Merrifield Garden Center

The food is ok but you need to ask for more of certain things… taco salad was decent but for $ 8 a tablespoon of chili on a large salad doesn’t cut it. The service was fine and one worker lied and said they didn’t have BBQ sauce when coincidentally another worker got it for me in 2 seconds.

In previous years we have visited Santa at the Fair Oaks location, and we had a wonderful experience. Last night, however, was a different story. We went to the Gainesville location and arrived about half an hour after the Santa hours began. I brought my three children (including a baby) all dressed up and excited to see Santa! We were absolutely shocked to learn that the wait to see him was FOUR HOURS. We were then told that people usually come an hour before Santa opens and add their names to the wait list then return home to eat dinner. WHAT?!? On their website it says you can give them your cell phone number so that you can browse through the store instead of waiting in line, but to actually leave the premises? Obviously we weren’t going to return four hours later (which was past bedtime btw) so I left with two sad children and a fussy baby. I was extremely disappointed by how this was handled. Needless to say, we did not make any purchases and we will not be back next year.

This place used to be our Christmas tradition. We’d come see Santa and pick out an ornament and have a great time. This year a list to see Santa was started an hour before «Santa hours.» We showed up shortly after Santa hours started and the wait was 2 ½ hours to see him! We drive an hour for this tradition and were terribly dissapointed. We left with 2 bummed out kids and a feeling of frustration. Time to start a new tradition.

Just a sad/​sweet update.
This past Monday we had a vet appointment to put our lovely 17-​year-​old Treeing Walker Coonhound to sleep, so spent Sunday driving around looking for a nice magnolia (southern tree for a southern dog) to plant over her final resting place here on the farm.
We visited FIVE different nurseries, & not one had what we were looking for. Everything was either too large, not the right variety we wanted, or didn’t look terribly healthy. (To all of these other nurseries’ credits, many trees for sale at this time of year can look kind of ratty, so we’re not holding it against them re: future visits.)
Last stop was Merrifield, & since they have what seems like ACRES of trees, we waylaid a nice young gentleman who was watering & asked him if he could point us in the direction of the magnolias. He admitted he wasn’t sure, but whipped out his walkie-​talkie & within minutes a staff member was not only leading us to them, but able to answer all of our questions. We found an absolutely lovely, pristine, gorgeously healthy, between 4′-5′ high, tubbed, native Sweetbay Magnolia for $ 99, & our lovely assistant brought a cart out to us so we could easily transport it to our car. It really is a beautiful little tree, & completely in line with the pricing we found at the other nurseries, but this time for a really nice healthy-​looking tree (new growth & everything). They also had all their seed on sale for 50% off, so of course I couldn’t resist picking up a few packs of lettuce & herb seeds for fall sowing.
I’m sure that «P.D.» (our coonhound) is pleased.

I would give Merrifield Garden Center all 5 stars if it weren’t for the ridiculous prices. I love the plant variety and friendly staff. You can find everything you need here but it will all be very expensive.

I’m a plant killer. I own it. I’ve even killed bamboo. When my son asked for a dog, I figured I’d ease him into taking care of living things so we checked out Merrifield to see what low maintenance plants they could offer.
Not only are there beautiful plants, pots, and accessories of every variety, but there are people there willing to help. And we need a lot of help in the horticulture department. The salesperson helped us find a plant that we could manage and some pots on sale. If I repot a plant, I generally kill it (if I look at a plant, I generally kill it) so I asked the young lady to help us repot it and she happily assisted. She gave us detailed instructions and was very patient. Maybe if I’d gotten this personalized service at other places, I’d have a better track record.
The prices were a little higher than you’d see other places, but I honestly didn’t mind after such personalized service. It’s a great place to take kids to look around and talk about nature. There’s even a little café to grab something to drink and a pastry.

Nice selection of plants, trees and bushes. Place is to big to explore in 1 day. Would recommend spending hours there. Store has nice items. But it was hard finding employees. They were very pricey, but then again they have to be to pay for the buildings.

They’re on the expensive side but this store has a wide, wide, top notch selection of really quality flowers. Here’s a tip: check out their sale table, right outside the outside greenhouse toward the parking lot. I’ve bought maybe 8 or 9 pots of various flowers from the sale table that were in great shape (just needed some clipping/​dead-​heading) for less than 20 $ total. Love this place!

