FLOWERLAND, for me, is an oasis on Solano Avenue in Albany, California. Their website calls it a “botanical haven”. In addition to a wide variety of plants and a lovely gift store, Flowerland is known for the clever messages on its prominent marquee.

 

At first, the marquee was fairly pedestrian. But when the store was sold in 2008, the new owners began having fun with the marquee, and “Petunias on Sale” was replaced with “Grow a Pear”. 

 

They’ve been putting up playful, political, and inspiring words ever since. Whenever I saw a new sign I would stop and photograph it and post it on Facebook.

 

In 2022, a calendar was made of some of the marquees and many of my photos were included.

 

Some of these images below are in the calendar and the rest are some of my favorites.