Baker Nursery

I have been a loyal patron of Baker Nursery all of my adult life (25+ years)
I will miss my strolls through their fabulous property, viewing all they had to offer from plants to pottery to their gifts in the greenhouse. Most of all, their friendly, helpful loyal staff.
You will be missed.

Stopped by Baker Nursery today looking for the kind of landscaping additions only Baker’s has. They have sold all inventory, locked the gates and put up a for sale sign. My next visit to the Baker’s property will probably be a shopping trip for a house or condo.
A Dios. You were the best. For more than 40 years.
Thank you.
chris

They are going out of business. Can’t compete with Home Depot and customer service was always pretty bad, too. I remember the last time I was here in the August and I asked one of the clerks if she’d already swiped my credit card. She laughed and said: «we don’t do computers here,» with a sense of pride. And now you’re out of business. Go figure! LOL.

Today Baker Nursery closed. I’ve been going there for 59 years so I feel like part of my personal history has been affected. One of my earliest memories was how grand I felt the day I could finally stand on the wooden steps and get a drink out of the water fountain without having to be lifted up. If I had had a bad day, just stopping at this wonderful place made even the darkest of days a little brighter.
Thanks to the Baker family for many years of fine memories!

Bakers Nursery is where I’ve spent the majority of my weekend mornings. I’ve either been pointed to a needed plant, or discovered it on my own. Folks have always been helpful & informative.
I will agree that they are pricey but big box stores cannot compare to the inventory at Bakers. Moreover, I’m do not agree with Unilocal colleagues’ low reviews. Unfortunately, gardening is ‘at risk’. You figure out what your soil & attention span will foster and you are successful with those plants. Indeed, gardening comes with a learning curve that comes with failures & successes.
Their niche in the neighborhood will be a chasm after December.

They are closing in December 2014. I can’t believe it! The helpful advice, the nice people, the rose experts… all will be lost.

My go to place! The employees are very knowledgeable and friendly (not to mention great up sellers). You can find anything and everything you’ll ever need for super low prices! Most small potted plants are around $ 3 which is helpful for a beginning gardener who might have a bit of a brown thumb *cough, me, cough*

Family owned by group of I sister very friendly smart staff. Their mother and father owned it. Always helpful and attentive. May not have the largest selection but plenty for the normal gardener. They are very good at working with people on plant selection and planting tips. I like the people. Truly love plant loving people. They have very good quality and I think a good selection of desert plants.

They have a very good selection of standard plants. Not a great selection of the unusual stuff. The staff is wonderful very knowledgeable and helpful. They do not try to sell the most expensive stuff to you instead I feel like they listen and give you the stuff you really need.
Baker has a great selection of potting soils and conditioners to keep your garden vibrant.

