My first time I was a bit skeptical. But as soon as you walk in, the place is filled with lush greenery everywhere. So much to see and admire. Indoor and outdoor plants. They even have their own potting mixture. The staff was very helpful and informative. Provided tips and trades on successfully taking care of plants. Really a nice place to walk around. And worth spending green on green. read more

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This place has sooooo many beautiful plants! I visited here with some friends and found the most gorgeous monstera thai constellation. For the size and the price, this plant was worth it. It is gorgeous! We didn't end up getting it since we were looking for a different indoor plant, but I just really wanted to acknowledge the beauty of the monstera. read more

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Come check out the happiest plants you've ever seen. I mistakenly thought this spot was only for succulents. Absolutely delicious assortment of indoor plants, which were freshly watered went I visited and smelled like fresh dirt. IYKYK They do have a great selection of succulents as well as other outdoor plants, pots, fresh-bagged dirt, and some super fun Bullwinkle art bits for the garden. Friendly staff, beautiful plants... what more can be said? read more

I've been coming to this place for 10 years. Richard is awesome and has a fun sense of humor. Can't wait to see how the baby head string will turn out. Amazing selection and some things that you won't find anywhere else read more

The Dry Garden - Plant - Nurseries & Gardening Near Me - Oakland, California

Awesome collection of cacti, succulents and all kinds of beautiful plants! Looking forward to returning and getting more!

Love love the Dry Garden. Have found quirky succulents that are not found in big commercial stores. Watermelon succulent, rock succulent.

I have driven by Dry Garden Nursery many times, but I finally stopped in to check it out, and was very happy that I did! If you like taking pictures, like I do, you will most probably have a lot of fun, like I did. There are succulents, cacti, bamboo, and hanging plants. There are both indoor and outdoor plants. There are baby plants for those who want to nurse their own, and lots of sizes in between, and mature plants in large containers. One of the most important things is that many of the plants don't take much water--which is so important in this time drought. So, if you are looking for a gift for one of your plant loving friends or special plant for yourself - - this is a great place to come. Or if you want to walk around and just "be" with the plants--this is a welcoming place. read more

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A cool funky place. Heavy emphasis on cacti, succulents, and outdoor plants, but there is also a selection of indoor plants of varying sizes. They have more pots than other small indoor nurseries or Home Depot. White ceramic pots with drainage holes (between 6-8 inch diameter, I didn't measure) were $22, which is cheaper than what I've seen around! We stopped by today for cacti soil. $3 for a small bag! read more

The Dry Garden - Indoor plant selection - Nurseries & Gardening Near Me - Oakland, California

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I've come here a handful of times and each time I left feeling uncomfortable. I return because it's so close to my work but I need to be better to myself. Most plants are over priced and not well taken care of. There are lots of trays of plants that are marked not for sale, which I understand--I used to work at a nursery. Why not put all the plants not for sale in a separate area to make shopping easier for customers? The owner is VERY pretentious and condescending, I don't know if he's like this to everyone or because I am an Asian woman? Ive always been patient and friendly with the staff. The owner says he doesn't know common names of plants?! I don't know what he expects of the general public, not everyone is a horticulturalist! read more

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This place has been around since I was in undergrad. I remember driving by it all the time on my way to highway 80, but I never stepped foot in it until this past weekend. I'm not sure what their selection used to be like, but they do have quite a wide variety of indoor and outdoor plants. Pricing wise, they seem to be on the pricier end for certain plants (particularly succulents), and not because you are getting a bigger or better-nurtured plant. I was surprised to see how expensive their hoyas, variagated string of pearls, and string of hearts were. However, I did find that they had some interesting peperomia species that I had never seen before, and they seemed to have a lot of them for a fair price. They also had some even rarer succulents like the 'boob cacti'. I ended up finding a silver peperomia that was fairly priced and beautifully grown which I took home with me. :) The only thing that was disappointing was that they have a lot of plants on the shelves that are labeled 'not for sale' like some larger Hoya kerrii and variagated monsteras. I wish they would just keep them out of sight so that the rest of us don't FOMO... read more

