A wonderful little garden center in Astoria, they were so helpful to us when choosing some plants for our front garden and it was simple to arrange delivery of compost and mulch. The delivery was much cheaper than it would've been with a big box store like Home Depot and the quality of the compost and mulch is top tier. We will be customers here for a long time! read more

It looks like I'm not the only one who has experienced horrible service here. Ya know it's sad that I just read a review that was almost two years old and it was the same exact problem that I had here today! It was giving racist vibes seriously. Please DON'T go here! read more

Verni's Garden Center - the front of the store - Nurseries & Gardening Near Me - East Elmhurst, New York

I went into Verni's with the hopes of chatting with someone who might be able to give me some expert advice on growing my Monstera Deliciosa. I also needed some basic indoor plant supplies and although I know I can get these items cheaper at Amazon or the Home Depot, I wanted to support a small business. After browsing the store I asked for assistance and I was taken aback with the rude, "I don't know who would want that" response to me. I tried to look past this comment and continued to chat with the gentleman behind the counter which was difficult. He finally got up from his coffee to check if they had a bag of sheet moss and he brought out a bag that was clearly opened and tapped back closed with packing tape. Continuing to replay the, "who would want that" comment, I decided I didn't want to spend my money in this store. Being indifferent to your customers will not get you any new customers. read more

I looked all over Astoria for someone selling grape vines. Concord grape vines. I know a lot of places used to have them out front this time of year, but this year nothing. I walked to several florists, grocers, etc that SAID they had grape vines, but they didn't. Finally someone suggested Verni's. Thankfully, Verni's had grapes, including 2 Concord grape vines. I was also impressed by the variety of flowers and small potted fruits and veggies that I bought 3x more than I came there for. After checking out I realized I'd need to uber home, and having walked there, I didn't have a mask on me. I asked the person who seemed to be in charge if I could buy a mask; he took me behind the counter and gave me two for free. This was 3 weeks ago; both grape vines are now wrapped around our balcony railing. They're healthy, I'm happy! read more

This place sucks do not go here . They are over priced and are rude. They will not let you in 15 minutes BEFORE they close. They have perverts working here who will look you up and down like they never saw a pretty girl before . They employee in people who don't speak any English so if you have any questions about gardening forget it ! I would rather drive 30 minutes to Long Island and get my nails plants then both with never finding parking near here and no one around to understand what you are asking for. read more

Very nasty old man who runs and possibly owns the establishment. He yelled at me for leaving my flowers on the counter and obviously doesn't care if you do business there. I have an accent and he asked if I speak proper English, which was rude and stereotypical of him to ask. Bottom line is that this old man should retire and sell the business off to someone who is more willing to deal with customers. The nursery itself is rundown, sloppy, and over priced. Better off going to a big box store as opposed to this little old angry man. read more

I prefer Verni's because it is a small local garden business, and I will always support them over a large box store. They are the only nursery in western queens which regularly stocks the organic mulch that I use (SweetPeet), and they have a great selection of citrus trees, evergreens and perennials. I bought a heuchera a couple of months back which was large enough to be divided into 5 plants, which have since filled in very well. The ceramic/pot selection is pretty broad - from 'old-school' pots with floral embellishments to some pretty contemporary looking terra-cotta. I've never bought seeds there, but have seen that they have a good stock inside the 'checkout' area which included organic seed options the last time I looked. Over the last six years of going to Verni's the owner and workers have always been friendly and helpful, so I'm pretty stunned at some of these negative reviews - but these late arrivals and dog owners are sounding mighty entitled.... Insulting someone's language skills (anywhere, but especially) in the borough of Queens is particularly abhorrent and shameful. The prices are marginally higher on some items than they would be in a big box store. That is because this is not a big box store. Go in with that expectation and you will not be disappointed. I go there a few times a year to buy plants and landscaping materials and highly recommend this place. Source: Urban gardener, landscape designer, and small business supporter. read more

Good Customer Service. Answered all of my questions. They have stuff that you won't find at local big box stores such as Diatomaceous Earth, varieties of soil mixes including for acid loving plants, liquid fertilizer for flowering plants, Neem oil and chemical pesticides. However, common stuff such as Miracle-Gro potting soil, peat moss and some plants that are also available at big box stores are pricier here. Good place to go for stuff (Hoffman's, Dr. Earth potting mix, cow manure, organic & chemical pesticides) & plants not available at your local Home Depot. read more

