I stopped in while visiting the area, because the nursery looked interesting and we were hoping to find a small redwood or sequoia to take home. I was the only customer at the time. While browsing inside, I briefly approached a back room, immediately realized it appeared to be a private office area, and turned around. Even so, the woman running the shop called out to me in a noticeably alarmed tone, which felt surprising and unwelcoming. The overall atmosphere was not the relaxed, friendly experience I expected from a small local nursery. I left feeling more like I was being monitored than welcomed. read more

O'Donnells Fairfax Nursery - Nurseries & Gardening Near Me - Fairfax, California

O'Donnell's is an extraordinary gem of a nursery, and a wonderland for California native plant gardeners. We found an excellent selection of plants and seeds, including rare species. Potted plant prices are comparable to many other nurseries, and bulk seeds are much cheaper than other nurseries. The most memorable aspect of our long visit was Mr. O'Donnell himself--such an intriguing person with so much passion for what he does, and so much knowledge from decades spent making observations in the wild. He seemed delighted to teach about plants and the environment and to make suggestions for our garden. Looking forward to our next visit. read more

This is an absolutely amazing native plant nursery. I wandered in, hoping to find something that would survive intense heat on my west facing patio, and the incredibly knowledgeable staff member had lots of great ideas for natives who could take the heat. They are thriving! This is a great place to check out amazing native species and get some great advice! read more

O'Donnells Fairfax Nursery - Nurseries & Gardening Near Me - Fairfax, California

Came here with my wife who has a green thumb and wanted to get some local plants. I stayed in the parking lot with our two sleeping children in the back seat but for some reason got multiple dirty looks from someone who looked like a manager, and was even approached as if I didn't belong there. Felt inhospitable to me, and the irate dirty looks made me feel very unwelcome. Just because I'm Asian American? I'm not exactly sure what justifies the hostility especially to a customer. read more

I love to support local business, but I should have asked how much the poppies were before I bought 10! Sadly, eight of my ten poppies AND two milkweed died within TWO DAYS of planting. I also bought some the veggies, that are doing well. I did the same thing for all the plants, (organic soil and watering) but I believe the conditions were too hot for planting last week?? Even though customer service was very friendly and helpful, this advice would have saved me over $120 in loss!!! Based on this experience, I won't be returning. I could have treated myself to a massage or another splurge and saved myself the time and money. I hope all the native seeds have a better outcome. read more

See all

Friendly customer service, and you can find California natives here too --- so 5 stars here. BUT, somewhat expensive, even for a locally owned business --- so 2 stars for affordability. I bought a California Poppy plant here for $13.99, it was about 4in tall, and there were 2 flower blooms. I also got 2 herb starters for $3.99 each. I went to a large chain store afterwards, and the California Poppy that stood at least 10in tall with more than a dozen blooms was $7. The herb starters were $2.50. I guess it can be difficult to compare a locally owned business with a business with stores nationwide, but I spent $35 at the local store for 4 plants, and $80 at a big store for 10 plants along with a huge bag of organic soil. If you want to support local businesses and don't mind spending the extra $, then this place is totally fine for that. If you're looking for more variety and cost-savings, you're better off at a big store. read more

Great organic plants and they stand by what they sell. I bought 2 pear trees last spring and one came down with an airborne fungus going around Marin County. Paul O'Donnell gave me a fungicide and a great deal on a replacement tree. Very fair and expert customer service. He was also running a school fundraiser for milkweed plants. Great to support community businesses that support our communities. read more

O'Donnells Fairfax Nursery - The great selection at O'Donnells in Fairfax on Sir Francis Drake Blvd. - Nurseries & Gardening Near Me - Fairfax, California

We happened to be in town (we're from SoCal) and stopped in because they had a banner proclaiming native California plants, and we've opted to plant our former front lawn and parkway strip with natives. Good for hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies; what's not to like about that? Everyone we met on staff was knowledgeable, friendly, and helpful -- we left with four pots each of beach strawberries (Fragaria) and Iris macrosiphon (Mt. Madonna). The place had a great vibe, and Paul (at least I presume it was Paul) gave us some great advice on keeping the garden attractive all year long. It's clear he's a true believer in the value of planting native species, but he was enthusiastic and inclusive (as opposed to some proselytizers I've met). I can't speak to his pricing locally, but it was competitive with his SoCal peers, and it's worth it to me to support this type of nursery as a resource, because you're not only buying plants, you're buying access to fingers-in-the-dirt knowledge. It's definitely on the must-stop-in list for us when we are up Marin way. To those of you who are locals, well, I'm envious. Oh, and as a bonus (at least for me), they take American Express. read more

Andy is a sweetheart, and they have great prices for firewood!! A whole wheel barrel for $50. I'll definitely be back soon!! read more

O'Donnells Fairfax Nursery - Nurseries & Gardening Near Me - Fairfax, California

Read my photos....stop here and see for yourself. My favorite hands down and have gone big store and local and this place still has that local heart and soul after 24 plus years. Community plants, community partners, and exactly what any gardener despite experience will find as their "secret" weapon for gardening success! Just stop by! read more

