The Many Charms of Drips Botanical Elements Opening October 1

I felt like a wide-eyed Dora the Explorer, magnifying glass in hand, when I stepped into Drips Botanical Elements at 387 N. Euclid, which opens on October 1.  Proprietors Becki Murabito and Tres Johnson, above, who closed their business in Omaha and moved to St. Louis in July, have a delightful imagination and magical touch that’s manifested in shop windows and displays, and their choice of botanically-themed merchandise throughout.

In the 90s, Tres worked in the CWE at Balaban’s and Left Bank Books, and still has lots of friends here, one reason he and Becki made frequent trips to St. Louis from Omaha.  Over the course of their many visits, Becki, who is from Omaha, fell in love with St. Louis, and both felt there was a bigger market for their business in the Central West End.

The business in Omaha began as a coffee shop, but eventually the partners added plants to the mix. Tres had studied horticulture in Cape Girardeau, and Becki’s background includes hands-on experience working on her family’s 40-acre property, Rainbow Gardens, in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

At Drips, you’ll find both common and uncommon indoor plants from tropicals to cacti, $15 to $300. The photo above show a Tricocereus cactus in mutation (that’s a good thing!), $125.

A view of the eclectic interior.

There are terrariums of all sizes, some in tiny bottles, starting at $15, that “pretty much take care of themselves,”

and larger ones that can include animals, such as a live frog or tiger roly polys, which I learned are actually tiny crustaceans that tidy up the terrarium by consuming dead plant material. The terrarium above comes with two Bronze Mantella Frogs (which were publicity-shy at time of photograph), $375. Or, if you want a custom-designed terrarium, Tres will create that too.

Notice the floral William Morris wallpaper lining the entry table and shelves, which Becki is glad she saved, seeing how perfectly it fits the CWE space. Also notice the Smokey the Bear cup and cylindrical terrarium next to Montana-based Farmacy teas in an assortment of blends named Moon Dance, Speakeasy, etc.  The teas are available in bags or loose leaf in display-worthy tins, $13. There is also a curated selection of books (not photographed) on plants, birds, and witchcraft.

Kansas City bee farmers’ KC Messners makes wax candles, top shelf, $12-$18, and lotions, $7-$15.  The lower shelf holds an assortment of incense,  Palo Santo, $4, piñon, $3, and White Sage smudge sticks, $3.

Local flora and fauna images are printed on colorful bandanas, $20. Drips is also offering coffee from Chicago-based Dark Matter, in whole beans or in cans from the refrigerator case.

You’ll be as delighted as I am that Becki and Tres have landed in the CWE with their fantastic new shop, a space you’ll want to explore often.

Drips Botanical Elements, 387 N. Euclid, Opens October 1. Hours: Tues. thru Sat. 11 to 7 (open a bit later on weekends), Sun. 11-4.  Closed Mon. Contact: lowercase.drips@gmail.com