Garden of the Ancients

Great space, great energy and knowledgeable staff round out this far-​north shop and garden and meditation community. It’s fair-​priced for high quality herbs and teas and plants, the plant availability changing by season. We had previously bought herbs for our garden at Shoal Creek Nursery and found that the plants from Garden of the Ancients were much more robust and lived a lot longer.

It takes a while to find it but when you do. It’s has some great treasures for the metaphysical community. I enjoyed my journey there. I recommended if you are looking for something unique and great for you.

I saw a few giving this place bad reviews because of rude staff, but quite honestly, I’ve been treated like an old friend each time I’ve gone in. They all greet me enthusiastically and one dude even remembered some herbs I frequently buy there (though I haven’t seen him in a while, I guess he’s gone). They are helpful in suggesting herbal substitutes, and I find what I need there 99% of the time. I have moved out of the area recently, but will make the trek for my herbs anyway.

I discovered Garden of the Ancients from some dude I met on Craigslist who also introduced me to the kratom he gets there. The CL guy was dispensable, and this slice of heaven was the only good recommendation from that guy.
I’ve told the employees there that I treat the inside of the store as if I’m entering a Church. There is usually white sage or some type of incense burning. The store is packed with tons of herbs, unique gems, some literature, and very knowledgeable and peaceful employees. Never once have I had a bad experience in customer service. Not even close, and I’m sensitive to that issue.
Garden of the Ancients is such a serene environment with a plethora of options for a health conscious consumer or someone in search of a cool present; like gems, necklaces, teas, and books. There are so many attractive and exotic items to buy from them. I want that fact known from all my time well spent there.
However, I did not give them five stars because there was little to no feedback about the dangers of kratom, which seems to be why so many people patron the shop. To the employees credit, the lack of warning is probably because I never asked any questions. They are not allowed to recommend any type of dose, and I understand that they probably assume that people know for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Other Unilocal reviews warn to do some research on kratom before you buy it. I won’t be that subtle:
I have done plenty of research on the current fade of kratom. There is little accurate research out there, and because it is legal (so far) and does not show up in general drug screening tests, the consensus seems to be that its harmless, but unfortunately, that is not the case.
Kratom is extremely addictive in long term use. When I say, «Long term use» I mean two months of a relatively small amount. Today my doctor offered Suboxone to taper me off of kratom (and it [kratom] does in fact show up in drug screenings when a health care professional is looking for it.) The withdraw is everything that comes from a hard opiate withdraw: Chills, muscle pain, general pain, etc. I was absolutely shocked at the intensity of the withdraw pain. I would not wish that type of pain on anyone, so be warned that when your nose runs uncontrollably and your emotions go haywire– it is the beginning of stormy weather.
Lately doctors are flooded with uninformed patients that are withdrawing from kratom and never knew what hit them. I should know, I went to two separate doctors for a first and second opinion on its strength, because Suboxone as a tapering substitute seemed too extreme at first.
But for the store as a whole: In general its really nearly impossible to be in a bad mood after a visit. The roaming animals, from cats to dogs to unidentified big birds give the place a community feel. I can’t stress enough how much I like the employees though. Just good hearted, intelligent and awesome people. Its always a pleasure to see them. But for now, I’m under a doctor’s care to ween off the kratom I get there, so in the future I will see them strictly for their culinary herbs.
Also, being %25 Cherokee, I was impressed with the braided sweet grass they have for sale. Their selection of gifts is vast and impressive. It reminds me of traveling highway 101 in Northern California and stopping at an artsy hippy shop. A real hippy shop though, which means hard work and thought went into Garden of the Ancients. Like I said, I treat it like entering a Church. A spiritual den amid fields that spread for miles.
*It should be known that Suboxone is far worse than kratom. Suboxone is synthetic and highly addictive. Take the temporary pain if you are withdrawing from kratom. I promise you that it is nothing compared to Suboxone withdraw.

I must admit that I have never actually been inside the place before but I have made phone calls. The three phone calls I have made were simply asking about pricing and the lady that I spoke with was extremely short and said nothing more then she had to. Like I said I have never actually been their but based off of the customer service on the phone I will more then likely never go.

This place is a little off the beaten path, and definitely not conventional and I was pleasantly surprised! I went in search of essential oils and I found some as well as a variety of herbs, supplements and natural remedies. I bought some lip balm that was made on site and I must admit it has healed my super dry, chapped lips more quickly than the other 5 store bought chapsticks I’ve been using for over a month. I will be back soon!

