At Silverdale’s Bee Hill Bakery, a thriving hydroponic garden wall filled with pothos, monstera and snake plants adds an unexpected element to the new business.

Despite the challenges of building the system, owner Angie Hosking has created a space that blends nature with baked goods.

“I didn’t realize how complicated building a hydroponic wall would be,” Hosking said. “The right slope for the water to flow back down to the rain barrel was tricky, and there have been plenty of leaks to fix.”

Despite those hurdles, the garden wall has become a distinct part of the space, with many customers reacting with surprise.

“Some people don’t even notice it when they first walk in,” Hosking said. “But when they turn around and see it, their reactions are always the same—‘Wow, those are real plants?’”

Initially, Hosking had planned to grow edible crops, but she changed direction after discovering that vegetables attracted pests.

Building the bakery itself came with its own challenges. When Hosking first bought the unit, she had not planned to open a business. But when the tenant’s business went under, Hosking decided to take on the project herself. Working with a limited budget, she sourced much of her furniture and fixtures from secondhand shops and online marketplaces.

While the bakery’s transformation was largely a do-it-yourself effort, Hosking faced additional complications with contractors. She hired one who didn’t complete the work.

So she redesigned the kitchen, which led to changes in the menu. For example, plans to offer donuts had to be scrapped due to the absence of a kitchen hood. She also had to reduce the number of items to work within the available space.

Hosking has focused on fostering connections with local entrepreneurs. Bee Hill Bakery hosts a variety of local vendors who sell products such as handmade woodwork, jewelry and locally made honey. Hosking doesn’t charge vendors rent, instead taking a 10% commission on sales.

“I feel like I’m creating a community of people who really support each other,” Hosking said. “A lot of the vendors have referred others to me, and it’s great to see them helping one another.”

As the bakery grows, Hosking plans to host events like quilting and craft nights.

“I think just getting to see the end result of my work has been incredibly rewarding. I’ve always worked in government jobs, handling knowledge and information, often with no clear sense of the final product. But here, I literally got to see everything come together—the floor, the garden wall, the paint, the counters. It unlocked something in me that I didn’t even know was there. I didn’t realize how creative I was.”