I’ve been going to Baker for about 8 yrs now. I like the nursery… they have a very good selection of succulents, starts (veggies, herbs), and a decent selection of trees, vines and desert-​adapted plants. I wouldn’t recommend them if you are looking for natives however because the selection is small.
Over the years I’ve bought a lot of plants and trees here… and I’ve only had a few die… most recently, 4 out of 5 pedilanthus I bought (lady slipper plant) died almost immediately after bringing them home. When I went in to Baker to talk with them about it, they were unapologetic, unhelpful, and rude. They said they don’t guarantee their plants at all… it was my fault completely and I killed them. I was upset, yes, but I kept going back and resigned myself to having just lost about $ 100. It is after all, a local nursery close to my home and maybe I did do something wrong… I’m not perfect.
We started getting serious about landscaping our yard a year ago, and I wanted more natives and desert plants. Since Baker didn’t have them in stock, I requested them by writing down the item and giving it to the cashier who then would give it to the person who orders plants. I did that three times over about 3 months. No response. I tried to call… sometimes they don’t answer the phone. I stopped by. No one ever responded to my requests.
So I finally went to other nurseries around the valley to find natives. It was then that I realized what I’d been missing at Baker – good customer service with a smile. Baker’s staff seem disgruntled or crusty most of the time – even the 20-​somethings that work there never have a smile to greet you.
The last straw: I’ve been asking around at all the nurseries for a certain plant called Rabbitbush. It’s a Chihuahuan desert native related to our Sonorant desert’s turpentine bush. I want several for my yard and I can’t find them anywhere in Phx (most nurseries are supplied with desert plants through a wholesale company called Mountain States and I knew already that they didn’t have it in their inventory.) I’m not an expert at plants, but I did my research on this bush and I knew what I wanted. I went to Baker about a week ago to get some succulents and while I was there, I asked about Rabbitbush. They didn’t have it in stock of course but I could leave a note for Joy, the gal who orders plants. I thought, «yeah, right, no one will call me back», but urged by the salesperson who said they sometimes order plants from Civano in Tucson, I wrote out the request: «5 Rabbitbush, Ericameria nauseosa var. nauseosa» and left it with no expectation of hearing back.
I got a call a few days later saying they got it them in. Thinking that was too quick, I called back several times and finally they picked up. I was transferred to Joy. I asked her what she had ordered and she told me Ericameria nauseosa. Yeah, but which one, I asked. The one you requested she replied. I asked her about the exact botanical name, at which point she got annoyed and told me again she’d gotten what I requested. I tried to ask whether it was the subspecies nauseosa or speciosa but she told me that Mountain States shortens the names on the sticker (shouldn’t she have asked whether it was the right plant prior to buying it or calling me?). Sensing this was about to be a repeat of the Pedilanthus conversation where I was the one that was at fault for daring to question the all-​knowing Baker staff, I quit trying to explain it and asked, «does it say Whitestem chamisa on the bucket?» «Yes.» I told her there was a difference between chamisa and Rabbitbush in the subspecies name, but she just said «do you want them or not?» No thanks was my reply and we hung up.
Yes, maybe I’m just a customer and maybe I haven’t worked at a nursery, but I know what I’m talking about on that one. I will probably go back to Baker at some point and I think it’s a good nursery for Phx folks to check out at least once. But, if you go, set your expectations low:
1. Expect to be treated poorly. Don’t expect them to be nice to you or give you any respect, even if for one moment you know more about a plant than they do.
2. Buyer beware: if a plant dies, it’s your fault, not theirs and don’t ask them about it because you will be told that you killed the plant in a rude tone of voice.
3. Help yourself. Don’t expect them to go out of their way to help you. (We have a hard time getting anyone to help us get our plants to the register.)
With low expectations, if anything goes right for you at Baker, you’ll think it’s great.

The husband and I went to this nursery last weekend to get some veggie plants. This nursery had a large variety of veggie plants in various stages (seeds, 2 inch plants, 4 inch plants. fully grown). The people who work here helped me choose some plants that would be at least somewhat difficult for me to kill… I do have a brown thumb, ya know? I ended up getting several different veg plants for a fairly reasonable price that I planted the next day. Well, it has been a week and not only have I not yet killed these plants, but they are actually flowering! The small victories… I would definitely come here again for my planting needs and suggest you do too, gotta like a nice local nursery.

I love this nursery! It seems to be locally owned, and it’s SO much better than the big-​box «nurseries.» The place is pretty large — they have one section that’s just houseplants and WOW are they beautiful. Another wide open outdoor section has many different assortments of pottery for plants of all sizes, indoors or out.
I don’t have a green thumb, so I know what I can stick with: pothos, aloe, and Chinese evergreen. I also picked up a cute Pink Confetti and a White Splash to add some color around my kitchen. They have some cute small potters that I used for them, and a beautiful blue larger pot to repot one of my own plants. They sell all kinds of plants, some herbs, pottery, fertilizer, plant food, gardening accessories and tools, outside décor, and so on. Definitely come here no matter your plant skill level or what you need.

Walking out of this place with my face buried in two large plants of (Amethyst and Pesto Perpetuo) Basil. Life is good.
No need to smoke this stuff –feel like I’m in heaven just inhaling the fresh, live bouquets fragrance.
Okay, let’s get down to business.
If you’re serious about gardening, you care about the earth, want organic and heirloom, to reduce chemical use, be offered guidance, and more –this is THE place to start.
Staff is helpful, knowledgable, and have the resources if there is any doubt.
They have fruit trees from Dave Wilson Nursery. That is a huge plus cuz planting trees that will survive AND produce is the goal.
They plant from seed some of the stuff and some gets shipped in.
And if you have chickens I recently learned that the organic feed can be picked up here too.
I wish they had gardening classes or simply a schedule of dates in which they set up and plant their display gardens. They are lovely to gave at and the production I’ve seen has been impressive.
So in case you didn’t figures this out yet, I really do LOVE this place.
Of course I’m a DBG member and probably a future volunteer there so I guess that helps explain it.

