I went today to check some plants, I loved the variety of plants they have…read more I found and bought a bunch of Dahlias bulbs, the price was reasonable. But I noticed I was being followed, at least the guy should be discreet. Don't let me notice, he was watching and following me. But if you're white, and love plants they have an amazing variety. I will rated this place with 3 stars, because I saved lots of money buying the Dahlias bulbs from them.

HUGE selection of plants, I found everything I was looking for here! If you aren't sure what to…read moreget, it's lovely to browse the nursery and find something that interests you!

Great place to get plants. Fair prices and plants very healthy. Employees super helpful.read more

What am incredible nursery! I've lived in Berkeley for years and have never stepped inside…read more However, I bought quite a few things and excited to start my gardening this season. The staff was incredibly helpful and courteous. I was able to find some ghost peppers and several other seeds I'm going to plant. I also will be coming back to see if I find th lemongrass I was looking for. Awesome place!

East Bay Nursery is amazing. Huge variety of healthy plants and gardening supplies…read more They have the most amazing selection of succulents I've ever seen. I didn't even think I liked succulents until I saw all these. Just incredible variety.

If you are into gardening you will love this place. I was looking for a Mexican oregano plant,…read morewhich is not easily found in most nurseries and I found one at East Bay nursery for reasonable price of I called ahead of time and received exceptional customer service. They also went out into the garden to doublecheck that they had one in stock and they did and they held it for me at the front desk. While I was there, I was admiring all of the exotic plants, flowers, herbs, and trees and all the gardening accessories you may ever need. I loved seeing all their seasonal Halloween theme planters and little decorations that you can put throughout your garden to make your garden festive for Halloween. They even had small Christmas trees in stock. This is a lovely nursery with lots of beautiful plants and accessories and great employees that are roaming around ready to help you at any time. They also have their own dedicated parking lot and lots of street parking. Next time you're in Berkeley or if you need to get an exotic plant, I highly recommend visiting East Bay Nursery.

We came here for the Mother's Day tea party. My mom loved the experience and how welcoming the…read morestaff was! We got these cute like fans and some pictures/polaroids to take home. I enjoyed all the food offerings and tea flavors they had to offer. It would be a cute bachelorette or girls day activity with your group of friends! We did buy some plants and a cute turtle pot before we left!!!

I stumbled upon Pamana Plantas during an afternoon walk down Solano Ave. Such a lovely plant shop…read moreand a warm vibe. The owner, Dom is incredible. She is very personable and friendly. I was so happy my friend chose this location for her bridal shower! The Kamayan Tea Party included pastries from AAPI and woman owned bakeries. Everything was absolutely delicious. I loved the apple cinnamon scones, cream and lemon curd. The desserts were delicious as well and not overly sweet. The tea selection included unique flavors like cardamom rose, mango sticky rice, cucumber melon. I liked that the teas were different flavors I haven't tried before (and I drink a lot of tea). The decor was also very unique. I loved the use of banana leaves in the table scape.

I absolutely love Paraiso Plant Studio!…read more They are located in the cute part of Berkeley, where there are tons of shops and restaurants. I wandered into the store, mostly on a whim, and I'm so thrilled that I did! The staff is absolutely sweet, helpful, and makes shopping so easy. Did I plan on buying a plant? Not at all. Did I? Absolutely! All of their plants are indoor specific, and they will help you find the perfect plant. Do you need a plant that goes in that spot in your Home or Office? That's full Senh? They've got you covered. Do you need a plant that prefers subtle or little to no lighting in your home or office? They've got you covered. Their plants are beautiful, healthy, and they range in different sizes from the most petite, too much larger sizes. The plant I picked out with help from one of the staff, not only is perfect for the space that I want it for, but because I also purchased a lovely ceramic pot, as a complementary service, they repotted my plant in its new ceramic pot. They do offer repotting for your plants, and it's obvious that they have a ton of repeat customers. The store was becoming busy as I was looking at all the different plants, gifts, etc., and if people weren't purchasing arrangements, or having repotting done, they were purchasing new plants like I was. This is a special place to get lost in, shop in, and fall in love with plants.

I've been here twice (before and after the new location) and love it here! This plant shop is such…read morea vibe from the decor to the amazing staff. Every person I've encountered has been such a gem; they're kind and down to earth. Some of the plants are a bit on the pricey side, but they are all beautiful and well cared for, and you're supporting a small business, so it's worth it. On my last trip, I scored a beautiful Hoya Kerrii for $13.50. It was such a fantastic deal considering how many leaves it has! I also love that they have tiny plants in tiny pots, which makes you feel like you're growing something from scratch, plus they're super cute! I'm not in the East Bay often but will make sure I stop here, next time I'm in the area. Highly recommend!

Spira is the best. Kind spirt and plant lover. Expert when…read moreit comes to water gardens and small garden ponds. Designer and caretaker you'll be glad you hired Spira!

