Shopping in Texas City

The Ellis family traces its history of working with plants to the late 1800s, when they operated a pottery-manufacturing company in Texas. Current-generation family members build from their familial expertise at all five of their store locations, spread between Louisiana and Texas. Twice a year, the Ellises travel overseas to identify upcoming horticulture trends decided by UN meetings in The Hague. This has expanded their decorative focus to include all aspects of home décor to complement greenhouses filled with tropical blooms and locally grown shrubbery. Clocks, lamps, and vases score homeowners extra credit in interior-design classes, and fountains and outdoor furniture make gardens hospitable for warm weather. The Ellises encourage creativity with hands-on classes in subjects such as making centerpieces, weaving wreaths, and tying ribbon into perfect bows.

Owner Robin Curtis and her dressy canine sidekick, Sadie, welcome guests into the cozy, flower-filled storefront of Aroma Garden Creations, where invigorating scents urge browsers to peruse the lace-lined shelves stocked with Robin's homemade soaps and toiletries. Glassware brimming with colorful bath salts send perfumed wafts of air through the boutique's selection of straw hats, jewelry, and wineglass koozies. Signs made from old barn wood depict catty sayings, and a pink claw-foot tub cradles a reclining mannequin, whose relaxed gaze lands on customer favorites such as oatmeal-peppermint soap and aromatic linen sprays. Robin can also ship special orders filled with her private collection of shea crèmes or Grammy's sugar scrubs, crafting perfect gifts for girlfriends in other states or just-out-of-reach bathtubs.

At Nasa Flowers, Teleflora florists fill vases, baskets, and centerpieces with fragrant blossoms that range from traditional to exotic. The staff arranges flowers for all occasions, gathering long-stem roses for anniversaries and stalks of bamboo for dinner dates with pandas. Add-ons such as chocolate candies and soft, stuffed bears transform birthday blooms into hug-worthy greetings, and balloons add joyful messages to wedding and baby gifts. Upon request, the shop delivers its creations internationally, helping customers to brighten friends’ homes, offices, and vacation yurts.

At Pasha's Boutique, exclusive items and luxurious apparel fill out fashionable ensembles in a range of sizes. Handmade jewelry crafted by local artists and high-heeled shoes accessorize wardrobes with elegant designs and bold colors. Helpful staffers dress guests in seasonal gowns and tops inside the boutique, or they dutifully fold ruffled jackets into fiber-optic-cable delivery systems through the online store.

Blooming from a family-run arts-and-crafts business more than a quarter century ago, Woodland Art & Frame now focuses on accentuating masterpieces with complementary borders. Aside from performing traditional services, such as dry-mounting posters and retouching oil paintings, certified framers enlist a virtual framer program to help patrons visualize their artwork in different mattes, frames, and ’80s hairstyles before finalizing selections. Framers also transform flat-screen TVs into functional artwork by crafting screen-hugging frames, and sometimes visit homes or offices to assess aesthetic needs.