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April 17, 2006
Gowanus Nursery Open
A couple of weekends ago, blogger 423 Smith swung by the Gowanus Nursery at 102 3rd Street and was pleased to see that rumors of its demise were exaggerated. We've never been, but we're gonna be in the market for some plants and flowers soon, so we'll be interested to hear reader feedback on selection, service and prices. How does it stack up against the garden center at the nearby Home Depot?
Gowanus Nursery - Open! Yay! [423 Smith]
Comments
I try to avoid Home Depot at all costs even though I'm only 3 avenues over. Its impossible to get help there. I use Shannon Florists (very helpful) on the east side of Greenwood Cemetery, though I may check out Gowanus now.
Posted by: Anonymous at April 17, 2006 11:21 AM
They are really two totally different things. Gowanus tends to carry more specialty plants, Home Depot more commodity type plants. Home Depot will carry the most commonly available annuals and perennials in the most commonly available hybrids and cultivars. Gowanus seems to make an effort to find more special stuff- stuff you don't see everywhere. There will be a price tag attached to that but if you are looking for something different, they are definitely worth checking out. We bought a japanese maple there last year that I have not seen at any of the home center garden department and none of the large Westchester nurseries I usually frequent. The staff was very nice and the tree was in great condition- it looks spectacular this spring.
Posted by: kensington gal at April 17, 2006 11:25 AM
Gowanus is a terrific nursery, with very helpful and knowledgable staff. I was there yesterday. They had easter eggs for my daughter to color while I shopped. The selection is good, and very different from Home Depot. Gowanus has a variety of annuals and perennials not available elsewhere, and it actually takes care of the plants, making sure they're not root-bound or sick. In contrast, Home Depot has only a limited selection of plants, which half the time are sickly, and the staff glories in their ignorance, particularly at the Hamilton Avenue location. The owner of the property is trying to sell it, so there's some question as to how long the nursery can remain there, but all should take advantage. A great small Brooklyn business with the nicest people -- worth patronizing just for that reason.
Posted by: PPSer at April 17, 2006 11:33 AM
I definitely like Gowanus nursery, and think the Hamilton HD is particularly bad--worse selection and staffing than other HDs. I'm hoping that the new Bed Stuy HD, which has a large garden center, will get some good stuff in for spring.
For herbs and annuals, I'm a huge fan of the farmer's markets--nothing exotic but good basics. There's good vendors at generally good prices at Grand Army Plaza on Saturdays, Union Square on Fridays and Saturdays, and Downtown Brooklyn on Saturdays.
Posted by: tinarina at April 17, 2006 11:48 AM
i love gowanus nursery, and agree w/above that it carries a more refined type of plant than the usual. you'll find things at GN that you won't find anywhere else. of course, you'll also a pay a bit of a premium. big surprise. my favorite (foliage) plant of last year, a castor bean plant, was purchased at GN. HD is good for large abor vitae and the like. lots of green for low price. shannon's is prolly the best with lots of different stuff at okay prices. but nothing beats GN for that unusual specimen...
Posted by: david at April 17, 2006 12:07 PM
i love gowanus nursery, and agree w/above that it carries a more refined type of plant than the usual. you'll find things at GN that you won't find anywhere else. of course, you'll also a pay a bit of a premium. big surprise. my favorite (foliage) plant of last year, a castor bean plant, was purchased at GN. HD is good for large abor vitae and the like. lots of green for low price. shannon's is prolly the best with lots of different stuff at okay prices. but nothing beats GN for that unusual specimen...
Posted by: david at April 17, 2006 12:07 PM
I second all of the above. Gowanus Nursery should be a definite must-do on your gardening list. Staff is knowledgable and eager to assist, plant selection is of great quality and is not the run-of-the-mill impatiens/petunias/marigolds (even though I do use these around my gardens). They're pricey, but worth it. If they're forced to move, I do hope that it will be in the same general area.
Posted by: Anonymous at April 17, 2006 12:08 PM
I agree with tinerina who wrote that "Hamilton HD is particularly bad--worse selection and staffing than other HDs".
I used to go to a HD near where I worked in Queens that had a pretty good garden section--the Hamilton HD sucks IMO.
Other good places to go for plants are Kings County Nursery, on the fringes of PLG at New York Ave. and Rutland Road and, for a REALLY large (allbeit chaotic) selection, the Brooklyn Terminal Market
http://tinyurl.com/jakju
Speaking of chaotic, the BBG's annual plant sale
http://tinyurl.com/zn3j3
has great stuff, although the prices are rather high.
Posted by: Bob Marvin at April 17, 2006 12:40 PM
we were at brooklyn terminal mkt last friday and it is a fantastic spot for everything, including trees.
Posted by: Anonymous at April 17, 2006 12:48 PM
While on the subject of plants, for any of you who are orchid-crazy, check out the NY Orchid Society Show at Rockefeller Center at the end of this week. Orchid competition takes place Thursday night, exhibition and sale Friday-Saturday-Sunday.
Posted by: Anonymous at April 17, 2006 1:34 PM
For those who are cash-strapped and looking for generic plants, flowers and herbs, Lowes at 2nd Ave. and 12th Street (or there abouts) can be very nice if you time your visit accordingly.
Posted by: Jenny McCarth at April 17, 2006 2:31 PM
After all these years of living in the borough, I finally ventured into the Brooklyn Terminal Market only last year . . . and I love it! Shannon's, which used to be my #1 choice of Brooklyn nurseries, must now move down to #2. I must say, these posts motivate me to at least check out Gowanus.
