Terrain Brings Unique Garden Shopping Experience To Bucks County

DOYLESTOWN TOWNSHIP, PA —Terrain, a nature-inspired retail store, outdoor garden, cafe, and private event venue, opens its doors today on the campus of the Delaware Valley University in Doylestown Township.

Located at 2100 State Road, the former Market At DelVal has been transformed into hundreds of square feet of shopping, eating, and event space venues that offer a one-stop "outdoor lifestyle" shopping experience like no other in Bucks County.

On Wednesday, Patch was invited to take a sneak peek inside Doylestown's newest addition - the eighth in the Terrain brand operated by Philadelphia-based URBN, which also owns and operates Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters, and Free People.

It was URBN founder Dick Hayne who inspired the creation of Terrain 15 years ago, said Beth Smith, the managing director of the new Doylestown Terrain.

"In his pursuits of gardening, he realized there was a significant opportunity out there for a garden center that was different, something that felt more elevated and aspirational. The Terrain team rallied behind him and took his vision and concept and set out to open Terrain's first location."

(Photos by Jeff Werner)

URBN opened the first Terrain in Glen Mills, Delaware County in 2008 on the historic site of J. Franklin Styer's Nursery, an innovator in the cut flowers and mushroom industries. Since then, six more Terrains have opened across the nation, including three in California and one each in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut.

What makes the newest Terrain unique is its special collaboration with Delaware Valley University through its farm-to-table, shipping container gardening, and student internship partnerships.

"We're thrilled to be partnering with the university and all the unique and wonderful things that will come about because of that," said Smith. "We're also very excited about the community. The enthusiasm in this community is like no other that we have experienced. We're thrilled to be here and to be partnering with the university and the community."

The partnership will build upon the school's agricultural foundation and the Terrain brand’s seasonal, experiential approach to retail. Seasonal produce, plants, and farm goods from DelVal will be incorporated into Terrain’s retail store and its restaurant and catering menus.

Terrain offers four distinct destinations - an outdoor nursery overflowing with everything imaginable for the garden and backyard, a retail indoor space with an eclectic mix of home and garden products, the cafe, and an event space - all of which combine to create a very unique indoor/outdoor experience.

(Photos by Jeff Werner)

In the nursery area, customers will find everything imaginable for their home and garden backyards and gardens, including all types of plantings and all sizes of containers, planters, and terrariums.

As you walk through the garden area, it transitions from rock gardens to perennials and eventually to trees and shrubs.

Throughout the nursery area, end cap displays offer customers design and display ideas. There's a large selection of garden hoses, some whimsical decorations and a collection of super-soft outdoor, mildew-resistance pillows.

"We have a little fire pit where customers can gather and spend some time," points out Megan Mahon as she took a group of visitors on a sneak peek tour of the nursery, retail store and the Grow House. "We have displays showing you what your indoor or outdoor space could look like."

Mahon opens up a window between the outdoor nursery and the indoor store, which allows nursery patrons to make their purchases without going into the store.

"This is one of my personal favorite features of the entire space," said Mahon. "We are able to bring customers up here so there's a seamless customer interaction moment. We're very focused on bringing the outdoors in and the indoors out. This is a great representation of that and a nice way to support customers throughout the space."

A step inside the store reveals another breathtaking space.

A "forever tree" greets customers as they walk in the door. The blooms on the tree are actually silk flowers, which bring the tree to life. "It's another cool way to bring the outdoors in and give new life to something that is no longer," said Mahon.

Inside the Grow House.

A large selection of wreaths decorates one wall, including a collection of metal wreaths. "They are meant to look very authentic. The good thing about them is they are never going to change color and they're never going to fade and wilt," says Mahon.

The store also carries a variety of decor options, kitchen and tableware, spa and wellness products, candles, books, cards, live plants, herbs, outdoor lighting options, wrapping paper, gifts and lots more.

A skylight built into the ceiling of the store allows Terrain to utilize live plants, trees and shrubs throughout the retail space, once again bringing the outdoors inside.

Here's a more detailed look at what you will find at Terrain. For more details including hours, location and phone number, click here.

• Retail: Garden, home, and outdoor lifestyle brand Terrain has a full home store and outdoor nursery. Terrain is well-known for its elevated product offerings including diverse native plants, hand-picked planters, all-weather furniture, seasonal décor, outdoor lighting, and artisan-made gifts. Terrain’s product assortment is curated to find beauty in natural imperfection and to enhance a life lived outdoors and in. Amenities at Terrain at DelVal include nursery expertise and container design, on and off-site private event planning, and custom floral and design services for in-home and events. For retail store and cafe hours, directions, and store happenings visit https://www.shopterrain.com/pages/locations-doylestown
  

Lighting ideas at Terrain's store. (photo by Jeff Werner)

• Terrain Cafe offers a greenhouse dining experience that celebrates the cycle of the seasons and the land's bounty. Using hand-selected local produce, meats, and dairy products, the cafe team takes pride in crafting menus from the seasonal harvest of farmers they know and trust. They work to create an environment that aesthetically and gastronomically reflects the best of the local community. The focal point is a centrally located bar area, which provides a vibrant environment for gathering with unique menu additions during happy hour. It also is the first Terrain Cafe to include a private dining room, ideal for hosting small events and celebrations. The cafe team is working closely with the farmers and agricultural teams of Delaware Valley University to incorporate their produce and products into the culinary and beverage programs. Terrain Cafe is now taking dining reservations for the Garden Cafe via OpenTable. https://bit.ly/terraincafedoylestown
  

• Terrain Gardens: Set to be Terrain’s largest event venue, Terrain Gardens at DelVal accommodates guests in a farmhouse-inspired setting that transforms with the seasons to provide a one-of-a-kind events experience for any occasion. The ceremony gardens overlook the DelVal orchards, while the indoor space includes two large distinct rooms and a covered porch. The in-house catering team creates menus inspired by the seasonal harvest and featuring local growers including the Delaware Valley University agricultural program. Terrain Gardens will orchestrate more than 100 weddings and events in 2023 and is accepting booking requests for events in 2024 and 2025. Website: www.terrainevents.comInstagram handle:@terrain_events

The event venue at Terrain. (Photos by Jeff Werner)