The people working here are just not helpful. If you are going to have a local shop then provide the type of customer service and gardening expertise you can't get elsewhere. Personally, I would recommend going to Home Depot. Home Depot has the same plants but less expensive and you can bring them back up to a year if they die. read more

Came here to support a local business and was asked to leave because my mini golden doodle was "too large" although he's a support animal. Cheers to Home Depot! read more

Great selection of herbs (although some looked scraggly and/or pale) and vegetables. Also a great selection of hanging plants, ferns, palms, and other greenery. If you're looking for succulents, this is not The Place To Go, but you'll find some. What really helped me is that they had herbs and other plants for between $3 and $5, decently sized clay pots for $3.50 and a medium-sized bag of potting soil for around $7, so I made off with a repotting project for less than $15 and I could carry it all by hand for the 15 minute walk home. The man working checkout was kind and knowledgeably told me how to take care of my plant. read more

Terrible and rude customer service. Snobby and condescending. Not worth the overpriced selection at all.

I'm not going to comment on the goods or the variety, etc. My main issue is the very bad customer service. I've been there a couple of times to buy some plants and flours. The shop is close to where I live so it was convenient. Not only the assistants in this shop were very unhelpful / uninterested but the last time, one of them was very rude. I do normally tolerate unfriendliness because some say "this is New York" but I don't have to ridicule myself to get decent service for the money I spend. I have other choices. read more

Hi Verni's. I would like to visit you every weekend but since I can't bring myself leave empty handled, I will need to curb this habit before my place turns into a jungle. They started, back in the days, as a local fruit stand and evolved into a full bloom garden center. The plants here are healthy, well taken care for and fairly priced. The staff are very knowledgeable, honest and easy to talk to. They helped me pick a fig tree that suits my container gardening needs, for a zone 9* novice like me. Verni's garden center is open super early in Spring and Summer time from 7am to 6pm or 5pm. What do you need? Tree, shrubs, ground covers, flowering plants? They have it. Pots (of any size), trellis and fertilizers? The have it. So before thinking about heading to the big home improvement chain stores for greenery, you should stop by there and give this family owned, local business a visit. *If you live in NYC, then you are USDA plant hardiness zone 9. http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/ read more

We finally got an apartment with a balcony and decided that it was time to start some container gardening. Originally we were going to check out home depot but we decided that we wanted to support a local business instead. We were very happy we made that decision. Someone by the name of Sammy answered helped us our and answered any questions we had.. and boy did we have a lot. We are both completely new to gardening so it was a very nice to have helpful staff. We will definitely be returning. read more

AWFUL! JUST AWFUL! Every time I have been there over the years, I vowed never to go back. Since they are across from the cemetery, I went once again due to convenience and this is definitely the last. Never again. The owners are extremely rude and unappreciated of their customers as well as overpriced for such low quality floral items. Today though was over the top with the owner insulting my 80 year old mother for wanting him to cut back an arrangement. He refused to help her and said she had an attitude. She was about to spend $125 and we just walked out with him carrying on. Unbelievable. What a jerk. DO NOT SHOP HERE!!! Funny how others all say the same. What a miserable person! The Hispanic workers are very nice and helpful but are not allowed to work with the customers. read more

The very first time I set foot on my nephews apartment was when he invited us for a family gathering...when his wife and son just migrated and was excited to introduced them to the whole family...he cooked a storm and we all had a very nice time..... but the sight of the corner Garden Center right in front of his apartment made me scream with delight.....I just had to walk across and look around the hundred kinds of plants he has for sale....Indoor and outdoor plants.... I love plants...its the closest you have with nature...especially when you live here in New York.....my front window which is almost floor to celing is full of plants....from Water plants, to corn plants, fortune plants, prayerplants, .hanging plants...big and small..it sort of take the place of a curtains or drapery..... Recently I bought plants for the bathroom....kitchen and 2 huge ones for the corner....really make my living room look like a forest....its beautiful....the only problem I have now is Sal....Camille's cat who eats the leaves and get himself sick ....I'll probably will make a trip there again this time to get something for Sal...a cat grass, so he'll stop nibbling at my plants.... Vernis Garden Center is just an amazing place ...I love browsing around...never leave that place without a plant in my hands.....right now they have a big sale on Mums...and some hanging plants...Will take advantage of the sale and decorate my office with a few Money Trees...... . read more