This is a special place. It has a wide variety of culinary and medicinal herbs. Essential oils, tonics, vinegars, smoke blends, books, plants, salts, crystals… Even some orgonite. I have seen only two places that sell orgonite in all my shopping days. I wish the selection they had here was larger and that they had some big pieces like the pyramids I have seen.
I spoke with a few people here. All of them were knowledgeable, polite and answered almost all of my questions. Apparently they are not allowed to answer some questions about the use of certain herbs because of licensing issues.
I spent about 15 minutes talking a woman named Jacky. She is an asset to the Garden of the ancients and I thank her for the time she spent explaining about the use, cultivation and preparation of certain herbs.
In the garden I spoke with a man named Kyle. I was amazed at how extensive his knowledge of gardening techniques and plants is. He was happy to educate me. I am inspired by Garden of the Ancients.

Very good experience. Chris answered all my questions and was very knowledgeable. I came back a 2^nd time and was also treated well by helpful employees.

Loved this place! Great selection of herbs and other medicinals, as well as stones, plants, books… everything! Extremely reasonable prices, herbs sold by the ounce. I spent about $ 5 on 3 total ounces of calendula, chamomile (German), and bee balm. Definitely more reasonable than I expected. The people there were very friendly, helpful, and nice. AND they DONT follow you around lurking arms length behind you. You’re free to browse and enjoy, and they are happy to answer questions or help. Just ask.
Definitely worth the trip and will be my go-​to place from now on. I’m extremely satisfied and happy with my experience!

The owner is very very rude. I remember I bought some bad Kratom here and he would not refund. Most times it’ll be bad here. So much that I will not be taking Kratom anymore. I do not know how they get away with selling such poor quality stuff. Any other company would have to refund. This is a cheap owner who is ripping people off. An original austinite will not be going here. Go to bc smoke shop on Guadelupe for bomb Kratom.

I don’t understand the love affair the reviewers have with this place.
It’s disorganized, the employees are rude and apathetic, and the store itself is not well looked after.
Although they have a wide selection of herbal supplements and essential oils (many of which they apparently make in house), there was such a thick layer of dust over the bottles and no organization to them that I doubted whether or not they would have any idea if they were expired.
The female employees were polite enough if you made your presence known overtly, but the young man working there was downright rude to several of us. It was painfully apparent that they didn’t care for us being there and they would rather stick to their corner and interact with customers as little as possible.
The other building was even less cared for and was more or less on its way to a hoarder house.
DO NOT USE THE BATHROOM! It is extremely unclean and falling apart. I’m not expecting a Nordstrom experience, but when I am met with apathy and uncleanness from an establishment, I question the quality and integrity of their products as well.
I think a serious spring cleaning and some customer service would do them a world of good, because the concept is awesome, but the execution is lackluster.

Love this place. Been buying supplements and plants for about a year now. Only place I know to get a crazy assortment of kratom. I also buy valerian, ginger, chammomile, cranberry. My sage plants are thriving. My lavender has grown 10X its size.
Lots and lots of stuff here. Kitchen herbs, tonics, extracts, walls of powdered natural supplements, vitamins, minerals. There are incense, a few crystals, other hippy-​ware. Go-​local card. Maybe even a small discount for cash purchase if you ask as credit card companies are not small business friendly. A few natural sodas and drinks.
You will want to know what you want before you head over. Do some research. Do not try to get any medical advice or diagnosis from staff here. They are not being rude or unhelpful, they are being smart. Ask the proper questions for proper answers. These guys are trying to help people who want to make their OWN decisions about their OWN health and well being. Go see a doctor if you are unsure about your conditions and treatments.

These people are great. This place has a peaceful atmosphere covered with trees and surrounded by a wonderful garden. There is a small, one lane gravel road that that leads to the mini «utopia.»
If you are expecting «the customer is always right» service then the only thing I can say is to go someplace else… like out of Austin. These people are very friendly, they like to joke, and they exude a sense of calm understanding of their trade. Be respectful, avoid asking loaded questions, and play nice.