Went to the Dry Garden for the first time today. First off, it's on a corner which you'd think make parking easy. But parking seems to be 50/50, you might get it or you might just not. There are side streets which is where I found parking maybe 50 feet from the store, no big deal. The place is pretty big and has a lot of dry arid plants, go figure. They do have an indoors area which has more tropical plants. The number of cacti and succulents of all sizes was amazing. The cost for most plants was a little bit on the more expensive side but nothing outrageous. I got a nice lil moss for $7 which is very reasonable. They do have large plants and small ones with prices that range from $7-in the hundreds. There was two people working and they seemed very knowledgeable and personable. I had a nice time walking around and didn't feel rushed at all. I'd definitely go back when I'm in a succulent mood. read more

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This was a very urban, edgy plant nursery. They have popular plants such as the alocasia polly ($11.65), variegated string of hearts ($8.95 a steal), chinese money plant, monstera, and wide variety of succulents and cactus including the boob one ($40)! The price was fair for the most part - some decent prices and others were more expensive than Etsy. For example, their variegated hoya kerrii was $150 - you can find them on Etsy for about $50-60. I would say not all plants were in good condition, some were on the edge of dying like their monster adansonii. I also saw some hoya kerrii and monstera thai constellation but they were not for sale - it seemed like the owner used the nursery like it's his garden (I mean can't blame him). Customer serve was definitely just ok. I dropped the string of heart and I think the owner asked me if I broke it.. Yeah, I don't think I can break this plant. When I tried to pay, the owner didn't acknowledge me. He waited for his employee to serve me instead. Overall, if you're looking for some trendy plants, go here. Don't expect them to be cheap and necessarily in good health. read more

So many cute, affordable plants! I am basically obsessed with random new-to-me types of cactus and succulents, this place had a lot of options. If you are looking for new yard plants, and want to save on water, so many good ideas can be found here. I also bought a locally-made ceramic wall hanging for my garden too, it looks like a stoned dog. They had a good selection of mid-century style indoor planter pots. read more

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I come to the nursery once a week on my days off, it's a nice place to go to relax and get yourself in trouble by buying more plants than you need.. BUT when you work hard, you get what you want right?? Richard the owner is very knowledgeable and approachable, because of this wonderful dry garden my friends refer my room as the anthropology of bedrooms LOL! read more

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I was hesitant to stop buy after reading reviews but I called ahead of time to see if they had any of the succulents and indoor plants that were on my wish list. The man who answered the phone reassured me that most were available with several in stock. I don't have a car currently and was going to bus/bart from East Oakland so I wanted to make sure what I was looking for was available. After my almost hour bus ride (same day) I arrived to only 3 of the succulents available out of my 14 plant list...not a mathematician here but that's definitely not most. I decided to walk around a bit since I made the journey all the way out there and see what else peaked my interest. I was aware that there would be several marked not for sale in public view but almost every plant that I brought up the man refused to sell me. None of them were marked. Why not have a separate section of not for sale/holding? It stresses himself out as well as customers. I got tired of him telling me that basically nothing I wanted was for sale and bussed a little bit farther down the street to Paraiso Plant Studio off of Shattuck and Allston and the man who working there was lovely. Very knowledgeable and helped me find 2 of my wishlist indoor plants that they had. Much smaller inventory but remarkably, everything in customer view was in fact for sale. Pros: -Large inventory -Several rare plants Cons: -Poor poor customer service -Horrible website. No inventory and very little information -A lot of the indoor plants are improperly taken care of (burnt leaves, compacted soil, mealy bugs/spider mites. Expect to rehab) -Anywhere from $7-25 over priced Even when I get my car back I don't plan on returning here which is a shame. I had this place on my nursery list for almost a year now. read more

Very nice selection of plants at reasonable prices. The owner and his helper are the nicest people I've ever met.

