GEARHART After 37 years in Seaside, the Natural Nook flower shop is putting down roots in a new location: the former Fitzgeralds building in Gearhart.

Along with the Natural Nook, Back Alley Gardens will bloom in the nursery adjacent to the shop.

The move, said owner Cathie Cates, will provide a much larger area to display the home and garden décor that Natural Nook has always carried, as well as offer space for new items.

In addition, Back Alley Gardens, operated by professional landscaper Pam Fleming, will have, literally, thousands of feet more space for the coastal flowers, shrubs and trees that used to be tucked in an area behind the Natural Nook when it was in Seaside.

Ive been eyeing this place for years, Cates said. I live in Gearhart, and I used to drive by it every day when I went to work in Seaside.

The core of the business is a floral shop, which offers freshly cut floral displays and delivery service from Astoria to as far as Nehalem. But home décor items, many made by local artists, fill three rooms of the new shop at 738 Pacific Way.

Birdhouses, built by Astoria craftsman David Levinson, adorn a shelf in the front room.

These birdhouses belong in an art gallery, Cates said. Theyre a work of art, with the detail he puts into them.

Levinson also built a ladybug house, designed to encourage ladybugs into the yard. The house even comes with a skylight to keep the ladybugs warm and cozy.

Elsewhere in the shop, items run the gamut from colorful ceramic birds to wall hangings celebrating Gearhart. Paper napkins with beach themes are popular, as well as area beach rugs made of recycled plastic. Garden decorations, ergonomic shovels and garden tools, vases even chalkboards created from recycled cupboard doors are available.

Other items are coming in soon, including candles, skin care products and outdoor furniture supplied by the owners of C by the Sea, another Seaside store that closed its retail business recently but continues to offer products online.

Birdseed, potting soil and fertilizer also are available, Cates said.

The Back Alley Gardens offers plants that have proven to be sturdy enough to weather storms, salt and sea breezes.

We have selected plants that have been grown by people who have gardened in our area for a long time, said Fleming, who also owns Natures Helper landscaping.

We have plants that are more successful here and that will intrigue customers, she added. There are things that have been on the coast for a while that have been only in private gardens and might not be seen elsewhere.

Longtime local gardener Prissy Martin is acting as an adviser to Cates and Fleming in the selection and propagation of plants.

The nursery may become a cooperative nursery, Fleming said. Area gardeners and artists may want to display some of their artwork or garden items, and in return they would do some work in the nursery.

Flemings husband, David Quinton, also will provide flowering and succulent wreaths at the store, Fleming said.

A grand opening is planned from 1 to 5 p.m. on Cinco de Mayo, May 5.

Since the store opened in its new location in February, business has been good, Cates said. Regular customers have found their way to Gearhart.

Were also seeing more new customers, Cates said. A lot of people drive here to go to the beach, and theyre stopping in.