After five years of operating a landscaping business and years of self-taught gardening, Alex Drisaldi planted new roots with Potted Nursery in December 2024. Co-owned by Drisaldi and Charles Shockey, the indoor plant nursery specializes in rare plants imported globally.

“My mom was always an avid gardener, so I got a lot of that from her, and I do a ton of landscaping on my personal property,” Drisaldi said.

What's special about it?

Fully designed and decorated by Drisaldi and Shockey, Potted Nursery is located in a vibrant building in Pinehurst. The full-service indoor nursery offers a wide range of exotic plants with 400-500 plants carried at a time.

“Tropicals are really what we carry,” Drisaldi said. “I'll bring in a few oddballs when I see them on my inventory list. If it's weird, I'll bring it in, but I'll bring in like, one or two of each.”Specializing in anthurium, philodendrons and alocasias, Drisaldi said Potted Nursery strives to have a variety of plants imported from vendors in Thailand, Malaysia, New York, Washington and Florida.

In addition to its rotating plants, Potted Nursery has a plant request book in which customers can request a plant and leave their contact information to be contacted when the plant becomes available.Staying local

As an avid gardener, Drisaldi said the most common mistakes people make with plants include either overwatering or using the wrong soil. For example, plants in the anthurium family, which grow on trees, are unable to thrive in dirt. Instead, such plants are potted in the nursery's in-house soil blend.

Made with a coir base consisting of coconut bark, perlite worm castings, compost and biochar mix, Drisaldi said he encourages his customers to make their own soil for best results.

To further encourage customers, the nursery carries its soil for $16 per quart and $40 per gallon and teaches soil classes for $35. Looking ahead, Drisaldi said he plans to offer more plant classes and events.

• 32007 Hwy. 249, Pinehurst
• www.pottednursery.com