Thornhill Nursery

This place is the WORST. They cover other people’s real estate sidewalk signs with paper and tape promoting their own events. How rude.

Ok nursery. Plants all seem healthy. Nothing too unusual though, and most of the stuff is available at Lowes or HD for a bit cheaper.

Overpriced! Combined with a snotty cashier more interested in making her food than being of service makes me not want to return. You can find this selection elsewhere.

beautiful plants, very expensive… BUT just about every plant I purchased from here died… not sure why… worst luck I’ve had with a nursery and I’ve bought almost a thousand dollars of new seedlings this year alone (I buy full flats or 6 packs) from 3 different nurseries to replace my lawn. This was the only place where most of the plants withered up and died in spite of the care taken to water and place them in the appropriate light conditions… very disappointing. I’ll stick with The DG on Shattuck.

What a gem hidden up in the Oakland Hills. If it weren’t for the gift card from my realtor, I probably would never have stumbled upon this place (despite living about 5 minutes away.)
I read a few reviews saying the staff here isn’t very friendly or helpful — but I found the exact opposite! I was greeted when I arrived and allowed to browse at my leisure. The grounds are beautiful — a garden instead of Home Depot sized aisles.
When I had questions /​needed advice — everyone I spoke with was knowledgeable and friendly. This time of year (peak planting season), I think the prices and selection of typical herbs and garden veggies at Home Depot will probably be hard to beat, but what I liked about Thornhill was that they a unique selection of garden solution plants.
Turns out my gift card has a lot more money on it than I expected so I will be back!

I needed a couple small potted plants to put at a grave site that wouldn’t get eaten by deer and other critters. The nice younger girl behind the counter gladly listened to my needs and gave me tons to select from. Even 20 minutes before closing when she could’ve easily just pointed over to a corner, she actually took the time to walk me to each of my options. Definitely returning!

Love this place! So many good vegetable plants & the people are very friendly & helpful too!

I love this place. Everyone has always been so very helpful and nice. I definitely will continue to go here and support the local businesses.

I love this place. The nursery itself is a delight to walk through. Everything is tagged and marked and clustered in a way that makes it super easy to find the right plants. It is nice not to be asked every few minutes if you need help. I always find what I didn’t even know I was looking for, the staff is very knowledgeable when advice is needed and make appropriate suggestions. This is all being written by a pretty high maintenance gal. Go and enjoy!

It is definitely one of the prettiest nurseries around. Bucolic in fact. To the naysayers I’d only say that it’s a nursery, not a Starbucks. The folks who work there are knowledgeable and helpful, even if it takes a small amount of prodding to get someone’s attention. They’re not pushy and they allow you to explore the nursery as if you were in a botanical garden, which you are!
Marlene (perhaps the «condescending woman» alluded to in another reviewer’s comments), saved me this past July after my regular gardener bailed on me prior to a big event and I needed plantings and guidance pronto. She laid out a beautiful ad hoc row of plants based on a photograph I provided and it translated beautifully in my garden later that day. It was subtle and very natural in appearance. I’m hiring her for more consulting this fall and next spring.

Great selection, beautiful surrounding, some of the worst service I’ve ever experienced. Last time I went, I stood at the front desk patiently waiting for some help while a young lady was on the phone. After several minutes, I realized it was obviously a non work related, non emergency discussion. No acknowledgment of my presence, even a simple ‘hang on’ would have sufficed. I then walked out, looked around, walked back in, same thing. Just pathetic. I can’t go back.

It’s hard to enjoy and judge the offerings at this seemingly lovely local nursery due to the poor customer service. I like to support our neighborhood businesses but whenever I come here (maybe every 2 years) I’m reminded of why this is not my nursery of choice. I agree with the other Unilocalers that the aloof and often times condescending woman who runs the desk, is a buzz kill.
There were quite a few instances when she was disinterested and, though there was NO ONE else shopping in the nursery, she acted as if she had better things to do – I won’t go into details. Additionally, if I was not particularly interested in her suggestions, she became a bit annoyed and walked away.
The plants do look healthy though a bit pricey. If you’re looking for another local, though smaller nursery, try Broadway Terrace. They actually look like they’re happy you’re there.

