Business Spotlight: Handcart Garden Center pairs plants and a family story near Wesley Chapel

Business Spotlight · Cover photo: Miss Julie’s Café & Boutique beside the Handcart Garden Center silo. Photo credit: Handcart Garden Center.

For Wesley Chapel residents planning a garden project—or looking for an outing built around plants and browsing—Handcart Garden Center offers both at one address. The family-owned business at 9239 Handcart Road has a Dade City mailing address and brings together a nursery, landscape services, and Miss Julie’s Café & Boutique.

A retirement project with deep roots

Founders John and Julie Faulkner describe Handcart as a new chapter after more than 40 years of experience in landscape construction, maintenance, environmental stewardship, and nursery work. According to the center’s family story, retirement inspired them to create the business on a 20-acre property.

The personal touches extend to the grounds: the website highlights a grain silo bearing the inscription “John Loves Julie.” It is a small detail that puts the people behind the business into the landscape itself.

From a few plants to a larger landscape project

The garden center’s website lists plants and shrubs, trees and palms, herbs, fruits and vegetables, plus décor and supplies. That range gives visitors several reasons to browse, whether the goal is a small planting project or ideas for a larger outdoor space.

For customers who need help beyond choosing plants, Handcart lists design consultations, delivery, and professional installation for plants, trees, and palms. Delivery fees vary by address; the business asks customers to contact its team for a quote. Ask about current availability and the needs of your particular site before making a purchase.

Miss Julie’s Café & Boutique: breakfast, lunch, and a reason to linger

Miss Julie’s gives the property a second draw for visitors who are just as interested in coffee and browsing as they are in plants. Handcart describes the café and boutique as a place for breakfast, lunch, specialty coffee, and gifts—an option for meeting a friend or taking a break between walks through the nursery.

In the business’s recap of a visit from FOX 13’s Charley Belcher, Julie highlights coffees, pastries, breakfast sandwiches, Cuban sandwiches for lunch, and a favorite salad. The recap also features café con leche and outdoor rockers and a porch swing. Those details suggest a visit can be more than a quick stop at the counter: there is room in the outing for a meal and a pause outdoors.

The family behind the boutique

The same feature introduces Julie alongside her daughters Nikki Hayes and Miranda Smith and boutique manager Juan Gonzalez as the team behind the curated finds. Miss Julie’s own website lists Julie Faulkner and Nicole Hayes as curators, while Handcart’s homepage highlights the boutique’s gift selection.

For Wesley Chapel-area visitors, the combination offers a simple way to plan a few stops without moving the car: browse the garden center, take a café break, and leave time for the boutique. These offerings come from the business’s published descriptions, rather than a dining review; check directly for the current menu and merchandise.

Plan around the earlier closing time: Miss Julie’s lists Tuesday–Saturday hours of 8 a.m.–4 p.m., while the garden center stays open until 5 p.m. Both are closed Sunday and Monday.

Plan your visit

• Address: 9239 Handcart Road, Dade City, FL 33525.
• Garden center: Tuesday–Saturday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
• Miss Julie’s Café & Boutique: Tuesday–Saturday, 8 a.m.–4 p.m.
• Closed: Sunday and Monday.
• Phone: (813) 771-8905.

Hours are listed on the business’s contact page and were checked October 18, 2026. Check directly before traveling for holiday hours, specific plants, or service availability.

This spotlight was prepared from the business’s official website. Photos are sourced from Handcart Garden Center’s website; this article does not report an interview or an on-site visit.