SEATTLE — Looking for a unique house plant? Kubode in Pike Place Market has you covered.
Owner Kamille Barba specializes in making Kokedama - a Japanese technique of planting that translates to "moss ball."
"It's simple, and at the same time it's beautiful,” she said.
A natural alternative to potting, roots are surrounded by a ball of soil and moss. Thread is wound around the ball to hold everything together.
"People describe it in different ways but for me, it's just magical,” Barba said.
She’s created hundreds of Kokedama since opening her shop on the west side of Pike Place Market in 2021.
"It's very relaxing. You can really lose yourself,” she said. “It's like a breathing pattern - in and out, exhale and inhale."
Kubode is a combination of words - "abode” and a nod to Barba’s heritage, "bahay kubo" (a stilt house in the Philippines made of all-natural materials.)
The nature on her shelves is eye-catching, to say the least. Customer Amy Bearmon spotted Kokedama in the window as she was driving by and made it a point to stop in.
“It was just striking, all the plants in the window and I was like, 'I've got to go back there!'" she said. "It's beautiful, beautiful stuff I hadn't seen before."
That’s precisely why Barba loves Kokedama.
"It's an art form, definitely, that helps people see plants in a different way,” she said. "It's a minimalist way of how to appreciate nature."
It also makes a great gift, especially for first-time plant owners. Barba said Kokedama are easy to care for.
She also markets to tourists by providing boxes with handles, ideal for transporting plants on airplanes.
Return customers also stop in to say hello to the shop dog, Pablo.
For Barba, every piece of her small business is designed to make visitors feel at home.
"It's a blessing for me to discover this process and share it with others,” she said.
Kubode is located at 1529 Western Avenue in Seattle and is open daily from noon – 6 p.m. Customers can also shop Kokedama and other plants online.
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