Photography courtesy of Lachie

Who loves plants? Who loves pots? Who loves a visit to High Swan Dive? Well, we have exciting news! High Swan Dive has officially opened up their new space on Maitland Road in Islington.

We first spoke with High Swan Dive owners, Sophie Toupein and Jesse Neale back in 2016 when they opened their King Street space up to the public, and it was exciting to have something so cool in the centre of town! Now, a few years down the track, the pair have done both the CBD thing and the Merewether thing, now they're onto their next adventure. 

Having bounced around locations in Newcastle, the duo running the iconic garden store hoped to find a more permanent home for their store. From their first home on a corner of King St, a tiny storefront without a specific focus on plants, to now, eight years on and two locations later, the High Swan Dive team have created a dreamy space that any plant lover will adore. 

Expanding into a nursery, the new location is bigger and better than ever. Showcasing a large assortment of greenery and tools to help any level of plant lover, it’s easy to lose a few hours searching through everything they have to offer.

“Our main goal with High Swan Dive was always to create beautiful spaces for people to come, enjoy, and be inspired by. We are so happy to be able to add a bit more colour to this area,” Jesse said.

Their last location ran out of the previous Merewether Smash Repairs garage on Glebe Road, which was a site destined for demolition. Despite being a homely space for their business to grow throughout lockdowns, it didn’t give the team many opportunities for long-term goals. 

“We have dreamed of the opportunity to be able to plant some things in the ground and let them develop. Hopefully, in a couple of years, the main building will be covered in flowering vines and there will be some thriving little gardens to explore.”

The new space, set out in an array of musk pink shipping containers and cobbled path nursery space, offers a chance for visitors to learn and explore as they travel through the store. The layout allows you to easily flow from outdoor plants and trees to an indoor plant collector’s dream in just a few steps. 

Known for their exceptional variety of plants and knowledge, High Swan Dives’ new space is a safe haven for plant parents, old and new, to find the perfect addition to their collection.