This nursery is such a gem! The staff is always incredibly kind and helpful, which makes every visit so enjoyable. I love how relaxing it feels to walk through--almost like a little vacation right in my own neighborhood. It's close to my house, which makes it even better, and I honestly feel grateful to have such a peaceful, welcoming place nearby. read more

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This is the first nursery I've been to in Marin where the people who work here are actually helpful and knowledgeable. Leo was especially helpful today! You pay a little more than a corporate store and the trade off is quality, customer service, and supporting the local economy. Worth it! Great selection of outdoor & indoor plants. Excited to revive my garden. read more

I am so grateful to Sloat Garden Center and Edwin for their help coordinating Christmas trees for my wedding. We got married on 11/22. In September, I coordinated a Christmas tree delivery well in advance for our big day from another local provider. Unfortunately, they went MIA when it was time to pay two weeks before the wedding, leaving me in a panic. The week of the wedding, I called countless tree farms but no one would have trees in time- until I found Sloat! Edwin took the lead on everything (with some help from his colleague Marco), picked out the trees himself, was very communicative, and coordinated a smooth delivery. It was overall an easy process and I am so grateful to Edwin for saving the day! The trees were fresh and beautiful and are still being enjoyed. read more

Love Sloat Garden Center! Friendly, patient and very well informed staff. Also fantastic selection of everything from the beautiful plants to plant food and containers! And little garden extras ..all at value prices! You just can't go wrong at Sloat Garden Center. . Just can't! read more

Michael helped me today and I learned more from him than during an entire semester of botany in college. He helped me find the perfect plants for low shade/deer resistant areas, high sun areas, indoor spots, and more. I had my dog along and he was super tolerant of her desire to sniff and explore. He also took care to ensure that all of the plants wouldn't be a problem if she nibbled them. He is incredible knowledgable and very skillful in understanding the limitations and restrictions people have when it comes to plant care. I've always lived Sloat, but today was especially fantastic. Ask for Michael if you have any specific concerns--drainage, deer, hot sun, an over zealous husband who thinks watering more solves all problems. read more

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Shout out to Mike! What a fun little spot. There are different plant options to choose from. Plant range from tiny pots to large trees. The staff are knowledgeable and friendly. read more

Sloat Garden Center - Garden area - Nurseries & Gardening Near Me - Kentfield, California

The staff is incredibly helpful and knowledgeable. The selection of plants is more than adequate and laid out and labeled in ways that make finding what I am looking for easy. They also offer free coupons and bonuses if you sign up. Prices are in line with what I am used to paying in Marin. There is plenty of parking, but sometimes it can be tricky getting in and out, often having to make a U-turn. read more

We just had extraordinary assistance from Michael at Sloat in Kentfield. He helped us choose a special plant for special circumstances and location, then find the perfect pot. All at a good price. Total class act start to finish. Can we give him eleven stars? Thanks to everyone at this location, especially Michael. read more

Last week I was very cheeky and took in a potted plant that I had bought elsewhere and transplanted, but it wasn't doing well. Two employees, I think Lula and Ilio, were very kind and knowledgeable. They gave me excellent advice - suggested a specific mulch (which I bought a small bag of) and he actually opened the bag and applied it for me. The invalid is now doing great, and I think has a future - entirely thanks to the knowledge and kindness of these two. I felt guilty imposing this plant that wasn't even from Sloat, but did buy another small one, and will return for more. Thank you both again! read more

Best experience ive ever had with plant lovers, relax and enjoy the species! If you find a plant, you like The staff is knowledgeable and will tell you if it works in your yard and they want you to have a successful garden they actually care if it lives or dies, the best experience around plants I've had in a long time! The Value and knowledge the staff have is amazing! read more

called ahead to see if they had a specific size pot (extra large), and the person over the phone immediately tells me that they have thousands of pots and that I'd need to come in and take a look myself. Even though had measurements and it would have been simple to take a quick look. his tone and demeanor cut the conversation short. We came in to look for ourselves but immediately as we walked in slipped on the wet algae filled floor all while the staff was huddled together and pretended not to see. This is all around the least friendly and useful of Sloats that l've been to my company will definitely not be back to this location. read more

I just called to ask about whether they sell podocarpus plants, and had the misfortune of speaking to a fairly rude employee -- hopefully he is not representative of the rest. Here's the exchange, essentially: Me: Hello, I'm wondering if you sell prodocarpus plants? Employee: We have six different kinds. What type do you want? Me: I'm not sure; I didn't realize there are so many types. I am just looking to create a screen of bushes and hopefully get something drought tolerant so maybe you could make a recommendation? Employee: They all will work as screens. Me: Oh ok. Then can you please tell me how much they would cost? Employee: Oh, we have all sorts of sizes. It depends on what you want. Me: Can you please give me an idea of the cost? Employee: I got one for $79.50 for 5 gallons on up to . . . . Me: Ah, ok. Do you have any smaller sizes? Employee: For a SCREEN?!? Why don't you just come in to look at what we got. While the words themselves may seem relatively innocuous, the tone throughout was very dismissive and impatient, as if he had much better things to do than speak with me. He ignored my question about whether any were more drought tolerant varieties; when he said "For a SCREEN?!?", his tone was such that he seemed like he would have preferred to follow it up with a "DUMB ASS" for good measure -- and when he had just about had it with my 3 or so questions he basically implied he was done talking and my next step would have to be my coming in (regardless of whether it would be a waste of my time, which it might be based on the limited information he felt like giving). Perhaps this is just his normal, tone-deaf demeanor but his overall manner was that I was wasting his time asking stupid questions because I didn't approach him with the same wealth of plant-related knowledge he apparently has -- as opposed to trying to act like a patient, customer-service oriented expert who was willing to help me understand if he has what I am looking for, like I expect he was hired to do. read more

