Ginkgo Gardens

Very helpful and friendly staff and got some great plants that need TLC from a «FREE» section. And most importantly, got to meet «Ginkgo» the shop kitty (see pic).

This is my happy place. When I read the other reviews for this nursery, I knew that it was the perfect place that I was searching for in the area. I have to say, being new to the DC area I was surprised at how few locally-​owned nurseries there are here! I hate buying my plants at Home Depot or IKEA or the grocery store because I’ve typically had pretty bad luck with most of the plants that I bought there. So I was pleasantly surprised when I found ginkgo Gardens. It was a complete different world. First of all the service here is so excellent… sincerely friendly and competent about every plant and pot that they have in the store. I felt disappointed when I went to Greenstreet gardens in Alexandria that every question that I asked (the Mount Vernon Ave. branch) had to be looked up in a book or online. Didn’t give me much confidence in what they were selling me but that is another story. At Gingko Gardens Melanie was the one to help me and she knew everything about every single plant inside and out, forwards and backwards. She didn’t have to consult a book or go online, she just knew how to care for every single plant in the store off the top of her head. Amazing. She helped me to make a lot of grueling decisions and helped me to justify spending all my money in the store to my unsuspecting husband. :) The store itself is a pure delight – filled with all kinds of unique and colorful plants along with the more traditional plants you’ll find anywhere, plus a lot of creative knick-​knacks and gifts. They get new shipments in all the time. Some of the planters/​pots are more expensive here than what you pay for at Home Depot but it’s worth it because they’re so beautiful and unique. The plants are also healthy and gorgeous. Overall the store is very cute and quaint with a lot of nice outdoor garden related stuff in the back. Though the store is small which gets crowded and difficult on weekends, it’s super cute and I could spend hours here, if not live here. Easy parking on a weekend though a bit of a walk from the metro.

This place is a small slice of heaven. The staff is incredibly knowledgable and helpful. Great selection of herbs and plants in general.
On top of that, their plants are incredibly healthy and most are disease resistant.
I can’t wait to go back.

Customer service was phenomenal, not too many plant shops left in DC but this place is all you need

Finally a place with a good selection of indoor plants and succulents! I had a lot of fun wandering around, and it was hard not to buy anything. It’s definitely pricier than your typical big box nursery. Then again, their plants look way healthier, so I’m willing to pay more. There was also a good selection of indoor and outdoor planters and garden accessories. Street parking on a Sunday morning wasn’t hard, and they helped me carry out my heavy pot and potting soil to the car.

They have an incredible array of healthy, beautiful plants! I also got great service and advice from the woman working as she helping me pick out the best plant for my dorm room. Highly recommend!

Love this place! Such great plants and friendly, knowledgeable staff! I get all my gardening stuff there – and also head there when I’m looking for a special gift!

I love Ginkgo Gardens. Wonderful collection of interesting and indoor and outdoor plants, great customer service that’s very knowledgable about they have and full of advice, one of my favorite places in dc.

Wonderful selection and excellent customer service.

I had two plants in mind today… velvet philo & neon pothos and I wanted certain sizes. I called in and was transferred to one of the employees. She told me they had both and even offered to check on exact range of size plants available. When I arrived she was on the phone helping someone in very thorough thoughtful manner. Also, I heard her say it is possible to make requests for a specific species. Yay! As it was they had everything I wanted. I picked out several healthy and extremely affordable little plants plus two pretty vintage mirrors from India. There is so much cool stuff to look at there! Another friendly, knowledgeable employee helped me pack everything up and again I was super pleased with the prices. I live in a small apartment, and tend to pick small plants which may help… Nonetheless they are way bushier & healthier than similar specimens I have purchased online. The atmosphere there is more fun than a chain home improvement store… and the selection of plants is wider. I get my gravel, sand, gardening wire, pots, trays there… you name it. I do feel like D.C. could use more retail options overall for plant lovers… so I have had to adjust my expectations and be realistic. It also seems such a trek to get down there from my area and a car service helps carrying all my goodies… but it is always well worth the trip! Lastly, I appreciate they are open till 7pm. That is 2 extra hrs as compared to another local gardening store. Schedule wise it helps! For 24-​hr plant «impulse» buys I love Safeway on Wisconsin ave. in Georgetown.

Happened upon this garden store on my commute home and I was pleasantly surprised! After an unsatisfactory visit to Home Depot for pots, seeds, and plant food, I found everything I needed here! They had a great selection of terracotta pots of different sizes and a wide variety of veggie, flower, and herb seeds. They also had $ 5 herb plants that were a slightly more expensive, but easier option for the indoor herb garden I was making. The staff was helpful in pointing me in the direction of herbs that would do better indoors and answering my questions. One of the staff members even held the door open for me as I juggled my seedlings, plant food and pots in my arms.
I’ll be back for future garden needs!