I’ve been a loyal customer here for years and even highly recommend this nursery to every gardener I meet in person or talk to online forums. But today they have totally changed that.
I went over there to buy some giant timber bamboo. They had some in 3gallon sizes so I picked up two of them. One was marked $ 72.95 and one was $ 58.95. I asked the lady that was at the front about why one is priced more than the other, and she said because one was probably bought from a different vendor even though they were the exact same size! So then I asked if she can sell them both to me for $ 58.95, and told me that she can’t do that. I was shocked! Any other store or nursery would have jumped on the opportunity to create a loyal customer in this situation before I had even asked if they can honor the lower marked price! This is just terrible customer service!
I ended up forking up the money for both anyway since I really needed them for my backyard. But this is definitely the last time I’m ever giving them my business and won’t be recommending them again to any people.

You have 100% lost my family’s business! I would love to give 0 stars! So much for trying to support local businesses. I bought $ 75 worth of Gardenia’s for our backyard wedding. The woman was very helpful and even carried them to my car {great service when you are spending $$$$}. Not even 24 hours after planting them, into a pot with the same normal soil I have planted all of my other plants and dwarf trees in, they were wilted and dying. My husband took one of them back to the nursery and upon arriving an employee says «well how’d you kill that plant» in an extremely rude tone. My fiancé was so shocked he wasn’t sure how to respond. He went on to tell the lady and the manager what had happened and their reply was simply «you’re fault, too bad». I can’t believe that after spending $ 75 at this place that they wouldn’t even offer to help fix the problem. My fiancé asked if they had a guarantee similar to Home Depot who will replace the plant within 90 days of purchase. In a rude tone again she replies «nope guess you better go to Home Depot». Really?!? All of these business owners who are begging for customers and promoting local business, but won’t do ANYTHING to help customers out. I am utterly disappointed and will NEVER go back again!!!
I also can’t believe the other negative comments on here and absolutely no response from the owners! I hope everyone on my Facebook reads and shares this post.

I finally stopped by Baker Nursery today after living near it for years. I have been missing out! Gorgeous 10 acres of beautiful plants. I purchased a pre-​potted box of lettuce greens and also purchased a box for herbs that I got there. I spoke with Carolyn who was very knowledgable and helped me pick out the best herbs to go together in my box, how many to use, when and how much to water them, and even how to arrange them. It was a fantastic experience and I can’t wait to go back!

Love this place!
When I think of a place with GREAT staff, Baker comes to mind :) they have helped us start our garden, pot flowers, and grow trees. Come in with any question and they will help you!
Pretty good prices too!

Because of my father’s related business, I have met plenty of nursery people.
These people at Baker Nursery are informed, they listen to what you are asking about and they care!
They generously provided information ahead of my purchase. Am looking forward to purchasing plants and support products from them when I return in a couple of weeks.
Supporting conscientious local businesses like Baker Nursery is an extreme pleasure! It gave me heart just to visit with them.

Marianne at the front desk is a godsend. We had been walking around in the sun, trying to figure out what flowers and vegetable to buy for our garden. We’re beginners, we don’t really know what we’re doing, and it shows.
The first guy we talked to didn’t really blow our socks away with his interest in our plight. We continued to roam, ended up at checkout, and there she was — the gardener of the year! Marianne totally took care of us, helped us with fertilizer selection, and even drew a little diagram of the best way to set up our little garden to not overgrow any area. Apparently, mint is like a weed — grows outta control! (who’da thought?)
Anyway, I came here on a recommendation from a friend, and I hope other people go here on recommendation from me. Wonderful place, huge selection, fantastic people.

If I had a house, I would start a garden. And if I started a garden, I would go to Baker Nursery to get my plants.
I stopped by for a last minute run to pick up some teensy succulents for my bro’s wedding centerpieces at DBG (Baker is one of 2 local nurseries that are contracted for potted plant centerpieces/​decorations at DBG). They were able to answer my questions quickly on the phone to let me know they had what we needed in stock.
The workers/​owners here are all sweet, friendly, and helpful. And the plants are all really fairly priced and high quality. Support this place — they do a wonderful job and have the best service!