We've been coming here for 3 years and have spent between $1000-$1200 here total. It's more expensive than Home Depot with not as good of a selection and less than helpful employees, but it's family owned so we'd still rather go here. Today my husband and I came in with our very well behaved leashed dog and were told the dog was not welcomed due to "policy" ...in a garden center. What she going to do? Swing her tail and hit a rose bush? Years of coming to this not great garden center, ridiculous money spent and putting up with their ny very nice staff, this was the last straw. We will never come back here and they've lost $400 annually we spend here. Don't go to this place, there are much better (and friendlier!) garden centers out there. read more

I was at store yesterday w/ my mom. We were outside & all of a sudden the owner says to my mom: ma'am get out of my store. My mom was taking dead plants out of the pot & putting them w/ live ones. Mom told him he shouldn't be selling dead plants & he took our wagon away & told Us to go to Home Depot. The owner is a miserable person, rude, has a chip on his shoulder & needs to sell business to retire. I never liked this store anyway, too expensive & sells rotten flowers & plants. I told the owner his store s*cks & he's getting a lousy review. He said he didn't care. There are better looking plants at Lidl & Home Depot. Will never step foot in this establishment again. Deserves ZERO stars. read more

Verni's is a huge store - and they have pretty much anything you would need for gardening/planting. After scouring Queens's depressing Home Depots for organic potting soil to pot my newly purchased herbs, only Verni's seemed to have it ($7 for a decent size bag, good for 2-3 pots). Recommend this place - the owner is helpful, too. (FYI Credit card purchases over $20) read more

Listen: Friendly, old school gardening spot. If you want local, knowledgable on apt friendly plants, potted suggestions and organic materials, then this is the place. Def plan on going back to expand our burgeoning kitchen herb and mini balcony cityscape garden! Also, $8.00 for a giant bag of non-GMO, organic soil? Say word! A BIG thumbs up! Also, very cool fresh cut flowers spot and cemetery arrangements/wreaths as well. Dig it like a garden! read more

Verni's Garden Center - Sweet mini potted plants for NYC sized apartments! - Nurseries & Gardening Near Me - East Elmhurst, New York

The selection here is decent. It's not that big. The prices on some of the stuff here is a bit more expensive. The staff were knowledgeable, friendly & polite. They don't have their own parking lot but plenty of street parking spot. If you live nearby, it's worth stopping by. We did find some plants here that we couldn't find at some other place. read more

See all

I went here as a total and utter gardening amateur who did absolutely no research, hoping to have my hand held and guided through everything I would need to set up a window box herb garden. That didn't happen. They don't cater to newbs. However, once I actually did have the teensiest amount of knowledge, this place was amazing and provided everything I needed to get my window box herb gardens up and going, and continues to do so. It's great to have a relatively large & accessible gardening center in Queens. Will continue to go here for all of my gardening needs. read more

Great place for various types of plants, vegetables, and garden supplies. Owners are very knowledgeable about indoor & outdoor plants and there is a HUGE selection of things to buy. If only I had a yard as it was like stepping in another world! As someone who grows orchids in an apartment, I wish they have more for orchids like different orchid bark (varying size), specialty fertilizers, plastic orchid cups, etc but they had pretty standard stuff and normal phalaenopsis in moss for sale. Nothing crazy for orchid fanatics. I will just have to keep ordering online. read more

We prefer to support local businesses but I've received poor customer service more than once here. I came in for a bag of soil & a watering can. Was treated borderline hostile when I asked about the water spout for the can read more

I am a gardening amateur but I have been shopping around for a laceleaf Japanese Maple that would provide a strong red upright centerpiece to our bare terrace. The secret garden at Kiel's Bros in Bayside is where we initially received our education since they had a massive variety of these rare trees (I must also give them a good review even though we haven't purchased from them yet). However, as good as the service was at Kiel's, I felt the prices were slightly above my budget, but justified for the level of expertise they provide, selection and quality of products. After calling around to many nurseries in NYC and NJ, I suddenly discovered this place right round the corner from where I live through Yelp. Unlike some places they were helpful on the phone and invited us to come and visit. The nursery is small but the trees were comfortably packed in which made it seem more like a garden than a store. Visually everything looked like it was well taken care of. They had many Tamukeyama maples to choose from (although I was previously set on a Red Dragon, this place changed my mind). I ended up settling on a 6-footer that would have cost double anywhere else in NY. I also opted for delivery for 10% of the cost of the tree since I didnt want to try squeezing such a delicate tree into the back seat of my car. They confirmed I was at home the next morning and delivered in the afternoon without any fuss. I will be sure to go back for more items soon read more

