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jnineaz

Best Nurseries

jnineaz
16 years ago

Which are the best nurseries in the North Phoenix, North Scottsdale, Cave Creek/Carefree area? Looking for a wide variety of plants, desert landscaping infront of the house and more tropical plants for the backyard. There was a great list of best nurseries on this forum a long time ago -- I have searched the forum and cannot find that list any longer. Thanks everyone for your suggestions.

Comments (12)

  • murmanator
    16 years ago

    Try Desert Gardens on Cave Creek just north of the 101. Also I think there is a Summer Winds further south, cant remember if it is on Cave Creek or Bell.

  • Jeannie Cochell
    16 years ago

    There's a Summer Winds on Tatum & Grovers, first light north of Bell Rd. There's also Black Mountain Nursery East of Tatum on Dynamite.

    Although you said North Phoenix, I'm guessing you mean east of I-17. If not, there's Star Nursery at 83rd Ave & Thunderbird, Sunset Nursery on 59th Ave & Peoria, another Summer Winds on Thunderbird and 67th Ave and an Australian tree nursery off I-17 near Carefree Highway, I think.

    Farther south, off the 101, is Harpers on Hayden north of McDowell Rd. Take Tatum south through the mountains and you have Berridge, 47th Street and Camelback, and Bakers on 40th Street at Osborn. Make a circular trip and stop at Whitfill's on Glendale east of 7th Street.

  • cmpman1974
    16 years ago

    I went to Harpers, Berridge, and Bakers on a business trip last February. All very nice places that I highly recommend. I live in Michigan, but I enjoy visiting local nurseries when I can. :)

    Chris

  • sean77986
    12 years ago

    This is an older thread that I just came across when searching for the best nursery in Arizona. What about Moon Valley Nursery? I talked to 2 of my neighbors who just had their trees planted by them and both yards look really nice. Has anyone else here had any experience with them? I want a business that can deliver and plant my trees for me.

    Thanks,

    Sean

  • ra
    12 years ago

    Moon Valley?

    it's like walking into a used card sales lot

    Berridge, Baker's and Whitful are much better nurseries

  • waterbug_guy
    12 years ago

    I've been to Moon Valley a couple of times...used car lot is right. The last time I was there a chunk of something goes whizzing by my head. One of the workers was shooting rocks at chickens with a sling shot which he thought was pretty funny. I haven't been back.

    My favorite nurseries are neighbors, friends, collecting seeds on walks, finding plants already growing in my yard, Craig's List. For staples like lantana I just go to Lowes or Home Depot. Their year return policy works for me and I've used it several times. They don't question the return because generally there's no one there who knows anything about plants.

    Most of the "nurseries" are really just retailers selling products from nurseries. So kind of all from the same place.

  • MaryMcP Zone 8b - Phx AZ
    12 years ago

    Another choice is Summer Winds, there are several locations around the valley. I find the people there knowledgable and friendly. They will deliver and plant the trees - well they actually contract it out but you pay a fee and someone else digs the hole(s).

  • ra
    12 years ago

    Yes Summer Winds is good. especially the one at Tatum and Bell.

    The one at bell and 59th ave isn't so great.

    I usually get my plants at the big box stores since their prices are much much cheaper. And when I want something unusual I just order them online.

  • greeneater
    12 years ago

    For ornamentals and common stuff Home Depot or Lowes. For Tropicals and exotic fruit trees Shamus O'Leary up in N. PHX. 602-434-5641. Moon Valley is the biggest waste of time. I would rather have rocks than do anymore business with them.

  • sean77986
    12 years ago

    Thanks everyone for all of your input. I research all of my large purchases quite a bit before I make my final decision. Probably too much research. This last weekend I went into Summer Winds and the Moon Valley in Scottsdale by Tatum and Bell.

    Summer winds was incredibly pleasant to walk around, and their shrubs looks well cared for. I snapped a few photos of their plants and trees to price shop. When I was walking around I was greeted by a staff member but I said I was just looking around. The place seemed nice, but the size and selection wasn't that impressive.

    Moon Valley was next. The front area was nice, but not as well maintained as Summer Winds. When I walked into the main tree area I couldnt believe how big the place was. Their selection was much larger than Summer Winds.

    It made me feel like I was at more of a Costco at Moon Valley and Summer Winds is more of a small Mom and Pop shop. Out of the 5 plants I price shopped, 3 were cheaper at Moon Valley and 2 were the same as SW.

    I could see what some of you were talking about with the used car lot. I was asked by at least 3 staff members if I needed help. It is nice to be noticed, but sometimes it is overkill. I brushed them off as this was just an exploratory trip for me.

    I feel like since I am looking at buying large quantities, as long as I know what I want, then MVN has a better selection, and is cheaper for the most part.

    I do not like to include Lowes and Home Depot in my search as I have walked through a few of them and the majority of their products, especially the trees, look like lower quality. I would rather choose from 50 trees than just 1 or 2.

    I still have a few things to mull over, but as of right now, as long as I know what I want, and can dodge the sales help. MVN has the edge. Is there anywhere else that you all recommend?

    Thanks

  • ra
    12 years ago

    Did you check out Whitfill at Glendale and 7th st? they have a huge selection of trees as well

  • waterbug_guy
    12 years ago

    You are serious. OK, so here's another option, wholesale. Not mixed retail/wholesale places like Elgin Nursery, but not open to the public type places They'll say "Wholesale Only" and they mean it. Places like Arizona Wholesale. These can be the growers themselves or a place like MV but just for professional landscapers.

    Disclaimer: My experience is in CA, but I think it's the same here.

    Their hours are normally limited. I've never seen any kind of minimum purchase. Normally they have a price list they can give you, or email you one (how's that for easy comparison shopping). Many things aren't labelled very well so you have to know your plants, which sounds like you do.

    If they ask just say you're a landscape designer, there's no license for that. That's what I was and sounds like what you're doing too, just for yourself. Nothing shady about it, it's the truth. And I've been surprised that a designer is sometimes given an additional discount, higher than any other trade.

    Sometimes they ask for a business card. They're find if you don't use them. I never did. Have a business name ready, anything will do. Easiest is your name followed by "Designs". Perfectly legal, you don't have to register it unless you're actually selling a service which you aren't.

    You can at least look around.

    If you decide to buy you have to have a resale certificate. You need to either find someone who has one or get one. They're surprisingly easy and fast to get, free I think. No business license is required. Use your SSN as the business's federal tax id which is completely legal. You'd be a "sole proprietorship" which is a valid business.

    When you purchase you don't pay sales tax. You do have to send the sales tax amount directly to the state, very short form. In CA I only had to file the form when I actually had something to pay in that quarter. The wholesaler reports the purchase so they already know how much you owe, so the form was basically, "Plants $XXX.XX".

    OK, now that I typed it all it seems complex. But it's pretty easy. And the certificate gets you into all kinds of other places too. For example in retail title stores I've gotten up to a 25% discount as a Designer. That was better than $500 one time. All perfectly legal, no scam. Your purchase is reported to the state, you do have to pay the sales tax. Just a way of getting at a better selection of plants...normally.

    And by selection I don't just mean a lot of plants. I mean plants in stages you can't find at any retail place.

    And I've always liked the employees waaaaay better. Many times you'll be talking to the owner, or employees who've worked there for years. They're 100% focused on plants. No wind chimes, pots, etc. None of them are sales people. No hovering. When ready for your selections they'll normally have a cart and pick them up for you.