Home Services reviews in Austin, Texas

Great prices and selection!

Why have I been wasting my time at Home Depot and Lowe's? I assumed local nurseries would be a lot more expensive but finally went to Shoal Creek after I couldn't find any decent plants for Austin's climate at the big box stores. They had every plant I was looking for that does well in Austin. And Most of their 4 inch plants are only three dollars which is an absolute steel and makes refreshing my flower bed after the winter freeze very affordable.

After the freeze, I found myself spending MANY days (and of course a ton of money) at Shoal Creek in order to get my garden back in shape. They had a lot of really unique plants and trees in early spring, mostly at fair prices (given the size). I was able to secure some pretty mature Japanese maples (rarer varieties as well) and routinely checked in Wed-Fri to see what came off the truck.

That said, every visit to Shoal Creek Nursery is different. On some days, there's a wonderful selection and customer service is fine (note: it's never been 'great' for me personally). On others, everything seems like a chore. If you plan your visit on specific days and times, though, both lines to the parking lot and at checkout are minimal. Friday morning from open until 11 is your best shot for a good selection (both for plants and parking).

The last several visits were standouts, but not in a good way. Customer service was actually really poor. At best, they ignored you; at worst, they sighed when you approached them with a question or listlessly pointed you in the general direction of a plant/tree when asked. Even spending money at checkout felt like I was imposing on them. Lastly, if you prefer (or require) that retail employees wear masks - you might want to avoid this place.

Like many retail businesses, there are clearly employees who are knowledgeable and enjoy working there and those who simply treat it as a job. Shoal Creek is no longer my go-to nursery, but it's completely serviceable if I'm in the area and know what I'm looking for.

I was lucky enough to get my hands on a moon orchid, except I've never worked with orchid except the ice cube ones.
The ladies at Shoal Creek held my hand and walked me through the care.
Thank you for being so thoughtful & responsive

Very pricey but, you won’t regret buying plants here. During spring I bought several plants from various places before realizing the house we’re renting has all its trees infected with some fungus. Long story short, leaves fell and the fungus propagated to all my plants. It was VERY stressful, all plants died. The only plants that survived the fungus were plants that I bought at this nursery. They must have plants with resistance against the fungus or with very strong immune systems.

I tried to like this place many times as it is very conveniently located. However, I never had good luck. First the parking lot is very small so the nursery is only accessible during off peak hours (almost never accessible in the weekend). The plants are alright, the trees seem problematic. They (or their supplier) top off the trees and top all branches too, I do not know why, but the trees are just not going to grow right. This is particularly true with redbuds which are always pruned to the point that they can’t grow straight anymore. I think some trees are labeled wrong, I bought a “Monterrey oak” but I’m quite sure it’s a live oak in fact which is definitely not what I wanted for oaks. Finding one that was not topped off was also a treasure hunt.
Staff is always busy not helping customers. Deliveries are coordinated by a random guy in the parking lot who wanted $60 to get a tree delivered one mile away which seems very high (delivered only not planted). Plants are always crammed and it’s hard to move around.

I’ve been a customer a few years but they’re always too busy to help you and often out of plants.

Today I went by for a few items but couldn’t get help, even though I waited in line for a lady to help me and then when it was my turn she told me “someone was in front of me.” I couldn’t even get a word out before the guy behind me said “I have a quick question” and SHE HELPED him, even though my questions were quick too. I went inside to ask about two specific plants and the young cashier inside was SO RUDE giving me one word responses and wouldn’t make eye contact with me, at one point she even laughed when I was telling her about them having lines outside. At that point I told her to “forget it” and I left my cart with plants outside and won’t be back.

Hire more staff outside and train folks on better customer service — what a joke. The Great Outdoors is has better variety, more knowledgeable and friendly staff anyway.

Great selection. Prices for plants are in line; other items are higher than other nurseries. Two stars off for RUDENESS. The folks who are out among the plants are usually nice and helpful. The people at the registers can make you feel like you're really bothering them. This is a common complaint on this and other review sites. Maybe listen to your customers and make some changes.