I'd only recommend Hamilton HD for ungreen things like soil, pots, fertilizers, etc. -- and that's only when you're already in the store for something else.
Posted by: GardensGal at April 17, 2006 2:37 PM
Where is the Brooklyn Terminal Market? Someone else mentioned it to me and I was thinking of venturing out there. Do they have a website showing their offerings?
Posted by: renogirl at April 17, 2006 3:31 PM
Brooklyn Terminal Markets
Foster and Remsen Avenues Brooklyn, NY 11236
83/87th Street
FYI: It's the very first entry http://www.terminalmarkets.com/brooklyn.htm
on Google. There is map with list of vendors, the ones in red link to the vendor web site.
Posted by: Anonymous at April 17, 2006 4:08 PM
Between the farmer's markets, the BBG plant sale and Gowanus, I can find just about anything I need. As for Home Depot and Lowe's, keep in mind that national big-box stores like these don't always carry plants that will survive in a given zone - it's a very one-size-fits-all selection.
Posted by: petunia at April 17, 2006 4:27 PM
A bit closer to home, Gardel's Garden on S. Portland is not very big, but they have a good selection and have been very nice whenever I've gone. Granted, I haven't planted a whole garden from there, but I've been very happy with the flower boxes and other assorted stuff I've put together from there.
Posted by: Mr. Minerva at April 17, 2006 5:50 PM
Checked out the Brooklyn Terminal site; I'm intrigued but which ones are nurseries? They all seem to be wholesale grocers or produce.
Posted by: Anonymous at April 17, 2006 6:29 PM
re bklyn terminal market: go there and you will see. the entrance for plants is at 86th st. James Gale and son, LJ lapide, that whole chunk are different plant stores. i imagine it could get pretty busy on weekends..
Posted by: Anonymous at April 17, 2006 7:40 PM
maybe entrance is on 87th
Posted by: Anonymous at April 17, 2006 7:41 PM
i used to really love gowanus nursery. i bought some great planters there, as well as quite a lot of pretty perennials and annuals, spending close to $500 last spring/summer. they have a 2 week guarantee on their plants. i bought a blue star creeper from them that was not thriving, so i figured i'd bring it back for an even exchange (or some help). they gave me a hard time about it, which soured me on them. i was pleasant and even discreet about voicing my problem since there were other customers nearby. this is just my experience with them. (maybe the salesperson was having a bad day).
i found the guys at plant store next to mazzone hardware on court street very nice and extremly helful. they are not that knowledgeable about unusual plants but they ordered some planters for me without requiring any deposit. i go to the brooklyn terminal market for regular plants and out to westchester for more unusual goods. it's a hike, but i get what i need and mill around for awhile learning about new plants. rosedale is especially good for newbies.
Posted by: sba at April 17, 2006 9:17 PM
Surprised anybody still goes to the horrible Home Depot when Lowe's is so much nicer. Same generic big-box plant selection, but nicer folks and scenery. (Funny Lowe's plant story: Last year, during a brief early heat wave, the plant guy totally forgot to water...I found him wandering sadly amid an entire department of crispy marigolds and petunias...)
As for Gowanus, love 'em...pricey, knowledgeable, interesting, and cool. Haven't tried Shannon (thought they were just a florist) or Bklyn Terminal Market...shall do so!
Anybody wanna go with me on a field trip up to CT to White Flower Farm for some plant-porn tourism?
Posted by: Brenda from Flatbush at April 17, 2006 10:50 PM
The terminal market is a group of many plant wholesalers all in one area. Quality varies from one seller to the next. Some just sell really basic stuff while others sell some very nice pernials, small trees and shrubs. Others have huge selections of containers and all that plastic junk that people insist on putting in their gardens...plastic dwarves, flamingos frogs ect. The best time to go is in the late spring early summer when the anuals come in. As someone who has been seriously gardening for 20 years, the trick is to ask the garden dept employees when the new deliveries are coming in. If you are persistant you can even find treasures at the Hamilton Ave HD, although I recommend the one in Queens..a million times better. For rare pernials and specimen plants i like Wayside and Whites Flower Farm ordering through the catalog. If you dont require imediate gratification in a few years these plants will out shines basic big box bargain plants. HD> usually gets the "Perenials of the Year" plants one or two years later.
If anyone wants to start trading plants I would be interested. I have many plants that have outgrown their limited real estate and could be divided and transplanted.
Posted by: Anonymous at April 18, 2006 12:23 AM
Any recommendations on best (high qual & low cost) place to get enough topsoil to cover whole back garden with several inches? Is it worth going upstate somewhere with a hired van? Cost is a big factor for us. How much should we budget?
I visited Gowanus (nearby our house) & they seemed very friendly but didn't stock topsoil.
thx
Posted by: Anonymous at April 18, 2006 6:48 AM
Shannon's Florist could deliver your soil...you might be able to just dump it in front of your house but i would ask them for the price to deliver to back yard.
Posted by: Anonymous at April 18, 2006 8:47 AM
Free compost!
Dont forget...this weekend (22nd & 23rd) y'all can get tons of free compost from the NYC compost giveback program. I went the first week of april and they had tons of compost already bagged and even threw 8 bags it in my truck for me!
Black gold baby!
http://www.nyccompost.org/resources/calendar.html
Posted by: lovemycarroll at April 18, 2006 11:06 AM
yeay it is a sweet deal! get there early and bring bags and shovel in case.
Posted by: Anonymous at April 18, 2006 12:48 PM
Also try BBG plant sales
Posted by: Marie at April 30, 2006 8:36 AM
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