Smith & Hawken: Fine Outdoor Living

Luxury Home Décor: In 1979, an organic gardener asked two of his friends, Dave Smith and Paul Hawken, if they could find a source for his favorite U.K.-manufactured gardening tools. Dave and Paul not only obtained them, they began importing other fine gardening tools that were unavailable in the United States and offering them for sale through a mail-order catalog. In 1982, Smith & Hawken opened its first brick-and-mortar store in California. Today, the company sells a complete line of luxury outdoor living products from 58 locations nationwide, plus a mail-order catalog and website. Many Smith & Hawken stores are located in historic buildings with renovations that display the same painstaking, quality craftsmanship as the products for sale within, while the corporate office is located in a renovated Air Force hangar with indoor trees, a working outdoor garden, and space for employees' dogs.

True to its roots, Smith & Hawken still offers a wide selection of top-tier gardening tools, including its own English-made house brand and a line of imported hand tools from Burgon & Ball. In addition, the retailer has expanded its offerings to cover everything needed to create an astounding outdoor living space, such as outdoor furniture, firepits, outdoor lamps, interior and exterior plants and accessories, fountains and other garden décor, gazebos and garden structures, bird feeders and birdbaths, even a selection of bath and body products designed specifically to delight gardeners and bird-lovers. All products are subject to a strict selection process before Smith & Hawken will carry them; only products made with exacting craftsmanship from the highest-quality materials are chosen.

To view Smith & Hawken's entire catalog, place an order, or locate a retail store, visit the company's Web site.