Never knew so many succulents existed! We have been to plenty nurseries for our ever love for plants but this visit was different and very very pleasant. Surrounded by gorgeous variety of dry plants and succulents and amazed by the knowledge of people that worked there, this dry land was our dream land. We asked for a couple of recommendations for our backyard and picked up a couple of succulents and a jasmine vine. The price I thought was reasonable and paying cash we got some discount too. Even if you don't plan to buy anything these, go there to look at how beautiful dry plants can be. Recommended much. 5 stars read more

Fantastic collection of plants that will be wonderful for saving water and the planet. Excellent service and value

My experience at The Dry Garden Nursery put a sour taste in my mouth especially dealing with the owner, Richard. I had called a few days before visiting to check their inventory for a specific plant and when Richard answered the phone he didn't sound friendly at all. He specifically told me he had plenty of variegated string of hearts (14 to be exact) in stock. I asked if he could set a few aside for me, so I would be able to secure them when I visited the nursery. He offered to set aside 3 and said he'd pick out 3 of the fuller ones. I appreciated the offer and even offered to pay over the phone, but he said it wasn't necessary since there's a lot in stock. When I visited the store, mind you, I drove all the way from San Jose to Oakland because I was under the impression that there were 3 plants waiting for me. I arrived and asked the gentleman sitting in the office area about the plants Richard had set aside for me. He stated that there are none set aside and you can choose from what is available. Mind you, he also said it's limit 1 per person, WTF! Why wasn't this brought up when I was on the phone with Richard? It's so true what the other reviews have said about the owner driving customers away due to their lack of customer service and no ***** given for customers who want to support small businesses. The gentleman pointed out that Richard had returned to the store and when I asked him about our conversation over the phone, he said he would have never set aside 3 variegated string of hearts and it's limit 1 per customer. Thanks for telling me this after the fact. He even had the audacity to say you're more than welcome to purchase one if you haven't already. I was annoyed and frustrated and the way this man talked to his customers was beyond me. I walked my *** out of the nursery and did not give them my business. I refuse to give anyone my business especially when my business is not wanted. Richard, I hope you read the reviews that are posted about your nursery because you need to understand that you run a business and the customer service is definitely lacking. read more

This nursery is magical. It is the labor of love of the founder Richard, who has travelled the world and brings his ample knowledge of drought tolerant plants. He is steeped in experience of the micro climates of the Bay Area and can advise on all of your inquiries and needs. Unlike chain stores, enjoy this inspirational, individualistic, immersive experience filled with love and expertise. Park right at the entry with your blinkers on:) read more

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Great place for a variety of succulents, cactus, basic air plants, bromelaids and many perennials located on a small lot. My friend is starting to appreciate air plants and channeling his creativity with putting together a hanging aerium/terarrium with air plant, gravel and spanish moss...simple, low-maintenance plant to add some pizzazz to your home or confined cubicle at the office. People friendly, owner very informative on the care and assembly of this diy terrarium with reasonable prices. read more

The Dry Garden - variety of airplants: Ionatha fuego, xerographica, variety of tillandsia: $5 - $15 range - Nurseries & Gardening Near Me - Oakland, California

TL;DR I LOVE THIS PLACE are you on that succulent hype? they have the cutest small lil succulents for ~$2.50. What. A. Deal. They also have the cutest lil pots, or those basic clay pots for ~$1. they make an excellent homemade gift. youre welcome. read more

This nursery is right down the street from my house, but I went for the first time just yesterday. The selection is pretty massive with the outdoor space focusing almost exclusively on outdoor plants, and the inside displaying a wide array of houseplants. I live in a tiny studio apartment with no yard space so of course, i'm more of a houseplant gal myself. I was pleasantly surprised to find deals on one of the plants I was searching for (a spider plant). I wound up getting two small ones for only $3.50 each! Then of course i just HAD to purchase these cute little pots and saucers that were also on sale for $10 a piece. The staff here is very helpful and extremely knowledgable. I was drawn to a gorgeously green little fern and of course HAD to buy it too (only $6.50). At checkout, I was given tips on soil, potting, and maintenance. I bought a small bag of indoor soil for about $3.00. All in all i walked away feeling like a proud lil plant mom for about $40 bucks. Quite the deal! I'll certainly be back. read more

The Dry Garden - my fern, my spider plants, & my new pots! - Nurseries & Gardening Near Me - Oakland, California

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Great varied selection. Good values. Owners very helpful. Was easy to find parking.

