If you've ever taken a stroll along historic Ballard Avenue NW, you know what a delightful spot it is: some of the city's best restaurants, clothiers, and shops line the avenue, and, come Sunday, the Ballard Farmers Market takes over the entire stretch. Adding to the avenue's charm is Brandon Peterson's wonderful plant store, The Palm Room.

Peterson's well-designed studio is chock-full of plants of all sorts: a wall of asparagus ferns welcomes you at the door, and succulents, haworthia, palms, jades, bromeliads, and terrariums are scattered throughout. When asked what his current top three plants are, he chooses gasteria (a succulent that can handle low light — important in the Northwest); tillandsia (commonly called air plants — very low-maintenance and beautiful); and marimo (otherworldly "moss balls" or freshwater green-algae colony plants.) Peterson's goal? "To help people welcome plants into their lives." For the last decade, he has done just that, with incredible style at The Palm Room.

Images: Heidi Leigh Johansen