Barbara Mendenhall owns Country Garden at the southern end of the corridor at 1603 Hill Avenue. Mendenhall has discovered a niche with fair trade gifts and handicrafts from the world market, featuring artisans who would otherwise rely on conglomerates to market their products. Using non-profit alternative trade and development organizations as international suppliers, Mendenhall also buys wares from her own global travels including Tanzania, Peru and Vietnam.
The business is housed in a building with longstanding history. Originally constructed as a gas station, the structure has also been home to a sequence of businesses including a laundromat, hair salon and cookie shop. Behind the charming colonial facade, Mendenhall conducts her fair trade business and also employs a trio of floral designers -- with over 110 years of combined experience -- who craft extraordinary silk and fresh floral creations for all occasions.