Great nursery with knowledgeable people. If they don’t have what you are looking for they can usually tell you when they should receive a restock. Prices are higher than big box stores but quality of plants is much better.

The staff helped me right away. They even unloaded the trees I wanted from a supply truck and loaded them into my car for me. The prices are really good too, better than Lowe's etc.

We needed a selection to choose from for our cockatiel enclosure and we found it! Department style stores have nothing on this place when it comes to selection and price! Amazing!

I've been coming here for a couple of years. Plants were good most of the time. Every so often I'd get some broken bags of mulch for 50% off! Not so today.. I asked about a few broken bags and they were offering 25% off. I don't understand the change all of sudden. Sadly I will not be returning.. Nickel and dimed no more!!

Wonderful place!! We stocked up on some plants. Even grabbed 3 little tomato plants they had out front - for free 😄 Very nice selection. Extremely helpful employees. Reasonable prices. And we're going back later for some more!

I had a really nice visit here today. Great selection of perennials for only $2.49… that is pre Covid prices. I really appreciate that. I was able to pick up a whole flat of lovely plants for a good price. Extensive selection of Botanical Interests seeds. Botanical Interests is cool but we beelined past them for the small Seed Savers Exchange section. Thank you for carrying this brand and supporting the work they do. Also, enjoyed our talk with the chatty friendly old kitty.

I love this place, it’s a little gem. There are a ton of beautiful plants to pick from, and the staff is very helpful kind. Prices are reasonable.

Wonderful "old school" Austin folks working here. They were very helpful to us in picking out plants for our home

Shoal Creek nursery was the first nursery I ever visited when I became interested in gardening and I rarely go elsewhere. The quality of their starts is consistently perfect, the selection changes frequently and they nearly always have something interesting I’ve never grown before. plant prices are downright reasonable. hardware like tools and pots are on the pricier side but I doubt you’d find the exact same products elsewhere for less. I have been a loyal customer since I first started gardening about a decade ago and have never once left empty handed or disappointed.

Worst customer service I have ever experienced. Cashier Kristin and delivery guy Jack hung up on me two different times. I purchased five trees, they only gave my delivery drive four, they left a tree behind. My order was not complete, and when I called they were very rude and yelled at me on the phone and finally hung up. I called again and they said we cannot help you, figure it out, and hung up again. As a result, I had to pay twice for someone to deliver my trees. Then I went to the store personally and asked to speak with a manager, they said "we have no managers, there is no one here that can help you". I asked for the owner's number, they said we cannot give that out, I asked for a meeting with him and they said we cannot do that. So there's no way to contact the owners Mike and Veronica Sewell. No one will ever let them know what happened that day because they will just cover it up. The owners have no clue the way those employees treated me as a customer. The cashier and Jack started defending themselves when I talked to them and made a scene in front of other customers. I felt attacked, dismissed, made fun of. I hope the owners see this and respond, because as of now, there's no way to talk to them, no one will give any info as to how to reach them. But rest assured, other customers saw the behavior of your employees, I cannot believe there is people like that working in your store. It is a shame.

Wow! I can’t believe I didn’t know about this place sooner. I’ve been to just about every nursery and plant shop in Austin, and this place stands out. The selection is beautifully curated, with a great variety of healthy plants, and the prices are refreshingly fair. Definitely a hidden gem for plant lovers

I always find the plants I’m looking for here, like rue herbs for Swallowtail butterflies. The loquat tree my son gave me is excellent for year round privacy for homes that are close, with the benefit of sweet fruit for the kids in spring. All the staff here are knowledgeable about plants, including what grows well in Texas.

Love this place so much it's my favorite Nursery! unfortunately I can't go there and buy just a bag of soil I always leave with three new plants at least! Picture was taken on my balcony of plants I have purchased from Shoal Creek