Central Texas Nurseries and Garden Shops

Barton Springs Nursery

One of my favorite nurseries in Austin for its selection of native perennials and quality of service. BSN propagates a lot of its native plants, so small sizes are often available if you're trying to save money. They carry a great selection of glazed pots, outdoor furniture, and garden ornaments. They also have a large outdoor bird cage that houses a dozen parakeets, which my children enjoyed visiting when they were younger. Since January 2021, new ownership has given the display gardens a refresh, and they're creating a community hub for gardeners with a lending library, outdoor classroom, and more.

Located at 3601 Bee Caves Rd.

(512) 328-6655

Click for my 2007 tour of Barton Springs Nursery, an updated post about BSN in 2011, and a third post about BSN in 2012. When new owners bought the nursery in 2021, I interviewed them about their plans.

The Natural Gardener

The Natural Gardener's display gardens alone are worth a long visit. Every time I go, a new garden has been added. There's a sunny labyrinth, a colorful butterfly garden, an orchard, a stream, a beautifully designed herb garden, Willy Nelson's guitar-turned-landscape-art, plus numerous attractions for children, including a tepee, a chicken coop, and rustic wooden swings hanging from trees. Delightful. They have a really nice gift shop and bookstore and a wonderful selection of native and adapted plants, including an enticing succulent collection. Owner John Dromgoole, a local legend, hosts the radio show "Gardening Naturally" on Saturdays and Sundays and appears regularly on Central Texas Gardener.

Located in Oak Hill at 8648 Old Bee Caves Rd.

(512) 288-6113

Click for my 2006 tour of the Natural Gardener and my updated tour of N.G. in 2012.

Hill Country Water Gardens & Nursery

This was for many years my pond source, but these days it's a fine, fully stocked nursery in its own right. HCWG is the best place I've found for water plants and fish, thanks to excellent service. The pretty grounds include numerous ponds complete with bridges, native and adapted garden plants, succulents galore, and unique garden ornaments. You'll also find a great selection of pots for planting or turning into fountains. The nursery hosts multiple festivals throughout the growing season, with live music, speakers, plant sales, and food and drink, which are fun to attend.

Located in Cedar Park at 1407 N. Bell Blvd.

(512) 260-5050

Click for my 2008 tour of Hill Country Water Gardens, my updated tour of HCWG in 2012, and my latest HCWG tour in 2016.

Vivero Growers

Vivero is known mainly as a wholesale nursery, so it carries a lot of large, mature-size plants for landscapers and designers, but it also sells to retail customers and is well worth the drive to far-south Austin. The selection and quality of the plants is excellent, as is the customer service. Its greenhouses are stocked with all manner of small succulents, and co-owner Katherine sells her beautiful potted arrangements.

Located at 12000 Highway 290 W.

(512) 587-4476

Click for my tour of Vivero.

Shoal Creek Nursery

This neighborhood nursery is located in north-central Austin, a little off the beaten track, but it's well worth a visit. Shoal Creek has really boosted its plant offerings in recent years, especially smaller perennials, shrubs, and succulents. Several large, open-air shade structures make shopping pleasant even in hot weather. You'll also find a variety of pots, garden decor, and tools.

Located at 2710 Hancock Dr.

(512) 458-5909

Click for my tour of Shoal Creek Nursery.

Leaf Landscape Supply

Its original location is in South Austin on Hwy 290 West, and in 2019 Leaf opened a new location in North Austin on Pond Springs Road. They focus on their wholesale business (hence limited weekend hours) but offer retail sales too, with lots of beautiful plants, from annuals to perennials, succulents to shrubs, and big yuccas, agaves, and trees.

Located in North Austin at 13292 Pond Springs Road and in South Austin at 5700 Hwy 290 West.

(512) 599-4500 (North) and (512) 288-5900 (South)

Click for my tour of the northside location of Leaf Landscape Supply.

East Austin Succulents

A succulent lover's paradise, East Austin Succulents offers a Dr. Seussian assortment of tender and hardy plants, including a nice selection of agaves, yuccas, and cactus. A huge greenhouse allows them to grow all kinds of fascinating succulents and cactus. They also specialize in succulent arrangements. You can bring in your favorite container and have them fill and arrange it for you, or you can purchase a succulent container ready-made, often with a seasonal theme. Since they share a pecan tree-shaded lot with another nursery, Tillery Street Plant Co. (below), you'll need to look for their sign -- and the big greenhouse -- when you arrive.

Located at 801 Tillery St.

(512) 701-3448

Click for my tour of East Austin Succulents.

Tillery Street Plant Co.

This relaxed, funky, eastside nursery shares its grounds with East Austin Succulents (above). They offer a nice selection of agaves, yuccas, perennials, and other tough Texas plants, as well as an offbeat selection of unusual pots planted up with succulents and cacti. They have a cool gift shop too.

Located at 801 Tillery St.

(512) 567-1090

Click for my tour of Tillery Street Plant Co.

The Great Outdoors

An old Austin favorite with a great selection of indoor and outdoor plants in an oak-shaded lot, just a few miles south of downtown.

Located in South Austin at 2730 S. Congress Ave.

(512) 448-2992

Click for my 2010 tour of The Great Outdoors and my updated tour of TGO in 2012.