I have been to Merrifileld Garden Center on several occasions over the course of several years and have particularly enjoyed shopping there for Christmas items and spring plants. I had been aware of their dog park for some time and thought I would check it out. This area is in desperate need of a place for dogs to run free and have some socialization.
The dog park is located to the far right of the entrance of the Center. I like the two gates to keep dogs from darting in or out when entering/​leaving the area. There was a trash can and a mail box with extra poop bags. The area is basically a mulched area in the parking lot which could benefit from some plantings or something ‘extra’? Maybe because it’s winter-​time, but it’s a little sad. There were no other dogs when we visited. Unfortunately, my dog found a hole in the fence and ran out into the parking lot, leading us to frantically chase her down. After that little bit of fun, we went inside. Maybe because they were breaking down Christmas and heading into the next season (spring?), there were boxes everywhere and employees looked too busy unpacking to pay much attention to potential customers. I was really disappointed today.

This place is amazing!!! Where to even begin! The plant selection is extensive from orchids to cactus to anything you can imagine. The plants are all perfect looking since the employees are actually very knowledgable of plants & the care of them. If you ask someone a question & they don’t know the answer they will find someone who does. Not even comparable to any garden center I’ve been to. Oh wait, that’s just the plants– don’t forget the huge selection of plant pots, gardening tools, bird feeders, wind chimes, pet stuff, home décor and during the holiday season it’s especially worth the special trip to see the AMAZING display of decorated trees and holiday items (all for sale of course). They even have a café which i have never made use of, so i can’t comment on it. Hmmm, not sure I covered it all, but in case you didn’t get the message: if you are a green thumb or xmas ornament lover this is absolutely worth a special trip. I will add that their prices are a bit more, but hey, you’re supporting a local business & you get what you pay for.

Beautiful nursery with a huge selection of plant and garden items. They are definitely on the pricy side, however they have a great little dog park and the garden center inside and out are dog friendly — which is great as we like to bring our 7 month old Husky with us as many places as possible.
The dog park consists of 2 large fenced-​in areas with benches and chairs for their human counterparts. There are also lots of water bowls, balls and other assorted toys for the dogs to play with. For the most part, the dogs were more interested in playing with each other and all were well behaved and having a great time when we were there. This was our puppy’s first time to a dog park and tho’ she was raised in a large breeding kennel and was constantly around other Huskies, she was not as interested as we thought she would be in the other dogs. None-​the-​less, it was fun and after leaving the dog area, we then walked around the nursery and purchased some very nice plants. They also have a café area where you could get lunch and even a glass of wine or beer to quench your thirst.

Free landscaping seminars for those who want to over haul their yards! This family owned chain of garden centers is as good as it gets! We attended a seminar at their Gainsville location! That is the mother of all garden centers! Their property spans an entire NYC block! The seminars are free, just check out their websites. They have 3 locations in the metro DC area. Their garden gurus are the best. They take the time to help you, answer all your weeding and planting needs, and even serve a mean tasting bag of popcorn! It doesn’t get any better if you are one seeking a green thumbZ,

Great selection and very friendly staff! Also allow dogs so I can take my lab mix with me to browse and she gets the chance to get fawned over by the staff and customers! They give her treats too!

I come here for their free dog park. I bring my dog Leah & her friend Kimber here to blow off some steam. The dog park is nice, no free poop bags but the locals keep some bags in the mailbox in the park. They do have a hose in the big dog area but sometimes it leaks. Besides that I love the location because it’s close to my house.

This is quite a place! Very large with a lot of selection. They even have a café inside. There are very healthy plants for sale. Prices are high though. Fun to walk around. They even have chickens and goats to visit while here.

This one-​stop shop for gardening is more than just a nursery. It also has a café, a selection of wine, pet products, seasonal decorations (great for Christmas), and even koi?
The place is expansive and the main greenhouse area is full of seasonal products with a good wine inventory to the side and a mediocre café in the back (typical sandwiches, salads, and soups — all for under $ 10 though!). Good for strolling around.
The nursery attached to the main greenhouse has a huge variety of plants, most of which you can find in your local home improvement/​gardening depot. What makes this place special are its specialty items. A wide selection of miniature plants and craft items for hanging or desktop terraniums, bonsai planters, cute garden decorations (bird-​feeders/​windchimes), and even a koi fish nursery for your backyard pond? They’ve thought of almost everything!
Yes, the price is steeper than other nurseries (so maybe get your bulbs elsewhere?), but it’s definitely worth a visit.

