Stone Garden's move from one part of Market Street to another grew out of a much lengthier journey.

A fixture at 6955 Market St. for 16 years, the business, which sells natural and cultured stones for landscaping and gardens, is opening Dec. 1 at its new location, 5726 Market St. 

"I was extremely fortunate in finding what I needed -- a building, a warehouse, acreage and something for lease. And just two miles away from my current location," said Stone Garden owner Nina Brown, who had to move her business as a result of the Military Cutoff extension project the N.C. Department of Transportation is currently working on. "That's pretty much a miracle."

Brown said she could have moved out of the city where rents might have been cheaper, to somewhere like Hampstead. "But to me, it wasn't worth it," she said, because she wanted to continue to be in a convenient location for customers.

On one portion of the property, customers will be able to browse through a garden that showcases outdoor living spaces, entered through a dry-stack archway using 24 tons of stone that is currently under construction by Doug McGraw of McGraw Hardscapes.

The garden, which is being designed by landscape designer Tracy McCullen, will also be used as an event space, something Brown said she is particularly excited about. 

"We've already had wedding photographers approach us" about using the garden, Brown said.

She said Drew Thorndyke of Cape Fear Water Gardens will install a pondless waterfall next month, and mason Mike Gray of Graystone Inc. has completed all of the store's interior stonework.

"The ultimate goal of the move is to create a display space worthy of the products Stone Garden specializes in, including fountains, outdoor kitchens and fireplaces, garden art, mulch and soils, and a myriad of pathways and patios," Brown said in a news release about the move.

A moving sale is underway at Stone Garden's current location to help lighten Brown's load, literally, she said, because the store usually stocks about 900 pallets of stone weighing between 1,000 and 5,000 tons each.