See all

I really want to like this place, hence the 3 stars. Everything there is beautiful but a little eclectic. I love to garden, I am from Indiana it is something we do there. People like to garden here too, I think, since there are stores that sell plants. It just sucks because my 'garden' is a container garden that sits on my concrete patio. I hate concrete. I love dirt. Get the picture? The lady working here was really great, she set me up with a whole little garden in an old wine barrell (which if you are forced to container garden at least it looks really cool) I came late in the season but still got a tomato plant, 6 pea plants (they all died) a red bell pepper, parsley, basil, and a lemon cucumber plant. I have had one tomato so far and it was fantastic! I still awaiting cucumbers. I don't even want to talk about the peas. I have 3 peppers which are still growing, and lots of basil and parsley. All those plants, 2 bags of dirt, half a wine barrel and $62 later I now have my very own garden! read more

We finally built and started some raised beds and were ready to plant. We're certainly beginners and where we had to put the beds was less than optimum, sun-wise. O'Donnells staff were super helpful in helping my wife choose organic vegetable starts that worked for our situation. We planted them all and we've been eating some awesome salads and the like starting in a month after. They also have great "tech support!" I ended up calling a few times for pointers on how to plant and grow the potatoes they sold us and other stuff. Paul or whoever I got on the phone each time gave me a clear and concise answer and direction even though they were busy in the shop with other customers. I didn't have to wait on hold indefinitely. Great place!! read more

I'm sure they are knowledgeable and helpful for landscaping projects, but I just wanted to buy some plant starters. Came here a couple years ago to buy fava bean seeds and they were asking twice as much as another great nursery a little further north. Thought I'd give them another try, since they are around the corner from my house and I'd like to buy local-but went in to buy herb starters and was not impressed. Walked in and two employees (one an owner I think), we're talking out front-they didn't acknowledge me until I'd gone in to where the register was, wandered around looking for someone to help and was almost leaving the property when I was finally approached and asked if I wanted any help. I asked how much the herb starters were and when I heard $3.99 for a four inch basil starter, I knew that was the end of me and O'Donnell's. Going to save my money to spend at a nursery that doesn't price gouge. Organic basil starters are available for $2.99 elsewhere, why so high O'Donnell's? Is there something in your soil that is special? read more

We've now drawn on Paul and his team for extra advice - a home visit to see the trees we had and recommend care for them and what would work with underplantings, and then removal of a valley oak that began leaning precariously. Still working out what will thrive in a couple of places where our first plantings died, but overall, a fantastic resource for native garden fans. read more

I've been to O'Donnell's Nursery twice in the last month. The first time Michelle, the manager was there... and today Paul, the owner was there. I got fabulous service both times. Today Paul impressed me with not just his knowledge of native plants and natural organic landscaping, but with his love for the earth. He is dedicated to protecting native seeds and plants and creating beautiful sustainable eco landscapes without use of the petro-chemical. Bravo Paul! It's apparent that Paul LOVES what he does. I'm so grateful to have a wonderful ORGANIC NATIVE PLANT NURSERY close by. read more

Really just the best staff. Knowledgable and friendly. They take their time with you and make sure you are well taken care of. Great business! read more

ODonnell's Nursery really came through in helping us get our Christmas tree. We wanted to get a potted douglas fir. But they were backordered., Paul helped us to get a potted redwood. Great price Nice people I highly recommend them read more

have always bought my christmas trees here... beautiful picture post card trees.. but what happened this year? Clearly a new tree farm or something.. I was hard pressed to find one where the needles weren't actually turning brown or had huge gaps etc.. finally found one that I thought was good if not great , got it home stood it up and the trunk was totally lopsided.. had to put blocks under the stand etc which would be OK if I hadn't paid $120.00 bucks..!! I still give 3 stars because they are nice and helpful here and I agree with the other reviews.. but.. go back to your old Christmas tree farm or lower the prices!! read more

Great nursery using organic plants whenever possible! The staff is friendly, laid-back, and very knowledgeable. The owner is also an excellent landscape contractor, whom we've used for several projects big and small. Paul is always straight forward and eager to please. Even if you live in a town a bit further away from Fairfax, you won't regret traveling a bit further to become one of their loyal and happy customers! read more

I love this nursery. We came here to buy everything we needed to start a vegetable garden, and we didn't really know where to start. The woman who helped us was so knowledgeable and helpful - she made the experience really fun and relaxing. The service and the selection of native plants are awesome, but the main reason why I'll only shop here from now on is their commitment to selling only organic products. read more

I've gotten firewood from O'Donnell's twice now. They apparently work with Marin Firewood (who really only does bulk delivery of firewood). So if you only want a wheelbarrow-load or two of firewood at a time to pick up yourself, this place is excellent. They will even help you load it in your car. The wood burns slow for hours so its worth the money, so you're not going through the wood super fast. Its a mix of Almond and Oak. The folks at O'Donnell's are super nice and I'm looking forward to going there for gardening needs! read more

It started well for me at O'Donnell's Fairfax Nursery when I arrived. One of the employees immediately stopped his energetic shoveling and called Paul O'Donnell to help me look for the native shrub I wanted. This after close to being ignored at another nursery twenty minutes earlier. Mr. O'Donnell showed me a range of plants that fit the situation I described (for screening between my lot and the neighbor's), and I purchased five thriving in 7 gallon containers. I won't go into money details except to say Mr. O'Donnell was more than fair (and clear). He explained what the plants would look like as they grow--and where I could see this species which he planted for a business in San Rafael, if I wanted to see them in a non-nursery setting before buying). But I liked what I saw and heard on the premises, and bought right away. Everything Paul O'Donnell said he would do he did--e.g. prompt delivery--and I now have the plants in the ground, looking good and likely to thrive. My place needs more screen, and I know where to go with confidence to get a variety of plants for it. Thanks to his forthcoming associate, too, for setting the tone so happily. read more