I live closest to this Sloat but I go to the Mill Valley or Novato stores whenever possible. The selection is usually good here, but I actually enjoy shopping at the other locations. Unlike Kentfield, Mill Valley and Novato have consistently friendly and helpful employees. I've encountered some pretty unhelpful staff here. read more

Locally owned and operated business with friendly helpful staff - and they had what I needed (Star dymondia)!!

Very knowledgeable staff. They are super helpful and understand the differences in Bay Area microclimates and soils, which is so important in Bay Area gardening. Great selection pots and garden accessories. This particular location has a huge variety of plants. They get busy on weekends and afternoons. Their parking lot has got limited space, but you can get help getting your order to your car if you need it. Sloan also has an excellent website that helps identify hundreds, if not thousands, of plants. read more

This store is outstanding! What seriously impressed me was the service. You just don't get exceptional service like you do at Sloat anymore, so when you do get A+++ service, it really takes you aback. I had a young guy and an older guy both give me tons of info, tips and tricks for my lemon trees. I learned so much from them in a short amount of time. They were both so caring, helpful and patient. Really appreciate their imparting their knowledge to me. Sloat seems to have a lot of inventory, and it's all beautifully displayed. I felt like I was in a park or garden. Just had a really nice feel, so I recommend this store for all your gardening needs! read more

Private parking lot. Unique carts for all your purchases. Super friendly and helpful staff. Lots of selections that are categorized to make it easy to find. read more

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Customer service has to improve at this location. Most employees are snobby & barely want to help. A while back I went to purchase a plant. An annoyed employee finally pointed me in the direction of the plant which was in pretty bad condition at the corner of the store, but I purchased it anyways and it's doing great now. I decided to give them a second chance & went back again to buy supplies. I had a very difficult time locating where they kept something after asking 3 employees, all of them giving me confusing instructions, barely wanting to talk to me. I kept going to the location they pointed, couldn't find it, so apparently they were out of stock and everybody was snappy. I try to support the smaller places but I will not be going here again. I was able to find what I needed at Home Depot and everybody was super friendly and their curbside pick up was great! read more

Sloat is on the pricey side for a nursery, but they usually have what you are looking for & a great selection of plant species. If I can't find something elsewhere I can always count on Sloat to have it especially in this location. The holidays are here & I was on the hunt for holiday decor all naturale! So I needed some natural garland & a wreath. I called around & Sloat was the only place I could find in west Marin. They had several garland & wreath options to choose from, love it! The wreath was $27 and the garland was $2.99 per foot. I highly recommend Sloat for your gardening needs & turns out natural holiday decor needs! read more

Sloat Garden Center - Nurseries & Gardening Near Me - Kentfield, California

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I LOVE this Sloat location!! I was there yesterday and Skyler was helping me. If I owned Sloat, I'd want Skyler to work with me. Really nice, lifted heavy pots for me and gave me his informed answer to my question about if a certain plant would fit in different containers. He was very helpful and said, he could put a couple of pots on the wagon and have another employee tell me their take. I wanted to inform his supervisor how great he'd been and he was on the phone as I was leaving. SKYLER is the SUPER CUSTOMER SERVICE person!!! Thank you for hiring him!! A pleasure doing business with him! read more

I have shopped there a few times. I must say I will no longer step foot in this particular store! The service is awful-not sure anyone works there! Oh wait-there we're a few folks working but none to help or ask if i needed anything. One guy kept watering and another lady was putting things away and another guy was glued to the cash register! I was looking for a particular tree which i found and brought my husband back to see. It was expensive-weeping cherry tree -and i'm happy my husband came back to view with me! We had similar experience again -no help-nor anyone interested in helping us ! So we went to another nursery and got the tree for much less and in better shape-not to mention they had help in store and many choices! Please help your customers and provide service when needed! Your prices are expensive and your plants are nice but i will not be back again! I have shopped here on and off over the years and this particular store has gotten worse! read more

I can't recommend Sloats enough. I've been dreaming of starting a "survival" garden and the staff at Sloats literally talked me through it! From which products to nourish my soil to the appropriate plants for the sunlight - their knowledgeable staff was instrumental in making my dream garden a reality. read more