Succulent Native

An adorable succulent and houseplant boutique that also sells cacti-themed housewares and hosts potting parties. Catering to parents of plant babies, the shop offers reasonable prices and gives you the option to plant your own or pick one their planted succulent containers.

Located at 5501 N. Lamar Blvd.

(512) 831-8807

Click for my tour of Succulent Native.

Frond Plant Shop

For indoor gardeners and Instagrammers, Frond is your go-to shop for stylish houseplants. With an emphasis on pairing plants with beautiful pots and baskets in muted colors and natural textures, Frond will help you green up your home. It also offers online ordering of select products.

Located at 1904 South Lamar Blvd.

(512) 755-2866

Click for my tour of Frond at its old location.

OG Agave’s Plant Paradise

Succulents, cacti and cool containers for spike lovers, collectors, and gardeners who want something no one else has. This is a "brick-and-mortar" nursery owned by popular online plant seller Matt Shreves, aka OG_Agave.

Located in Lakeway at 2101 N RR 620.

(512) 800-2642

Click for my tour of OG Agave’s Plant Paradise.

Thompson+Hanson

This tiny boutique nursery is an in-town destination for porch-pot plants, as well as classic garden ornament like fine pots, grapevine orbs, and rabbit statuary. Inside, a gift shop offers home goods like serving bowls, linens, and candles, plus a small selection of women's clothing, hats, and jewelry. Next door, Tiny Boxwoods cafe makes a perfect spot to enjoy a salad or sandwich and a famous chocolate chip cookie.

Located at 1508 W. 34th St., Suite 100

(512) 327-7424

Click for my tour of Thompson+Hanson.

Green 'n Growing

This family-owned nursery in Pflugerville, north of Austin, operates out of an old house painted bright turquoise. It offers a modest selection of succulents, native and adapted plants, and edibles, as well as pots, decor, and other garden accessories.

Located at 601 West Pecan Street in Pflugerville

(512) 251-3262

Click for my tour of Green 'n Growing.

The Antique Rose Emporium

More than roses! The decades-old display gardens are lovely, especially in spring and fall. Antique roses and many other flowering shrubs and trees, accented by sturdy cedar trellises, old buildings, and garden ornaments, are found in garden rooms throughout the expansive grounds. You can also order heirloom roses from their excellent website. New ownership took over in 2023.

Located in Independence (near Brenham) at 10000 Hwy. 50

(979) 836-5548

Click for my 2016 tour of The Antique Rose Emporium.

(Permanently closed in 2012: A second ARE in San Antonio offered many of the same attractions, with the addition of adobe walls as a backdrop.)

Wildseed Farms

Late spring is the best time to drive out to the Hill Country to see rolling fields of wildflowers and to visit this behemoth garden center and wildflower seed farm just east of Fredericksburg. Truly a destination nursery, Wildseed Farms offers lots of native and adapted plants, cacti and succulents, garden art, and pots, plus a huge gift shop, a gourmet food market, an ice cream counter, a beer garden (the BrewBonnet Biergarten), live music on weekends, and extensive display gardens in an almost theme-park-sized expanse. I've visited several times on the way to or from Fredericksburg, and by far the best show of wildflowers on the road and at Wildseed Farms was in April 2010. In late winter, by contrast, it can be very quiet; click for my off-season tour of Wildseed Farms.

Located on Highway 290 east of Fredericksburg, Texas

1-800-848-0078

Click for my tour of Wildseed Farms nursery and the farm's flower fields.

Southern Bulb Company

An online nursery located near Tyler, Texas, that specializes in Southern and heirloom bulbs. Here's how they describe what they do: "Many of our bulbs were brought over to this country by the first settlers. We found them at old, historic locations where they had been neglected, thriving and multiplying naturally. Our bulbs are grown close to your home, in the heat and humidity of the South. They do very well here in drought and adverse conditions---which is why our farm is in Texas."

Articulture

PERMANENTLY CLOSED Winter 2024. This botanical boutique and design studio is located in an old turquoise house in south Austin. The owner's creative and cleverly planted living pictures, wall-planter arrangements, and planted tables make enticing gifts, and you'll find plenty of fun and funky decorative objects just waiting for your own creative compositions. Out back, in a large, rentable event space, the shop hosts classes on succulent arranging, yoga, and more.

Located at 6405 Manchaca Rd.

(512) 762-5228

Click for my tour of Articulture.

Garden Seventeen

PERMANENTLY CLOSED Summer 2023. Located in north-central Austin, Garden Seventeen operates out of an old manufacturing building. Several airy indoor spaces display a large selection of houseplants, as well as pots, tools, and other gardening merchandise. The outdoor yard is relatively small but enticing with a nicely curated selection of perennials, annuals, shrubs, and other plants. Salespeople are friendly and helpful.

Click for my tour of Garden Seventeen.

Living Desert Ranch

PERMANENTLY CLOSED July 2019. Part cactus and succulent nursery and part art gallery, Living Desert Ranch is a fun stop on the way from Austin to Marble Falls. The owner's art creations, many of which feature chunks of colorful slag glass, are displayed among hundreds of cacti and succulents for sale in the greenhouse.

Click for my tour of Living Desert Ranch.