Loved this place! The staff were so helpful guiding me to the right supplies. The shop looks intimate but there’s a whole second story and bunch of outdoor areas. Parking, too!

Great local garden shop with better than big box store selection. You can find everything here. Need lavender plants? They have 4 varieties. Planting marjoram or French thyme? Stop here. They also sell a good selection of tools, planters, and even UV rated hats. The staff are knowledgeable and give great planting advice. It was our one stop for replanting our back garden.

Great sales here, and the people are exceptionally knowledgeable and helpful. This is our go-​to neighborhood spot for gardening and plants. Considering the small size of the place, they have an excellent selection, and hands down better plants and staff than Frager’s nearby.
If you don’t see exactly what you’re looking for, but are open to other options, talk to the owner (I think he’s the owner)… He has great suggestions and seems to really know his plants.

Tons of plants, really helpful and kind staff, and they had bonsai soil! I got a new pot and soil for my bonsai – funnily enough, this delicate little guy is the only plant I’ve ever successfully grown.

My first time here and it will not be my last. They have such a great selection of plants and pots (although I don’t understand why anyone makes pots that don’t have a drainage hole in the bottom). It is easy to miss so drive slow when you get near it because it looks like a row house at first. My new plant seems very happy too.

I was able to find some great office plants here. I know little to nothing about plants but this place seems to have a wide selection and reasonable prices. Definitely good service!

Excellent garden center, feels like a personally run place. (It’s got all the necessities, but also reflects its owner’s taste.)
And unlike some other local shops, they don’t do things like try to sell you «seed potatoes» (aka «potatoes») at inflated prices.

The people at Ginkgo Gardens are spectacular. I wish I had asked his name, but the younger guy who’s often here is so knowledgeable, friendly, and helpful. I would’ve wasted a ton of money without his cautions and advice.
I’m also highly amused by the negative reviews here, which all basically say «they never offered me help, unless I asked.» I was here on Sunday for about 45 minutes. Tons of people were walking around on their cell phones and playing with their kids. Why would a sales associate interrupt you to ask if you need help, when you can put away your cell phone, look up and into the world, and ask for help yourself?
The selection, prices, and value here are great. HIGHLY recommend Ginkgo Gardens!

My girlfriend and I stopped by to get a new bigger flower pot for a poinsettia that we received as a Christmas gift and now feel stupidly morally responsible for. The selection in this very lovely store astounded us. In the end, we were able to pick a hefty ceramic pot from their huge selection that looks great in our living room.
The staff were very kind and helpful, and this store really impressed me in general. A real hidden gem, and we’ll be back.

Loved this shop! The area its located in is nice as well. So many beautiful plants inside and outside. Was easily able to find everything I was looking plus some. When I did ask for advice on the plants I had picked out, the staff was very friendly and knowledgeable! Prices were decent. I will definitely be coming back.

I’ve walked past this place a couple of times on my way to Barrack’s Row but had never been inside until today. WOW! I was amazed at how big it was! A cute shop filled with anything a gardener or plant lover could need plus 3 big outdoor areas full of plants, supplies, and other goodies.
I needed to get something to help raise my overgrown cucumber plants off the ground and they had several different options. Bamboo sticks, metal stakes, fancy expensive trellises, and tomato cages. I settled on two small tomato cages for $ 1.99 each and a spool of garden plant wire with a cutter attached for $ 2.79. This is exactly what I needed and I was so happy to find an inexpensive solution! (I’m still new to gardening and don’t want to sink too much money into it … yet).
While I was there I wasn’t offered help, but I was easily able to find what I needed on my own. Checkout was quick and easy and the cashier was friendly. The big orange cat Ginko who sleeps next to the register woke up when I was checking out, so it was nice to meet him too.
I’m so glad I found a well-​stocked, affordable garden supply store so close to my house!

HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE THIS PLACE?
The staff were so friendly, honest, and welcoming. The plants are amazingly priced considering its the same value as homedepot but 10x better quality. They also provide doggy water bowls just in case your pal is thirsty c:
They have both outdoor and indoor plants, and really awesome plant décor!

Despite the overwhelmingly positive reviews, I felt like I got mediocre service at best– no one offered help when I was wandering around confused and lost. So I asked for help locating something and the response was «they’re that way.» Yikes! But as it turned out they did not have two of the three plants I was looking for. (Basic plants, I should add.)
So then someone else was much more helpful (maybe because more knowledgeable) but they were really busy unloading a shipment and there didn’t seem to be anyone else around. But one of the plants I needed WAS on that shipment. So perhaps the whole thing was just bad timing. But it was a random weekday afternoon with only like one other customer… Also, they recommended almost twice as much potting mix as I actually ended up needing, so I wasted $ 20 and have a huge bag of it sitting in my studio apartment. Just not thrilled with the place!