Reviews of local pros in Waukee, Iowa

Beware...based on my experience, Waukee Earl May will knowingly sell buggy plants.....
Received as a gift a Rhododendron from a family member who did not notice the 'sticky honeydew' on the plant nor the bugs that produced it. The next day I took it in to the Waukee store where it was purchased. Without hardly looking at the plant, the manager immediately pronounced it has having mealy bugs, since other rhododendrons at this store also had them as I discovered when i went looking. He offered to take the plant back but I declined since was a gift. So he gave me some insecticidal soap, said that's what they would use before putting it back out for sale after a week. So I took the plant back home, doused all the leaves top and bottom with the soap plus some on the soil.....a week later mealy bugs were back. Then I bought neem oil and doused it twice 7 days apart, bugs still there, still trying to get rid of them. For the price they charge, I would not have expected Earl May to knowingly sell buggy plants but they did...disappointing. Will be looking for a better garden center where buggy stock is rejected.

We've used them twice now and had great experiences both times.

First we wanted to put in some landscaping (about a dozen bushes and trees) and they helped us pick them out so that it would look nice. They offered to help us install them as well.

Next we were struggling to find a fake christmas tree that looked nice. I called in, and they said not only could we have a floor model thats already setup but they would deliver it for us same day. I was very impressed with the trees they had, the bristles are extremely realistic and the branches are so thick that putting on the lights took a bit longer (which is what you want). I might go back and get another one that I had trouble deciding between.

Great people, very helpful, very knowledgable.

Nice variety of tropicals and house plants although rather expensive. $12.99 for a 3" split leaf philodendron with no fenestration. $5.99 for some rough looking philodendron Micans. Their mini pots are cute, but also $4.99 each. When I said to one of the staff "I've never visited an Earl May before" (I'm from out of town) the person who greeted me replied "it's a plant store" and walked away. I probably would have purchased something if the staff were a bit more engaging. Then again it was close to quitting time so I'm sure they wanted me out of there. I will try my luck again tomorrow, but probably another location.

Went there to get a Christmas gift for my wife. It was 5pm on a Tuesday and there was one other customer in the store. All of the store associates were not interested in helping me, one even on her phone. I ended up buying a heavy outdoor pot. They didn't even bother to open the door, leaving me to kick it open on the way out. Will not be returning.

We’ve purchased a LOT of landscaping shrubs, trees and flowers from this place and most are thriving. We did have a few that died and getting replacements was an easy, hassle free process. They take better care of their stock than other places which makes a big difference when it comes time to transfer to the ground.

Neal and his team are very knowledgeable regarding many varieties of trees. We purchased several items and from them and would highly recommend you give them a try the next time you are thinking about landscaping. They have a wide variety of high quality plants and accessories at very reasonable prices!

Unfortunate experience. I am new plant mom- completely beginner. I was a given a gift card to earl May for plants. I went in needing help. The worker did ask me if I needed help. I said “yes, I am a beginner with plants. My plants will be placed in a sunroom and I know I want a snake plant.” She pointed to where snake plants were kept and that was the end of that.
Not knowing what I was doing I purchased a snake plant (which needs low light) and a calathea makoyna plant which is NOT meant for beginners. I realized I could google some info about the plants but I was hoping for more expertise and help on my purchasing adventure.

Absolutely love Earl May, especially the Waukee location. They have been more than helpful through the years with both landscaping and potted flowers. The store always has fantastic inventory. Recently we’ve had Earl May redo all of our landscaping and they did a fabulous job.They had to fix a lot of work that was done incorrectly. We have them do our trimming & plant care as well. Highly recommend!

Best plantings by far and the most knowledgeable staff that knows the products they sell. Yes it's pricier than the big box stores but unless we support long standing local businesses, we'll end up with dumbed down products and customer service. No thanks, I'll pay a bit more for quality.

Someone has put together a very good team at the Earl May store in Waukee. They are very helpful, professional and pleasant to work with. I bought several hundred dollars worth of product recently and had the opportunity to observe their teamwork in several ways.
An example that I observed was when late in the day near closing they had to protect the plants and prepare for an overnight freeze.Everyone including the store Manager acted in unison to avert a disaster and still take care of the customer. You earned my respect and thanks.

Wanted to purchase a tree. Asked about pricing to have it delivered and planted. I had two different answers from two different people. About $200 in difference. I noticed the confusion from the "tree guy" and he finally said we lived to far away for them to deliver. The manager/supervisor was out doing something away from the business. I was told to leave my name and number, which I did, and they would have her call me...that was three weeks ago. Unfortunately I will not be back 😔

I would not recommend large plant purchases here, especially if you are new to landscaping or garden care. Customer service started off great when I was buying the plants and went downhill fast after the purchase. Most of my plants have been doing really well, though, which is why this review is 2 stars and not 1.

After I bought the plants, I had one that died within the one-year warranty date. The employees — one of them being the store manager — were rude and unhelpful. (I've worked in customer service so do my best to be kind and pleasant.) They scoffed and talked to me like I was dumb for being a novice and seeking advice from them, and later for utilizing the warranty.

After several times of rude and unhelpful service, I took my business to the Earl May on 22nd and University and had the quick, great, and helpful service that I know of every other Earl May to have.

I will not be returning to the Waukee location and am thankful the 22nd and University location took my warranty swap.

Very expensive. Wide selection. Used to be able to get expert advice and answers about plants and trees, but in our 3 visits this year we weren't able to get any of the recommendations we wanted. Some staff just guessed, or read the bag. If you don't know, just say so instead of steering people in the wrong direction.

Really like this store. They have beautiful flowers and unique plants. Prices are a little high though.

Have visited waukee store couple of times, staff has been super helpful. I loved the store, variety of plants pots and everything but feels like bit pricey.

Best place for plants and expert advice with your Landscaping anywhere in the world...usually. pricey but good quality.

Best place to buy plants. Employees are really nice! Especially the guy that helped me today. I don’t know his name. He even helped pot my plants. Thank you. I will come back again for more plants

It's a blessing and a curse that this store is SO close to my home! It's my go-to place for many things indoor and out. I pop in regularly with questions and the staff are always so knowledgeable and able to point me in the right direction. It's definitely easy to splurge more often on my garden hobbies with these guys as neighbors, but it's definitely worth the price paid for the exceptional products and service.

We just picked up some house plants and pots. Kathy was so amazing, knowledgeable and took her time with us. She went above and beyond to make sure we got what we wanted. They also soil them up for free. Great selection of plants as well. Highly recommended.

Ripke has done a ton of work at my house throughout the years: sod entire yard, edging and rock around my entire house, a sweet patio. Now I have them taking care of my sprinkler system. Quick, reliable, and seamless to work with!

They did a great job and the landscaping looks great! They were so well organized, efficient, and communicated the entire time. I love it and would definitely hire Ripke again!!