Upon entering Athena’s Garden, the nose is immediately met with the most tantalizing fragrances.
A parade of delicate aromas, from hibiscus flower powder and blueberry cheesecake tea, entice all who enter seeking herbal relief from a plethora of ailments or an exotic blend to spice up their tea time.
Bill Tice originally opened Athena’s Garden in Havana, Fla. with his wife Linda, to offer the area a diverse selection of herbs and educate the community on how to use herbs medicinally.
“There were a whole lot of things that I couldn’t find locally,” Tice said. “I kind of wanted to get out of nursing and my wife suggested I take some online classes. Then we opened up and it kind of grew from the herbs.”
The myriad medicinal herbs offered has attracted a diverse crowd of customers, from college students to older Tallahassee residents.
“I have a really good friend and she is into herbs and different things like that and she told me that if I come here I can get some peppermint and gingko and it would help with my sinuses and my allergies ’cause they’re horrible,” said Chantel McKinney, a first time customer. “I enjoyed my experience. The clerk was very helpful and I would recommend to anybody to come back.”
The back room of Athena’s Garden lends itself to the religious customers boasting knick knacks suitable for all religions from Pagan to Christianity and Judaism. Tice said he tries to stick to the coexist theme.
“Probably our biggest sellers are the Pagan/Wiccan section because we have the most demand for that,” Tice said. “Second will probably be the eastern disciplines.”
Customers are always pleased with the store and will agree that Athena’s Garden is the place to go for all your herbal needs. Customers testify that Athena’s Garden is the only store to offer such an extensive tea selection.
“Their selection of herbs, you cannot get that selection of herbs anywhere,” said Tony DeMaria, who has been shopping at Athena’s Garden for a year. “If you are interested in herbs and want to know more about it and get into it, this is a great place to come.”
Athena’s Garden also offers classes for those who are interested. The classes focus on teaching people how to use herbs to cure mild ailments and what herbs work best. Being a former nurse, Tice advises anyone who is on medication to consult their physician before starting a medicinal herb treatment.
Athena’s Garden is located at 659 Industrial Drive in Railroad Square. To check out their collection of teas, visit http://www.athenasgarden.net/servlet/StoreFront. Athena’s Garden is open from noon to 8 p.m. seven days a week.