Wonderful place to explore. They have hundreds of plants! Staff are very knowledgeable and friendly. Be sure to walk around and take it all in, it's very peaceful despite being on a busy street. Please note the ground has some uneven spots so walk carefully! read more

The Dry Garden - The cactus greenhouse - Nurseries & Gardening Near Me - Oakland, California

This is my favorite nursery. It has a wide variety of both indoor and outdoor plants, and you can tell everything has been taken care of extremely well. Everything is also very fairly priced and the employees who work here are knowledgeable and helpful. They have a succulent/cactus greenhouse in the back. They have a variety of rare plants as well. I got my spiral cactus from here and my partner got a spiral aloe from here. I saw they also have the rare spotted monstera plant. Overall, we love coming here and this has become our go to place for plants! read more

First and foremost, don't go here if you want great customer service. No one here is helpful or particularly friendly. This isn't your local plant store where the owner wants to share tons of knowledge and help you pick out the best plants. They honestly would prefer to not be bothered and can often be rude. Yet I keep going back to this spot because they had a great selection of cacti, succulents, tropicals, and even some garden plants and often they have reasonable prices. The even have some rare and hard to find plants that you will definitely not find at big box stores and most other nurseries. read more

After visiting for the first time yesterday, I'm still very angry about my experience with their customer service. Everything was great up till the point I had to purchase. The cashier had the audacity to try and play cupid and I felt uncomfortable about the whole situation. I get to the cashier to ask the closing times during the week to pickup my repot. I find out they close before I get off work and the old man at the cashier says, "Why don't you get one of your slaves to pick it up for you?" I was baffled by his response as I uncomfortably ask what he was referring to. Then he points to the guy behind me as if I knew him!! The whole time he kept being persistent that we go on a date. If I were a man, this situation would not of happened. Not only is this UNACCEPTABLE AND RUDE but it's also extremely humiliating for both parties. They lost a customer. read more

I love the selection of plants they have here! Was kinda sad that a lot of the plants I liked (small euphorbia white ghost) weren't for sale though, but was still on display ... If you're looking for larger plants I'd definitely come here! If you're looking for smaller cacti/succulents, I'd check here, but be mindful that they're really small or still in the propagating phase or maybe even not of the best quality? They're vibing outdoors and there's a ton of stuff here so every plant might not be getting dedicated care. I also saw a bunch of sunburnt variegated species. TLDR: good space, remind yourself that this is an outdoor shop so plant health quality is a hit or miss! read more

I was able to have a nice walk in the dry garden. There's a lot of plants to choose from and they also have leafy friends in a medium sized indoor section. The staff was quick to calculate their plants and was informative when asked questions. I will definitely be going back to get more air plants! read more

The Dry Garden - Air plants! (right- veluntina) - Nurseries & Gardening Near Me - Oakland, California

It's in the name! If you're looking for succulents and cacti, they have a great selection! They also have a nice selection of houseplants as well. I got my ruby peperomia, sensitive plant, pachyphytum succulent, and my variegated elephant bush here. They have a lot of different types of rocks that they sell by the pot that you can use for your succulents. You'll see a bunch of plants and succulents on shelves right when you enter, but don't miss out on the greenhouse toward the back (after the fence)--that is where you will find more succulents and cacti. I've been here a few times and the people who work here are really nice and accommodating. I usually have no trouble finding street parking around the block. read more

I've always loved it here. Such a literal oasis in nestled in the hustle of the Oak/Berk border. Have been a loyal customer for years, and wouldn't dream of buying a succulent from anywhere else. My most recent purchase for my drought-garden-loving, somewhat granola hubby was by far one of the loveliest additions to our garden and made him super happy! read more