OK so I am a gardening idiot so going to this Sloat was a nice experience. It feels weird asking questions like "do you sell dirt" and such, but they didn't huddle together to mock me publicly (although who knows what they said after I left) so I didn't feel as stupid as I am. Anyhow, I got this cool ass succulent there called Zebra something and got a sweet orange pot and soil (as they call it) with a lot of helpful input from the staff here. Since I don't know anything else about plants that's about all I can say! read more

Sloat always manages to be a garden center that I want to like. Really, I do. Let me explain. This place is conveniently located at the end of Wolfe Grade on Sir Francis Drake, making it easy to stop in (though the parking lot is small) for a browse through the lovely plants. Every plant looks remarkably healthy and is displayed with care, and the sections for picking a perennial or shrub are well marked. The succulent section is always worth a visit, and I always wind up finding another beauty for my garden. The planters can definitely cost you a lot of money, though. However, I'm always left with an underwhelmed feeling. Could it be the staff, who are more likely to be aloof or completely busy with another customer, that makes the place seem less friendly, less energized? The aforementioned small parking lot, with its own car drama? I can't say for sure, but for convenience sake, this garden center is enough for my gardening needs. read more

Wow! This place is amazing ;-) so many gorgeous plants and so many pots in all sizes and colors at reasonable prices. The planter selection was fabulous! Makes Home Depot look like a 7-11. And I like Home Depot ;-) great planters!!!!! Awesome choices and way bigger then you would think. Such a great find read more

Growing into my favorite location despite being in a more sheltered neighborhood setting. Easy to access location off of the busy Sir Francis Drake, but a bit crammed in layout but easy to spot. Classes / seminars are a lot of fun at this location -- very patient staff and everyone so far has been pleasant. Moderate to pricey depending on what you are looking for...but they are very conscious about quality from reputable dealers. Not as large as other locations, so what is available is always quite nice -- actually easier to dial in on what you need because of it. Sign up for their newsletter... read more

I hesitate to give this review merely to hide this gem of a nursery! I'm an avid gardener and very picky of selections and quality of plants. This specific location (I visit the Novato and San Rafael ones often too) is like a candy store to me, always tidy and the staff are always the most helpful and knowledgeable. Their loyalty program pays off for me as well!! read more

The good: Selection Plant health Layout of nursery Plant guarantee (if it fails, they replace) Check-out lady was really nice Membership (free and gets you discounts) The bad: Not enough room to maneuver those carts. No clear signage above to indicate where things are (ie: annuals, perennials, fruit trees, shrubs...) Employees working outside the registers seemed too busy to help. Though they were curteous once asked for help. All in all, I will go back here anytime I need something for the garden! read more

Second time coming here in the last few weeks and nobody was available to help. After standing around for a period of time an employee who was with a customer finally said can I help you and I asked about some pots and she basically said nothing just go over there and see what you like - I'll follow up with you which she didn't. She could have paged someone to help me. Then I saw a second employee and asked where a plant was and he just said "over there" in the vast amount of various plants. Pass read more

Melvin, Edwin and Orlando are the best most helpful employees at this Sloat location!

Very overpriced in my opinion. The person on duty (Will) was kind of rude, and unhelpful. Barely gave me the time of day. Did not like it, it sucks they took up that prime location that another store could have had. read more

Great local nursery. Best plant selection of all the Marin Sloats (Miller Ave a close second). Especially vegetables. Monica, who is in charge of plant procurement, is extremely knowledgeable (and helpful). This is always my first go-to when looking for plants locally. read more

Awful customer service, top to bottom. Have tried this place several times, and it's the same...attitude, unhelpfulness, patronizing service. read more

This place is way friendlier (and easier parking) than the one in Mill Valley on Blithedale. The helpful and friendly staff members greeted us each time we go in there and they have greatest suggestions for beginning gardeners. Their plants are very healthy and mine are thriving so far. Love this place! read more

Great prices on pots! I pointed at one and a strapping young lad carried it to the register for me. I paid for it, and he carried it to my trunk. Easy, breezy. read more

I'm a novice gardener so often ask for advice here, the staff are always really helpful and forthcoming with tips. I like the loyalty card system and easy parking. Last December I purchased the best, most beautiful Christmas tree I've ever seen from here. read more

After I had such a good experience at the San Rafael branch of Sloat Garden Center, I probably walked in with high expectations. The first sales person seemed upset with me for even asking a question. And the second sales person explained to me that the store is designed to just walk in and pick the plants one needs, not to get advice on which plants would work best in shady areas near the house. Very disappointing experience. read more

worst customer service ever! from max and monica..both promised to look into some palms i wanted, neither followed through! never heard back from them despite going there twice for help! i was spending over $1000.00but i guess they dont need the business. read more

Best nursery in Marin. We go here at least 2 times a month during the growing season. great plants, friendly staff and great pottery selection. read more

I like this store. They are knowledgeable and friendly. They take the time to look up the answers to questions that they do not have the answers to and then explain how to do the work. They are more expensive than other nurseries. You definately get what you paid for here. read more