Great location to visit for hungry people and dog owners! The café has great food, the dog park area is clean and well maintained, and the plant and supplies selection is expansive! The staff are extremely helpful and most have been very pleasant. Great Sunday afternoon place – grab a bite to each, do some browsing, and purchase a new something special for the home. Unique gift and décor items! Great selection of specialty dog food and supplies, too!

This is a total cheat, because I brought the dog to their new dog park this weekend and, not only did I not buy anything, I didn’t even enter the garden center. So, I guess this review is mostly for the dog park.
I had a couple minor quibbles with it, although one of them had nothing to do with the dog park itself.
Firstly was the set-​up — I thought it was kind of weird to have the two sections with no way to between them, and on top of it have the entrances on opposite sides. But maybe that’s just me.
I did like the park otherwise — lots of space without being too much, nice set-​up with the water bowls, swimming pools, hoses available for visitors to use themselves, benches for people to sit on, good mulch to help cut the scent of dog poo, and the ubiquitous pooper-​scoopers and trash cans.
Also very cool is the entry-​way, a fenced-​in vestibule to keep dogs from escaping the park whenever someone new enters. And, best of all? It’s free!
The Manassas area has sorely needed something like this for some time, and it’s great that it’s here, but it’s very clear that people around here have no idea of what’s appropriate at a dog park. So, this part is kind of a PSA:
Keep your dog off other dogs. Playing is great, but if your dog mounts and attempts to hump my dog, I will remove it. If your dog is continually humping or attacking other dogs — not playing, but being aggressive — I will ask you to leave. Keep an eye on your dog — I shouldn’t have to do it, especially if my dog is at the other end of the run.
I am grateful to Merrifield for putting this here, and understand they can’t really afford to send an employee out there to keep an eye on everything, but it would be nice if they posted some set of rules about that to help add some clout to requests for people with aggressive dogs to leave.
While I didn’t buy anything over the weekend, the fact that they allow dogs in the store and have the park right there will certainly encourage me to do all my garden shopping there.

Ok, everyone. You so have to check out the Merrifield Garden’s new wine section!
I only frequent MGC in Gainesville, oh, 4 or 5 times a week! Well, we just moved to Gainesville this February, and uh well, you know what builder’s landscaping is like.
So, now they have wine. Gee, how convenient is that especially on a day I don’t plan on a run out to Wegman’s — not that the two compare. Merrifield certainly does not have Wegman’s selection, but hey, a very nice one. Wines are moderately priced, a nice variety, and a few of those very special bottles, just in case you need to pick up some for that BBQ.
Now, if they start their wine tastings, which I believe are planned for the near future, I will really be in TROUBLE. Imagine, sample a few wines, shop for plants! Yee Ha! I already have three more rose bushes than I have room for! S.O. has cut me off. Said, «NO MORE ROSES». Well, I don’t know what he’s complaining about as I am the one digging out our wonderful rock filled clay by the wheelbarrow full. But I digress…
I have been a customer of Merrifield Gardens, Merrifield location for 24 years. While you may find plants other places, for perhaps less money, you cannot beat the quality of plants at Merrifield as well as their diagnostic and customer service. I was very excited when I saw that Merrifield was opening in Gainesville. While they had a slow start in ramping up inventory (read, waiting to see what the economy will do), they are in full swing now.
Staff is terrific and very knowledgeble. Robert Woodman is awesome! Brilliant as a matter of fact. Pam who works the perrienals is also a wealth of information about plants. She is a great help in plant combinations for any situation. Chris over in the tree section is new. However, he is a quick study. Just ask him anything about a Golden Chain tree!
Some of the newer staff need to come up to speed on customer service, working the registers, etc., it is all on a learning curve. Plus with Bob the owner minding the shop, things are shaping up quickly.
Don’t forget their gardening seminars. Maybe I will see you at the «Growing Beautiful Roses» seminar on Sunday, May 10. I can’t imagine a better way to spend an hour on Mother’s Day! Then off to look at pretty plants. Twenty-​two (22) rose bushes and counting…
Wine and roses. Only thing missing is chocolate!

Merrifield Garden Center (MGC) is working on a brand new location off of Wellington Road out in Gainesville, VA. For now, they have a small stock of stuff available and temporary buildings while construction continues on the permanent site.
I stopped in here the other day to look around. I use to frequent the Fairfax and Merrifield MGC locations…
The green house enclosure they are working on — from the road appears massive in size. Can’t wait to come back once they are finished and have a grand opening!