I live a couple of miles away from this Nursery. When I first entered I was blown away by how beautiful the surroundings were. I was attempting to find a very specific palm. I passed not only the lady at the front desk but another employee who didn’t even acknowledge me. Mind you, I was the only customer there. So I continued to wander aimlessly searching in vain for this specific plant. Again, the nursery is beautiful to walk through which is the only reason I’m giving them 2 stars. When I finally decided to ask the woman at the front desk for help the scowl on her face said it all. Someone should remind her that she works in customer service and as such should be pleasant to people. I really don’t think being nice is too much to ask for. I will not be going here again. I would rather drive to Lafayette than deal with this person’s bad attitude.

I just moved to Oakland from Livermore and was searching for a nursery to rival Alden Lane Nursery. Thornhill received good reviews, and (importantly) the photos looked lovely so I went for a visit.
The location is indeed pretty, shaded by redwoods and with a charming stream and footbridge. The selection was okay. It was more artfully than practically laid out, and many plants lacked tags or stakes to tell you the variety or price. The selection was small, especially when it came to annuals or seasonal color, and many of the plants were rangy/​outgrowing their containers. There were plenty of lovely trees however. The staff was hit-​or-​miss. The groundskeeper/​gardener was kind and helpful, the desk lady was curt, cold, and on the phone the entire length of my transaction. The prices were higher (by at least a dollar on small plants/​six packs) than other similar independent nurseries I’ve been to.
A huge complaint for me is this: spiders. I understand the benefits of orb weavers, and delight in their beauty along a trail. I’m also NOT a spider-​phobe. But Lord were there webs everywhere. I avoided at least ten (and was unable to pass and therefore shop beyond them) but I inevitably walked into one massive, body-​spanning one. The spider ended up on my head, and while I didn’t panic or scream, I can safely say I didn’t enjoy it. At all.
A tip to Thornhill employees, if you’re reading this. Consider going down the paths with a broom every morning and getting rid of the webs. You’re a store for crying out loud, not a conservation area. The spiders will rebuild elsewhere. And you will retain customers.

We’ve been going to Thornhill Nursery almost as long as we’ve lived in Montclair — sixteen years. Thornhill is just down the road from our house, so it’s easy to pop in when we need something. It was taken over by new owners a few years ago and is so much better in nearly every way.
The selection of plants is huge and they have something that will work in every micro-​climate of Oakland. The folks who work there are very knowledgeable about what they sell and are quick to offer a solution or an idea that generally works for you. If you’re not in the mood to buy, a stroll through the nursery will brighten your day. Whoever set it up has a wonderful eye for color, shapes and types of plants — really a masterful job. I love to see the whimsical pottery and metal trinkets peeping up in the most unexpected places. Yes, it’s not cheap, but the quality is so worth it.
If they only would use the fireplace in the winter like the prior owners, I’d give them five stars!