Verni's Garden Center - My first garden purchase ever - Nurseries & Gardening Near Me - East Elmhurst, New York

Am I the only one here that thinks this place could be better? I've heard similar responses from my neighbors as we have been reworking our front yard. Last year we were beginning gardeners and they did not take kindly to us. Sure they helped us but they forgot to tell us that we needed fertilizer. After a month of nothing (and the salesperson told us that we'd see something in a matter of weeks) we went back. He didn't seem apologetic and practically threw the fertilizer at us. We went back there this year for herbs. Albeit it was late in the season but what they had was ripe for the dumpster. I recommend Verni's only if you know what you're doing and don't need help. It's also a bit pricey. read more

Verni's had everything I needed, and their staff was extremely helpful and knowledgeable. After trekking to several places, they were the only store that had organic potting soil for a reasonable price and locally-ish sourced seedlings. All their plants looked really healthy, and the ones I got have perked up even more since repotting. I'll definitely be going back later in the season! read more

As far as I can tell, this is the only large garden store in the area. There are tons of plants, small trees, herbs, indoor and outdoor houseplants, pots, soil, and more. It seems to be run by a couple, with minimal staff, so you're pretty much on your own. On the other hand, there's no hard sell! Right off Ditmar's Boulevard and Astoria boulevard, you can walk from either subway stop. Take an Uber home, and you're all set! read more

Went here last year, I was looking all over for a bale of straw and couldn't find it anywhere. I called Verni's and they told me they had it. I went there and asked for the straw, they pulled down a bale of hay. I didn't know the difference then but it didn't look right. I asked three times if they were sure this was straw, they said yes. I said straw is usually yellower, isn't it? They said this is straw. Turns out it was hay. Don't like getting ripped off, and besides, they were quite rude. read more

Very large place! Fantastic variety of plants, all very healthy. Beautifully organized , reasonably priced. Large selection of bedding plants, vegetables, hanging baskets, trees, shrubs, and pre-planted mixed containers. Good amount of garden amendments but poor selection of pottery. Open year round! read more

Yes, they have lots of plants but the service is about the worst you can imagine. The people that work there have about the worst attitudes you can imagine. And worst of all, it's the owners that work there! I think it's time for them to retire to Florida. I keep going back here and every time I do, I regret it. Never again. Why go there when I can go to Home Depot and get better service. read more

Great local garden store. Staff is very knowledgable and is happy to answer your questions. They are a little prover then a big brand store but not by much and you get what you pay for (healthier plants). Huge selection of plants and accessories. I give this place 4 stars instead of 5 because you can only get store credit if you wish to return something. If you need guidance when it comes to gardening these folks are ready to help you. It was refreshing to talk to someone who knew what they were talking about; unlike the seasonal garden help at Home Depot haha. This is a great local business to support. read more

This garden center has a big space for shrubs and other floral plants. The owners were courteous when I asked questions on lime and compost. They are florist who do flower cuttings too. They sell seeds, pots, watering cans, plants, tools, lawn ornaments, compost (only with manure), lime, fertilizers, mulch, and potting soil. I bought a few vegetable seeds, flower seeds, plastic trays for seed-starting, seed starting soil, tools, gloves, weeder, and a watering can. It's a great place to be in too since the flowers look nice in the summer afternoon. It is located near the Grand Central highway so you can take a car there or take the Q69 toward LGA. Oh, if your using a credit card or debit card, you must spend at the minimum $20 in order to buy. Overall, you'll find most of your gardening needs here at decent prices. read more

Very rude owners. I called for an estimate or landscaping - waited a week and told they were going to come .On the day they were supposed to show, it was almost 5pm I called them and asked if they were still coming. I was flat out lied to telling me they called me (I had no missed calls or a voicemail) told him this, and he acted and said he didnt care and insisted they called. I repeated my cell # and he stated yes that was the # they called. I said maybe they dialed wrong and he again was rude the owners son and at that point hung up on me! I called back to be hung up on again. They are overpriced anyway and home depot is far better in selection and pricing . I only wanted landscaping but should of known better. They are rude and a rip off and dont treat customers like customers but rather like they are doing you a favor when there are real nurseries and stores in my area to choose from! I would never recommend or go there again. A bunch of crooks! read more

Great place to get your garden going. They have healthy herb plants( Home Depot ones were buggy last time), a nice selection of flowers, and a knowledgeable staff....And lots of the odds and ends that you don't even think of. Parking is a bit tough on weekends so if you can bring a friend to sit in a double parked car... It helps. read more