The Lowe's and HD's in Queens and Brooklyn all have "garden centers," it's a total roll of the dice whether they have what you want and it's still alive after their "care." However, they do have great prices on soil, pots and supplies. I know the HD and Lowes's in the Sunset Park area are easily reachable by subway or taxi, though I don't know how many plants you could bring back that way!

Jim

Get onto the Long Island Expressway and exit off at Glen Cove Road heading south. (You have to make a right onto Glen Cove Road.) Go up 4 lights and make a left onto Jericho Turnpike. On your right is Hick's Nurseries (there is a smaller nursery on the same side of Jericho...it's right before Hick's). Hick's has been a Long Island mainstay for 100 years. They have a wonderful selection and their stock is superb. Since you're on Long Island...might as well make a day of it and head up to the North Shore and visit Martin Viette as well.

Make a right out of Hick's and continue on Jericho Turnpike. Take the Route 106/107 NORTH exit. Bare to the left and take 107 North (do NOT speed on this road, the police will happily pull you over for sure!). Anyway...take 107 north to Northern Blvd and make a right. Go up a few miles and Martin Viette will be on the right. This is another magnificent nursery...superb stock, wonderful staff...and pricey plants.

Have fun!

Ciao,
OITGAD

They don't have them at Chelsea garden center - but I'm dying to get some. Any ideas? They seem so perfect for those who don't want to drag home bulky containers on the subway. (They're backordered on the site that the poster recommends.) Will check some of the places mentioned above, but just thought it might be one of those quirky things someone can point me right to...

Also a transplanted Californian here, and I agree that the NYC can't touch the CA nurseries. Of course land here is at a premium, and plants don't stack well on pallets... :-)

The HDs near me (Flushing and College Point) normally have run-of-the-mill plants which tend to be poorly cared for and not that much of a bargain given the condition/selection. I can't speak for Lowes, as my one visit there for a screen door left a very bad taste in my mouth and I've not been back. Hicks on LI is very good, but pricey. There's Keil Bros. in Bayside/Auburndale Queens. They do the plantings at the US Open, which, if you've not been there during September, you're missing one helluva plant display. It'd remind you of Cali. There's a Garden World in my neighborhood,too, and I've been pretty pleased with them, but again, pricey. And you need to find the one dude there who knows anything about horticulture, since their staff is predominantly high schoolers with NO interest in plants. That one dude will also do soil testing, insect IDing, and really knows his stuff. But finding him can be a challenge.

Good luck to you in your quest. What part of CA do you hail from? LA, SF, SD here...

pieper

And for use guys in Brooklyn, Gowanus nursery is tiny, but has nice stuff, and the owners know their stuff, too.

Ahhhh, spring!

Jim