Local residents interested in getting a peek at the new MIGardener store will get their chance Saturday when the gardening store celebrates its grand opening in St. Clair.

Formerly Angler Outfitters, the space at 1426 Oakland St. has seen significant renovations since owners Luke and Sindy Marion bought the property in late 2021, leaving their previous downtown Port Huron location to open up shop anew.

The duo aimed to build a space to manage the bulk of their gardening business online while still providing a space for customers to shop for seeds and supplies in person.

Luke Marion said the St. Clair retail space was roughly 400 square feet smaller than at the former store and credited his wife with helping to create an atmosphere to welcome customers in a new town.

Sindy called it “a little oasis” that was busier than in Port Huron and full of warmer colors.

“Almost like you’re walking into a sunset,” she said. “... First, when you walk in, to be surrounded by plants, and we can see them by the window. We played with what was already here, and we just wanted people to be surprised, feel warmth and wander around and really engage with the displays.”

Saturday’s grand opening is set for 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

A formal ribbon-cutting ceremony, Luke said, will kick things off with yard games, food, and live music keeping much of the celebration outside, while visiting customers will be able to walk past the retail displays and through the saloon-style door inside to glimpse behind the scenes.

“We’re going to have a complete open house,” Luke said, “so they can walk through the entire building, check things out, see how we operate, and kind of get a feeling for what we’re doing in the community.”

A free shuttle service, he said, will help transport visitors from Klecha Park throughout the event.

Staff were still shifting and moving merchandise on Friday to prepare for Saturday, while last-minute landscaping and setup took place outside. 

Back behind the front retail area were MIGardener’s seed-packing stations and machine, as well as warded-off storage. Nearby, plenty of merchandise — from T-shirts, hoodies, stickers, and knickknacks to fertilizers and other garden supplies — were already stocked on shelves beside rows of seed racks.

Luke Marion motioned to the store’s team as they kept busy and added, “Basically everyone, all 15 people, did something to make this look the way it is,” joking his contribution was a repurposed hospitality tote being used as a large bin to transport packages for mail.

Around another corner was the employee lounge, customer service, and online order fulfillment stations, and a large colorful “Grow Big” mural by artist Beatrice Carlson depicting flowers, fruits, and vegetables.

The Marions have a popular MIGardener YouTube page about gardening and advocating for growing food at home, and they started their business online before opening their original store in Port Huron for about five years. They plan to open an outdoor greenhouse beside the St. Clair store this fall.

Luke Marion said he hoped visitors Saturday would get a good feel for the place and understand their mission.

“This is not like our bread and butter. This is for the community,” he said, referencing the in-person retail. “This is for the people who need to come in and shop, for local people that want to come pick out stuff. Most of our business is online. But we don’t want to sacrifice our public presence for that. Because we could be in a warehouse somewhere, but that doesn’t really do anything for the community.”

Contact Jackie Smith at (810) 989-6270 or jssmith@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @Jackie20Smith.