So I needed to buy an important gift for an important person, and spent a lot of time weeding out (ha) the other nurserys in the area. Chose Thornhill because I believe that good customer service is just as key for someone who doesn’t understand plants and will need help selecting one (me) as it is for the gift recipient who might have questions about the plant’s care that I can’t answer. In short, all reviews pointed toward Thornhill. So why the two stars?
I called and was immediately put on hold. Fine… Some businesses are busy… that’s understandable. I don’t mind holding if the staffer feels that it will just be a moment, esp. if they are helping someone else who got there first.
But she didn’t come back to the line. I waited… 3 min. then 4. Then 5. You can see how important this gift was to me, that I was willing to wait 6 minutes before finally hanging up. BUSINESS TIP #1: If you’re that busy, hey! Just don’t answer the call. Just let the call go to voicemail. Truly, I’d rather leave a message, leave my number, and have you call me back, than to be held hostage, with a hot phone glued to my ear, waiting for you to remember that I have $ 150.00 to spend.
So I hang up, and call back. THIS time the phone is answered, but instead of «Hello» or even (hopefully) «Gosh i’m so sorry, I forgot about you» SHE JUST PUT ME DIRECTLY ON HOLD. No greeting, no apology, just BOOM/​click/​straight to that all-​to-​familiar silence, with only the clock on my phone and the call timer to keep me company. I’m mad now. So I decide to try a couple of local nurseries instead of Thornhill.
I won’t bore you with the reasons that the Hayward plant nursery I visited was not a contender to provide the gift I had in mind. Instead of high-​end gifts, smartly colored pots and crisp, lush trees, this particular Hayward nursery seemed to specialize in snarling pit-​bulls. The kind that guard with zeal the charlie-​brown selection of trees and bushes they do have. As I was running back to my car, with a loose dog snapping at my weejuns, it occurred to me that maybe I had been too harsh in my judgement of Thornhill.
So! Piedmont isn’t that far from me, so i hopped in the car to see what makes Thornhill so busy. Easy to find, and parking is a cinch.
WOW. I have to say, the place IS paradise. They have absolutely nailed the presentation. Atmosphere was outstanding, and there is a pretty little creek flowing through the middle of the place. It is almost a religious experience walking the meandering paths, and great little areas clearly designed to create a soothing environment.
The minute I saw the older, maitronly woman in the green apron I thought «Ah. THIS is the employee that I need. She looks kind, and is just the person to help me pick this gift.» The «on-​hold» experience from earlier was forgiven/​forgotten, this was going to be great. BUT darn it, she was with another customer. Oh well, I could wander over closer to the cash wrap, and hope that there was another Sister Moon/​Mother Nature type inside that could gently separate me from my anxiety and my visa card.
So I walk inside and hear someone say… «HOLD PLEASE.» (click)
It was HER. The one that put ME on hold. I peeked around the corner; expecting Medusa. No, instead, she is young, and quite beautiful. Her appearance was soured only by my burning desire to convict her without trial for having absolutely no sense of customer service, whatsoever. I meandered the small shop while she prattled on to the first caller she was working with. Then for a while I pretended that I could actually believe that a small metal watering could be worth $ 25 just because someone had painted it Ivory. Finally, she hung up. It was my turn.
Pleasant at first, she listened intently as I described what I wanted. Then… she seemed absolutely confused. I mean it, she genuinely seemed dazed by every part of the request. And maybe what I wanted WAS confusing… I’ll tell you what I told her, and you can decide how indecipherable my needs were.
Here’s what I asked her for:
1. A plant or shrub…
2. …that can get full sun…
3. …and a pot to put it in…
4. For less than $ 150.
I know. Mindblowing. At least SHE seemed to think so. We wandered around and I got vague gestures to this plant or that. Now I want to clarify that I was not expecting white glove service… but I think it’s fair to expect more than a shrug of someone’s shoulders and complete uncertainty. I genuinely felt she resented having to hop down from her computer to assist. Finally, I just asked where the large glazed pots were, and she gestured down a path and left me to find them.
I quickly located and cornered the first «earthy-​mama» employee lady again, who with kind eyes and patience helped me find the PERFECT shrub and glazed pot in 5 minutes flat. BOOM. Done. I even bought one of those ridiculous ivory watering cans.

Helpful staff and nice setting to shop for plants. I’m not a regular plant buyer, so I notice the prices for vegetables are a tad higher than the megastores, but not by much, though I did think my watering can was a bit pricey. Still, for the convenience and selection and nice atmosphere, it’s worth checking out.

First impressions:
–Small range of plants
–Lots of trees
–Flower selection completely lacking
Maybe time of year? Regardless, it felt like very slim pickings.
That said, I did manage to find most of the herbs and vegetables I was looking for but without the variety I’m accustomed to.
If my experience were solely based on the help I received from the younger guy there, I would give this place five stars. He was super helpful and very knowledgable.
Unfortunately, the owner who was manning the cash register seemed like he was doing me a favor by allowing me to shop there.
Bottom line: I won’t be going back and I hope the nice guy quits and starts his own nursery!

My New Fave!
I bought a new home and needed some japanese maple trees to fit the plan–
perfection

Since the ownership change last year, customer service has suffered. The great older couple have been replaced with somewhat disinterested 20-​somethings.
From the pickup and flatbed parked out front, it looks like they were bought out by DiGrande Brothers Landscaping
Hopefully they can find their groove because this used to be a favorite and is just down the hill from our house.