Spira transformed my backyard in Oakland from a barren, allergy-inducing wasteland into an oasis of…read morebeautiful, delicious plants. Spira was always a joy to be around and taught me a ton about urban farming; exposed me to new plants that grow well in the area and helped me discover my love for summer squash, fava beans, potato digs, and organic farming in general. Spira was so knowledgeable about such a wide range of topics and did annoying work such as setting up drip irrigation. Such an awesome, inspiring person! If I didn't live 200 miles away now, I'd no doubt have Spira taking care of my garden to this day.

The first time I was here, which was last month, I did not find anything that caught my eye, but…read moretwo of my GF's bought a few items at bargain prices. I guess I wasn't feeling it at the time to spend money at a place that looked similar to what one might see in the old TV series, "Sanford & Son" back in the days. However, yesterday I did a returned trip with my two GF's to browse and yes, there were a few items that perked my interest. There is a saying..."what's one man's junk is another man's treasure". Since there is no such thing as a 3.5 star rating for this unique place on Gilman Street where you can buy, sell, trade, and/or consign items, I have decided to go with a three star. There is a big difference in presentation of the items on hand compared to what you see in huge and/or luxurious department stores. Entering the bazaar you can browse and shop with no pressure. Though there is clutter all around, it is to be expected at an outdoor gypsy flea market with an assortment of gently used clothes (sweaters - $9 each or $15 for two), knick/knacks, plates, glasswares, toys (games, stuffed animals, etc.), baskets, ceramic items, even crystal ware. They even carry used books, albums, VHS movie tapes. Some of the items are a little pricey, such as the nice crystal candy jar with lid for $24. (The last time I bought one of those was over 15 years ago and it was $10 at the old Emporium in Downtown Oakland.) At a bazaar, prices on items are negotiable, but you can't do that in a department store. Sometimes the stuffiness of department stores and overbearing sales associates are not my "cup of tea"; thus, I find an outdoor bazaar is somewhat relaxing and soothing as a cup of tea.

Bazaar Gilman may have neat trueasures, but watch out for the rugs thrown down on the ground. They…read moreneatly conceal flagstone pavers, which my mom just tripped over and fell face first into the ground. No so funny ha-ha though. She cut her eyebrow open and bruised her face. But the real problem is the on-staff employee, clearly not the owner. Didn't catch his name before I was so insulted by his behavior that I escorted my mom out and left that cheesy nightmare. He deflected all responsibility and refused to move the rug. I told him to watch out because next time, someone might sue. He promptly accused me of threatening to sue and he "was way too smart to get caught up in that. You be fishing to sue or something." No, actually, I was saying do something proactive before the next injury sustained was more serious. He walked away from me claiming, "Not my problem. I'm not the owner." When I attempted to call the listed phone number to contact the owner, the number does *not* accept incoming calls. Um...all a bit sketchy. So, when shopping at Bazaar Gilman, watch your step and your back...

I had an amazing visit to Hida Tool in Berkeley for master knife sharpening with Kou! My prized…read moreJapanese chef knife I've had for decades, that lives carefully dried and wrapped in towel when not in use - nonetheless over the decades, had small imperfections here and there and needed sharpening. Claude AI led me to Hida! Kou educated me about the hand forged knife I had, translated it's inscriptions, and maybe because I had my beloved Japanese Akita with me, invited me to watch the process - it was amazing to see his adroit flow of steps to remove almost invisible fine pits and barely visible rust, straighten a slight bend (and now I know NOT to cut hard winter squash with this fine knife!) and used sequence of fine whet stones and water to finish the polish over a special sink basin that felt like a small pond in a Japanese temple. It is new and happy again! My hand wrought knife restored for just $20, so very worth it - and the drive to Berkeley and the experience and learning in person was priceless. You can't have a knife in more appreciative hands, and your appreciation of your knife will grow too. Yes, they sharpen European knives and all sorts of fine tools too, and sell an amazing array of fine tools and knives too. My knife, well cared for like this, is an heirloom - and I now know can literally last hundreds of years! Check out their website for their dazzling array of speciality knives and tools. Very worthwhile - make an appointment to see Kuo and take the drive to Berkeley and be sure to stop after at the nearby also famed Monterey Market - the original that helped launch Chez Panisse and the California Cuisine movement decades ago - always rare and wonderful produce there, as a lifelong chef myself, it is truly one of the best unique private fresh artisan produce and food stores on earth!

A friendly and well stocked source of high quality tools, mostly from Japan with many other items…read morethat are useful. They stock many hard-to-find items and also provide ideas and inspiration for projects based on what is on their shelves. I no longer live in Berkeley, but it's a must-visit spot every time I'm in town! Not inexpensive, but well worth the cost for a well curated selection of quality items.