Aug. 23--Andrew Gillespie is enamored with the idea of growing plants without using soil.

"If you ever get to Disney's Epcot Center, make sure you see their hydroponics garden," he said. "It's state of the art. Actually, that's what got me into this business."

After being blown away by what he saw at Epcot a few years ago, Gillespie immersed himself in the world of hydroponics -- growing plants in nutrient-rich solutions.

"You'd be surprised how much of what you're eating right now is actually grown that way," Gillespie said.

He opened Flow & Grow last year on Hope Mills Road but has since moved to a bigger spot at 4521 Cumberland Road. Flow & Grow is throwing an official grand reopening party starting at 1 p.m. today. Watch for door prizes, information sessions and bands around 3 p.m.

Staff also will explain exactly what it is that they sell: hydroponics systems, lights and nutrients, as well as their organic alternatives like ground-up coconut shells that can take the place of soil.

The plants growing in there are for display and aren't for sale. But by this time next year, the hope is to have greenhouses in front of the business, which is a former paint and body shop, said manager Pamela Jackson.

Should that come to fruition, shoppers will be able to pick their own organic vegetables year-round.

"There's nothing like a fresh tomato in the winter," Jackson said.

Shopping escape

Pat Krieger, owner of A Personal Touch on Purdue Drive, tries to stock items that you can't find at many -- if any -- other stores in town.

She's got a wide selection of different purses, candles, cards and jewelry. She's got items that would be a hit at any baby shower, such as baby desert boots and "pee-pee teepees" to minimize diaper changing hazards.

And, as of this week, Krieger now has a SpaCapsule.

You can't actually buy that contraption, which looks like something off Star Trek. But you can lie in it and get a massage. And as the SpaCapsule brochure puts it: "No one will touch you. No need to undress, get oily or wet."

Krieger charges $1 per minute in the capsule.

I bought five minutes and spent it lying face-down listening to soothing music and staring at images of clouds and such on a screen. All the while, jets of water fired away inside the bag-like interior of the capsule, moving from feet to shoulders and then back again.

It's times like that when I really like my job.

Ice, ice, baby

Perhaps you met the Ice Guy if you were downtown for Fourth Friday?

He's the mascot for Rita's Water Ice, which opened last month in the promenade in front of Docks at the Capitol but upped its profile this month with a mass mailing and ribbon cutting scheduled for Tuesday.

Rita's is a notable addition for the row of retail spaces in front of Docks. Its neighbors include a jewelry store (which sells shoes and purses), ESPN radio 1460 and some empty spots.

"We just opened in December, and we have leased three out of the five spaces. So I think that's actually probably ahead of schedule," said Mel Henderson, the local physician behind the Capitol project.

Completion of conference facilities should solidify the interest, he said, adding, "We should have some nice goodies for you by the end of the year."

As for Rita's goodies, water ice, cream ice and custard are among the offerings sold by the chain that originated in Philadelphia in the mid-80s but has been on a growth spurt over the past three years.

Seeing Rita's made me somewhat nostalgic for the Maryland town that I called home a couple years ago where Rita's custard had an almost cult-like following.

Random thought

Speaking of my previous shopping stomping grounds -- after leaving Maryland, I moved to a home near Kansas City, where I was somewhat intrigued to see in an upscale center that the sign on an Old Navy store didn't say "Old Navy." Rather, it had just two big blue letters: "ON."

So I had to laugh this week when I noticed that Fayetteville's Old Navy took a step in that direction ... completely by accident. The store lost its "D" in that crazy storm we had earlier this month.

Bye bye bling

Remember last month when I was writing about the travails of the jewelry business? And how an industry analyst from Richmond said that Whitehall Jewelers might not be long for the world?

He was right.

If you haven't been out to Cross Creek Mall in the last week and a half, you have missed the big "going out of business" signs at Whitehall and Lundstrom, which is owned by the same bankrupt company.

At least as of late this week, reductions on the jewelry were at 25 percent to 50 percent off. CoStar Group (a real estate information service) reported that sales designed to liquidate all the Whitehall stores are expected to last about four and a half months.

Liquidation check

Speaking of going-out-of-business sales, I checked in on a couple of them Thursday to see how inventory was holding up.

At the Rite Aid in Hope Mills, where reductions were 30 percent to 50 percent off this week, there still was plenty to pick from.

Making the drive down Hope Mills Road might be worth your time simply for the 50-percent-off cosmetics deal. Name any shade of lipstick, for example, and on Thursday you still stood a good chance of finding it. But in several cases, there were just two or three tubes of each left. So I'd get in there today if you're after a specific makeup.

I also checked in on Furniture Choices on Sycamore Dairy Road, where on Thursday workers were pushing things toward the center of the room for the going-out-of-business sale that -- after many weeks -- is set to end Sunday.

Eight days left

Closing. Closing. Closing. How depressing.

Let's end on an opening note.

I peeked this week through the garden center gates at the west Fayetteville Lowe's on Raeford Road and saw some busy bees stocking shelves. That Lowe's off Raeford Road (the official address is 7771 Good Middling Drive) will open its doors to shoppers starting at 7 a.m. on Labor Day (Sept. 1). The official grand opening will be 10 a.m. on Sept. 4.

Staff writer Rebecca Logan is relaxed and looking for retail tips. She can be reached at loganr@fayobserver.com or 486-3582.

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