Good variety. Bad owner personality. Prices: some fair, some high, some bargains. Plants: most good, few buggy, few dead. I was going to buy much more, but chose not to support this unkind person. I'll shop my local small garden shops and pay a little more for kindness. I will return IF in the area, but ignore the owner. read more

I've been to several succulent and cactus shows and I would liken their inventory to what you would find there but at way better prices. When you walk thru the entrance you are basically walking through a garden. Small selection of outdoor plants and vegetables. However the section you want to see are all the succulents and cacti. They have very hard to find items in great quantities. Euphorbia Obesa. Medusa Head. Monkey Tail cacti. Lots of other rare ones that were in amazing shape. Super cute sedums. Plus a large selection of tropical house plants. It was hard to decide what to buy. My new favorite location for cacti and succulents. read more

The Dry Garden - Gigantic ming thing - Nurseries & Gardening Near Me - Oakland, California

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Huge variety of succulents! Just be mindful of what you're buying--I thought some were a bit overpriced (lithops and variegated Hoya Kerri). I love that you can get dressing rocks though ($1/pot). read more

I used to live down the street from this spot in the 80s! Happy to support local small businesses. Great selections and grounds. However, the owner was a very unpleasant. When asked for help, he was unwilling to walk over and take a look; as it turns out the species we asked about was neither place he wagged his finger towards. Then he ignored us while we waited with our wagon loaded with goods. Then he said he had to make a call. While he was on the phone scolding a vendor, he wrote up our receipt. He was rude and inconsiderate - on the phone and in person. If I hadn't been there with a client, I would have left without buying one thing. He would not let us wheel the plants to our car even though I send I'd bring the wagon right back. The guy was a jerk. Very disappointing. read more

The dry garden has a variety of succulents, cacti, and even common indoor plants. I enjoyed their extensive selections of succulents and cacti. The workers there were very helpful and kind. The only reason I docked off two stars was because of the owner, Richard. I walked into the indoor houseplants area to look for help, nothing in my hands, and he was sitting by the cashier area eating. First thing he asked, in a n impatient tone: "You're ready to pay?" Most people would at least say "Hi" and ask if you needed assistance (his employee definitely did when they saw me at the entrance). It was weird, but I brushed it off. I asked whether his nursery carries a type of succulents called "Moonstone." He responded: "What's the scientific names, I don't know plants common names." I thought maybe the first interaction was a fluke but realized then that the owner wanted to make this nursery to be some exclusive country club by treating certain customers poorly unless they're some plant experts...I was so turned off by his comment but luckily the same employee that greeted me at the entrance walked in that the right time and knew exactly which plant I was talking about. He even knew the scientific name without being snobby with his knowledge. By then I was confused to why this gentleman wasn't the owner of the shop instead. I want to come back for the diverse selections that they offer and for supporting local businesses despite being slightly overpriced. But Richard needs to do re-evaluate his attitude towards his business and customers. read more

This place is one of my favorite nurseries. They have a great selection of really interesting plants at great prices. The guy that runs the place is so nice! read more

One of the best places to get plants in the area! I saw this place on Yelp and decided to stop by one afternoon after running some errands in Emeryville. There is no lot, only street parking. The garden is pretty big and stretches the entire block. The owner is very knowledgeable about plants and was super friendly! He also has a cat there that roams around the garden. It's so pretty and lets you pet him too! I am not too knowledgeable on plants but I can tell that there is a wide variety of plants here. There's both indoor and outdoor plants and they are at an affordable price. I personally am a succulent and air plant lover. There was a wide range of different succulents and air plants to choose from at all different price points. I picked out two succulents and my boyfriend picked out an air plant and we got all 3 for under $20. I've been to so many other nurseries or garden shops where the air plants and succulents are so overpriced. Yeah this shop isn't one of the trendiest shops around but you definitely get the most out of your money here. If you're into plants or just want to explore, definitely check this place out. read more

I bought a royal shield here and brought it home only to discover it had mealy bugs on it, I tried to treat it but the plant died, and the mealy bugs spread to other plants I already had. When I informed the owner and asked for a replacement he refused. Pretty disappointing. read more