Shoal Creek Nursery

I want to love this place so badly, but the customer service is so little and far between that I only go here when I need something that I KNOW they'll have in-stock (ie. soil amendments, pesticides). I've been here a lot and it seems to be getting worse. This past week I went to find a bowl-like pot for one of my Perle von Nurnberg pups and when I asked the person who was sitting at the register on her phone if they had any pots that fit the bill, she just shrugged and said "they'd be right here if we did" and pointed behind her. ...Alright then. So I asked if there were other places outside where I might find a pot like that (mind you, I know where the pots are outside but when the heat index is 104°F, I'm not looking to spend 20 minutes wandering outside sifting through bulk pottery). Still sitting on her phone, she just pointed out the various corners where there are pots, mentioned the shelves where they have their talavera pots, and then went back to her phone. Look, I did my 15 years in retail. I get it. Sometimes people have wild requests or insane asks and can't be pleased, but at this point I feel like a "let me come with you and see what we have" or something would've gone a long way! I wasn't asking for her to slap some clay on a wheel and get to spinning me a custom pot, just offer me some sort of help instead of not even making eye contact with me and pointing me towards the very noticeable stacks of large outdoor pottery. There was nobody else in the main part of the store and I only counted about 8 customers outside as this was the middle of the afternoon on a Tuesday. If it was busy I'd understand, but come on. This isn't the first time I've had issues with staff refusing to help (shoutout to the employee just standing and watching me struggle to get a talavera pot off one of the higher shelves back in March, then walking off when I turned around to ask for help, thanks diva!) but it's the first time it's been so blatant. I've had a couple of good interactions with people there (shoutout to the woman with the New England(?) accent, you are so sweet, and a couple of the older guys outside), but more often than not I go in prepared to have to search for anything I might need on my own. For what it's worth, I've been giving this place chance after chance since I first visited a couple years ago and they had some of those horrid cacti with the pasted on flowers. I desperately want to support local Austin nurseries instead of big box stores and after my previous go-to had a noticeable decline in plant quality and an even more noticeable increase in prices, I've been searching for a new place to make my plant base of operations. It seems, sadly, my search will continue.

★★★★★ I’m currently on the hunt for the perfect plant to buy in multiples to soften the look of our concrete patio with texture and color. During my search, I visited Shoal Creek Nursery, and I was genuinely impressed. It can be surprisingly difficult to find a nursery in the middle of the busy growing season that still has a great selection, reasonable prices, and knowledgeable staff who are happy to answer questions. Shoal Creek Nursery checked every one of those boxes. Whether you’re starting a garden from seed or looking for mature trees and shrubs, they truly have something for every level of gardener. During my visit I found an incredible selection of perennials, annuals, trees, shrubs, flowers, succulents, cacti, houseplants, vines, and vegetable starts. They also carry all the gardening essentials, including soil, pots, fertilizers, irrigation supplies, hand tools, shovels, rakes, and just about everything else you might need to complete your project. One thing I always like to mention is parking because I know it’s something many people wonder about before visiting. The on-site parking lot is fairly small, but don’t let that discourage you. There is free street parking throughout the surrounding neighborhood. Just be respectful of nearby driveways and pay attention to any posted no-parking signs. The staff was friendly, welcoming, and happy to answer questions without making me feel rushed. Whether you’re an experienced gardener or just getting started, it’s the kind of place where you can comfortably ask for advice. Another helpful detail: there is a restroom available for customers. Trust me—you might end up spending much longer browsing than you planned. I certainly did! Even if you’re not shopping for anything specific, Shoal Creek Nursery is a wonderful place to visit for inspiration. Walking through the beautifully maintained displays gave me so many ideas for future landscaping projects, and it’s simply a peaceful place to spend an hour surrounded by beautiful plants. I’ll definitely be back, and I highly recommend Shoal Creek Nursery to anyone looking for healthy plants, knowledgeable staff, fair prices, and plenty of gardening inspiration.

Shoal Creek has a fantastic selection of outdoor plants, including drought tolerant and natives. It's really well organized in a relatively small space, and easy to find what you need. The succulents are gorgeous. Friendly staff.

Staff don’t care and don’t know where everything at, I am sure the owner is not paying them well to do that or lack of training I got some plants that was not fully established.

I usually enjoy shopping at this nursery. In fact, I drive over 45 minutes to come here because I’ve always had good experiences. Unfortunately, my last visit was very disappointing. First, I was overcharged by almost $300. I didn’t realize it until I was about 30 minutes away. After several phone calls, they agreed to refund the overcharge, but this should have been caught before I left. I was told the price check hadn’t been cleared properly. Second, one of the bags of compost I purchased was full of mold and had turned into a mushy, unusable mess. I expect better quality control and more attention at checkout, especially from a business I go out of my way to support. I hope they address these issues because I’d like to continue shopping here.