I’ve been coming to Gardens of the Ancients steadily for about 6 months now, and my experiences have always been very pleasant. The quality of their plants, herbs, and other products have always pleased me. Seriously, some of their prices are great!
Some of the previous reviews regard bad customer service, and I personally have never seen that. I think these reviewers are simply misunderstanding. The people who work there (most are actually mostly volunteers I think!) have mentioned that they are very restricted as to what information or advice they are legally allowed to provide. There are 2 young women that are usually working in the shop that are always friendly and attentive, and if you catch them at certain times, they are downright entertaining. The gardner that is usually there when I come in is always helpful as well, seeing as I am just now getting into the big, scary world of plants!
This place is truly an underground Austin original. I’ve lived in a lot of places all over the country, and I’ve yet to see anyplace that is like Gardens of the Ancients at all. The ONLY 2 cons I can think of is that it is usually so hot inside the shop (a working air conditioner in Texas is a must!!!) and also, I once got stung by a wasp there-​you kind of have to dodge them sometimes, but I’m just nit picking!

A friend and I dropped in not knowing what to expect especially from the signage from the road– very easy to miss. Definitely not your normal storefront, I got the feeling it is also a commune of some sort but it seems to work.
Having not researched before we came we spent almost an hour browsing. I will say that the 2 ladies in charge that day were not friendly– they acted like they were too busy. I saw at least 4 people approach and say how much the liked the store this was there first visit and just wanted to learn more — only to be answered with a cold face of disinterest. They could sell a lot more stock by being at least faking some customer service skills or offering a little guidance to their selection or check out process.
They had an herb, Tea, mineral for everything from cooking to hair loss. Great incense selection, bath Teas, fun smokable herbs& spices. They plants and cactus were healthy looking and well priced I thought the prices were very reasonable I bought a ton of things to experiment with $ 20 and they take the go local card. I will be back for sure. I would say definitely go but don’t expect much from the staff and it would help to do your own research before you go.

Overall crappy customer service. 3 of 4 of my experiences with the shop have been unpleasant.
Most recently I called asking how to determine if an herb is organically grown (I was worried about pesticides), and I was met with a hostile response. Then the guy hung up on me.
I don’t get it; from reading the previous reviews, it appears the customer service was at one time good.
But, I’ve had enough of giving these people my money. I’d rather go to the internet.

Yep — do your research before you come here, but then be delighted from some of their custom concoctions as well. I stumped them the other day with a cool herb they did not have, but they then ordered it to add to their stock… because they want to be the source of all cool and groovy herbs/​plants.
Hasn’t changed too much that I remember from back in the day when I lived in the area… except more cacti and greenhouses. And a lot busier in the store. A groovy community scene. Quite a drive for most people though but worth it. You will enjoy. Just don’t be a dumbass — you are buying medicine without your mommy, so do thorough research before you drink, say, an oz. of Kratom extract.

While I have trouble discerning between what’s real and what’s hocus pocus, Garden of the Ancients has enough products that deliver to keep me coming back.
I am huge fan of the Healing Green Salve for various skin irritations and the Cat’s Dream Salve, which is «naturally relaxing and dream stimulating». (I find it to be both.)
Do your research into herbal remedies, mood enhancers, etc and ask for them by name. There are many items that are not out on the shelves.

Love them! They have almost any dried herb you could want, plus essential oils, natural remedies, and all kinds of other good stuff. They’ve got jewelry, organic fertilizers, and incense. The prices are low!
The staff is helpful and friendly!
They prefer cash, but they’ll run your credit or debit card for a very small fee. There’s no AC, so dress seasonally. I was there last weekend, and was glad to be in shorts and a t-​shirt in the 100 degree heat.
The grounds are covered in greenhouses full of various plants, from papaya trees, to herbs, to cacti. They had cacti varieties I’d never seen before! I walked past a pomegranate tree, a plum tree, and a pumpkin patch. It was awesome!
Yes, this place is pretty much in the middle of nowhere, but google maps will get you there in a snap.

Hidden away in the rapidly dwindling farmlands of northeast Austin, this somewhat rough-​around-​the edges nursery is worth the winding country drive.
*Very* laid back, and very relaxed — this is a great nursery with a very decent selection.
One green house has an enormous fruiting papaya tree that was *covered* in tree frogs.
They sell ‘smokable’ herbs which have, um… ‘medicinal’ effects. Also, nearly *every single plant* they sell can be smoked or eaten or brewed into tea to give you all sorts of legal hallucinations.
Make the drive out here, even if you aren’t on a vision quest — they have a great selection of cactii, herbs and other landscape plants.