literally get your hands dirty by building a succulent terrarium or creating a kokedama, a Japanese garden art that involves growing plants around a ball of moss-wrapped soil.
Finally, cap things off with a Venezuelan feast at Alma Cocina Latina. Each menu item at the Station North restaurant is uniquely detailed and delicious, and the vibe of the dining room is just as delectable. As you dine, you’ ll sit amongst dozens of well-tended plants, including fiddle leaf figs, Ficus trees and snake plants. The decor choice was inspired by the lush landscapes of Venezuela, where owner Irena Stein grew up. She tends to the plants personally, and notes that restaurant guests often have a similar reaction when they see them:“ People always touch the leaves to see if the plants are fake or real,” Irena says. Lucky for you, she doesn’ t discourage it:“ The plants are there to be touched!”
BALTIMORE. ORG 23