Bay Area garden store gift certificate

May 2, 2022 8:10 AM

I'd like to give someone a gift certificate for a cool garden store in the Bay Area, preferably not San Francisco itself because it seems to be a pain to drive there. Something closer to Oakland would be better. Person bought a house with a decent yard, is planting trees, and wants to garden. Bonus points if you can tell me why the store is cool.
posted by FencingGal to Home & Garden (8 answers total)

Annie's Annuals in North Richmond has the best selection of flowering plants. This picture gives a notion of the scale and atmosphere. Congrats to your friend.
posted by aws17576 at 8:41 AM on May 2, 2022 [6 favorites]

There are a bunch of great nurseries...I'm partial to the classic Berkeley Hort in North Berkeley. The people who work there are friendly and well informed, and it has a great selection. It's near a place to grab a good slice of pizza (Gioia) and as a bonus field trip on the weekend, they could visit the Edible Schoolyard nearby for vegetable inspiration.
posted by pinochiette at 8:42 AM on May 2, 2022 [5 favorites]

It's a long drive, but south SF (not the city, but just south of Downtown) has a lot of options. Flowercraft is the one I know best and is great, but there are others within walking distance. (I'm sure there are equally good ones in Oakland, but I don't know them.)
posted by eotvos at 8:47 AM on May 2, 2022

Planting Justice has a nursery in Oakland that focuses on edible, medicinal, and native plants/trees. They're also available to hire to plan and plant edible permaculture gardens, and they have an agreement to eventually transfer the nursery land back to the Sogorea Te' Land Trust.
posted by littlemisslaika at 8:56 AM on May 2, 2022 [2 favorites]

Just to counterbalance my own comment, although I suggested Annie's Annuals above, I probably do the actual majority of my garden shopping at Ace Garden Center on Grand Ave in Oakland; besides being the closest to me (and maybe to your friend, given that you asked for Oakland recs), it's a solid nursery with lower prices than most others in the East Bay, despite often sourcing plants from the same growers. It's also good for vegetables. Definitely not the coolest choice, but maybe the most practical.
posted by aws17576 at 4:50 PM on May 2, 2022

I would highly suggest Flora Grubb in SF. Yes, it's in SF, but I'd consider it a destination spot for plant lovers. It's an incredible store that's a joy to be in. They have huge outdoor areas, some open-air and some under a large, translucent roof. There are places to sit and enjoy all over the outdoor part of the store and it's magical. Indoors, there's a houseplant paradise. The plants are very good quality and they have many rare things you can't find easily elsewhere, but it's also a bit pricey. Not outrageous, but going on a sale weekend is a great idea if you have a long wishlist.
posted by quince at 5:04 PM on May 2, 2022

These recommendations are not that close, but on the other hand they’re also not in SF traffic.

There are several in the vicinity of Sunol.

There’s one at the 680/Calaveras junction which has everything from ground cover up to trees and structural plants.

However, Plant and Pottery Outlet, a little way away, is where I would go - not so much to shop, but to see the amazing metal statues decorating the place. It won’t fulfil all their garden needs - although they do have some nice planters - but they will be pleased they went.

If you want a real day out, send them to Watsonville via the wineries in the Hecker pass. Ortega’s is amazing for succulents.
posted by How much is that froggie in the window at 11:59 PM on May 2, 2022

Another Berkeley option is East Bay Nursery on San Pablo. Family run nursery, with a huge variety of trees, and at different sizes/heights. They also have a lot of fruit trees, more than most other nurseries in the area.

Easy to park, though it can get a bit busy on weekends.
posted by junesix at 10:31 PM on May 3, 2022