Shopping in Kerman

At Lotus Gardens Outdoor Living Center, locally grown seasonal vegetables, verdant plants, nectarine trees in a quintet of varieties, and whimsical statuaries spill out from the sprawling confines of the 30-year-old establishment. In the nursery, a fleet of fruit trees, rose trees, and hybrids bearing imaginative names such as Chrysler Imperial and Liv Tyler stretch across the expansive space, and in the garden shop, bird feeders infuse backyards with personality and Michelin-rated aviary cuisine.

Visitors to the center can also find plenty of bulk material for their projects, as well as call upon any one of the amiable, experienced staff members for tips on tree planting, landscape design, and using the right herbicides.

Amateur horticulturalists can rest assured that Gazebo Gardens understands the valley climate and carries plants that thrive accordingly. Resurrect your garden with one-gallon perennials ($3.95–$7.95), a gift that makes a return on your investment year after year with colorful beauty. Two-gallon mini roses (starting at $12.95) in all the flavors of ROYGBIV will show your garden that you truly care. Steal the eye of your beholder with 36” tree roses ($39.95) or standard three-gallon floribunda or tea roses ($13.95–$24.95), or ensure floraful futures for subsequent generations of green thumbs with a selection of 15-gallon trees ($29.95–$69.95).

Tri Sport Bicycles' experts of pedal-powered transportation have spent more than two decades tweaking and fine-tuning shabby two-wheelers before setting them free to conquer open terrain. While a black-and-white cat named Stinky patrols the shop, guests inspect tires and wheels lining the walls and metal racks displaying frames by KHS, Huntington Beach, Redline, Diamondback, and Raleigh. In addition to road and BMX bikes, staffers stock family-friendly rides, including kids' bikes and cruisers for parental units. They also supply Yakima racks for customers who want to transport their bikes via car, truck, SUV, or domesticated shark.

Yoshi NOW! sells garments and goods for folks of all shapes, sizes, and decade allegiances. The expansive space is loaded with gems from the past including elegant hats, vinyl records, old-school board games, classic dinnerware, homo erectus, throwback clocks, mirrors, and more. Beyond the fluctuating odds and ends, Yoshi NOW! stocks an ever-changing parade of retro and vintage clothing items, including vibrant, flowing dresses ($10–$40), affordable, sturdy jeans ($2–$25), T-shirts ($5–$20), and (somewhat less frequently) retro leather doublets and chain mail hauberks.

Horn Photo has been providing the Fresno area with high-quality photography services since 1937, the year smiling was invented. Each customer can copy or restore old photos with a process that begins with a print or negative scan ($8, $20 for larger than 8” x 10”), and a $1-per-minute restoration rate (15-minute minimum). Prints are available in a variety of sizes, such as 5” x 7” ($5, copies $3), 8” x 10” ($10, copies $6), and 20” x 24” ($49). Film rolls can be developed and burned to a CD ($7.99), while archival prints are available in luster or gloss, as well as metallic finishes for sizes including 3” x 5” ($0.35/$0.85) and 8” x 8” ($2.99/$4.99). CDs and DVDs can be duplicated, providing ample evidence of family-reunion shenanigans that can be used to blackmail Uncle Bob. Additionally, customers can rest easy knowing that their memorable images are in the hands of a staff of experts experienced in restoring wallet-worn photographs and unfocused shots of Bigfoot.

The Well Community Church opened the doors to Neighborhood Thrift in March 2008 with the aim of becoming a more permanent and sustainable positive influence in the community. Hoping to address the lingering issue of high unemployment in the area, Neighborhood Thrift not only finds second homes for discounted clothing and housewares but also runs a work program that helps give local citizens a stable job, in which they can earn experience, bolster their resumés, and give back to their community.

The airy, spacious retail center houses nearly 30,000 pieces of gently used clothing, as well as housewares ranging from appliances and decor to electronics and furniture. A newly opened café nestled in the store’s corner offers visitors coffee and free WiFi as they mingle with other members of the community and debate the number of creamers Plato would drink in his coffee.