Chelsea Garden Center

Chelsea Garden Center Red Hook has been my go-to nursery since I established my garden four years ago. The selection and quality is fantastic, and you can always find some gems there you likely won't find anywhere else. The staff is awesome - Linda & Gina particularly rock! David is a fount of knowledge and clearly passionate all things garden! If they don't have something in particular you're looking for, ask! They may be able to order it for you. It's not my only source, but it is my first and most frequent! My perennial garden is almost entirely sourced from CGC.

So sad I couldn't buy anything as I'm just visiting. This place has tons of cool plants, gorgeous pots, and friendly staff!

best selection of indoor & outdoor plants. family owned too! love all the choices & the staff was so helpful if you don’t know what to do

Now that Spring is here in NYC, it’s planting season! I stumbled upon this place on my way home. They have so many wonderful healthy plants and so much variety. The staff was super welcoming and helpful. It’s close to the Red Hook ferry terminal. I definitely recommend this place for your plant needs!!

I went to the Chelsea Garden Center to outfit my office with plants. I had to thread the needle of finding things my boss would like, staying within budget and choosing plants that can stand the rigors of office life. The staff was extremely helpful in putting together a plan that fit all my constraints. They also had all the pots and dirt I needed. Delivery was fast and efficient. Nothing was broken and the plants and trees made it without any damage.

The cons: Don’t come here expecting anybody to spend time helping you unless you’re spending a ton of money. I’ve had staff walk away from me while I was asking questions because they were “too busy”. The manager is patronizing. Others are willing to answer one question, but then run away and lose patience with you. The pros: hard to find a better selection of plants in Brooklyn. The price is probably appropriate for the quality and selection and lack of other convenient options. Just don’t expect any help.

There are plenty of awesome and professional nursery's in Brooklyn - this isn't one of them. We bought four Scout Maiden Grasses which began to curl and die the day after purchasing. We called the garden center 2 days after purchase and was advised by Alex to cut the curled top and keep watering the plants generously, which we did. When we followed up with Alex via email to request an exchange of plants that were clearly dying at the point of sale, we did not receive a response. When we followed up again, he accused us of not caring for the plants properly and said we exceeded time for a refund/exchange. You can't make this up. Don't waste your time. We ended up back charging the purchase, went to a different nursery, and now have a beautiful garden to enjoy.

Went to CGC with m’lady a weekend or two ago and had the loveliest experience. Alex and the team were able to assist and impress even the likes of me (being raised on seasonality, I like to play professional). With a heavy crowd and foot traffic, it’s understandable that at times it could be difficult to attend to the customer. But no no, this was a delightful, knowledgeable, and fruitful trip/purchase. I couldn’t be more happy with my plants and I look forward to returning to Alex and the CGC team! Thanks guys! Highly recommend to anyone reading this! I hear they also have a Williamsburg location too that I will need to add to my Brooklyn hit list.

There really aren't a ton of plant nurseries around Brooklyn, at least with a good selection. I have been to Chelsea Garden Center a few times over the years for various plants things. I've always had a solid experience. This time, I came with more purpose. We finally bought a window box for summer and wanted to fill it with a nice variety of spring and summer flowers. As other reviews mention, Chelsea Garden Center is on the pricey side, but not wildly expensive. They have the best variety I found in Brooklyn, even more so than Home Depot or Lowe's. I was able to fill my flower box with about $60 worth of flowers. I was really hoping to get some pansies, but they didn't have them. But I got some gorgeous petunias!

My work neighbors as I work on Coffey and this is my go to spot for getting my herb plants in the spring, soil mix,pots etc. Got my beloved Spider plant there earlier this year. Sometimes when its a particularly stressful day in the glass biz I will just walk over and browse around sorrounded by all the beautiful plants and the smell of Hometown BBQ. The staff has always been nothing but pleasant and helpful to me every time Ive come in either alone or with co-worker. Always answered any questions, made suggestions and just been good people.

Very pleasant people. Found two plants that were difficult for me to locate. Easy to get to . Nice.

Very unfortunately had a racist encounter with the owner here, and none of the workers of color seemed surprised by this. We're designers about to do the landscaping of a client's backyard. I asked the owner about a bulk discount or trade program. He offered me a $50 discount on a $1000 order, after I'd mentioned we had a budget of $15,000 and said it was "in my blood" to ask for a discount. Immediately cancelled the sale. Never going back. Found the same Japanese maple that was $400 there online for $190, same height, fullness, everything. Found taller arbor vitaes at Home Depot for half the cost.

I went to several nurseries to find plants that will survive the winter. Alex helped us figure out exactly what we needed. He even loaded everything into our vehicle. Great service and a great selection of plants! I will only use Chelsea Garden Center for all my gardening needs. Thank you!

I love this place! I saw that it did not have five stars and I just want everyone to know that regardless of whatever people want to complain about, the quality of the plants they have is outstanding. We bought $700 worth of boxwood bushes and planted them in a completely ridiculous place and they are thriving. We also buy our Christmas trees here and I just bought a great ZZ plant here the other day. Everything is Very carefully taken care of. It is VERY expensive, but your plants will be healthy.

This Garden Center/Plant Nursery is fantastic. All of the plants I purchased have flourished. I want to go back and get some more plants soon for late August planting.

Chelsea garden center is absolutely marvelous - they have experts for indoor and outdoor plants that will help you select the best plant for your apartment. I purchased quite a few plants here and the staff was very helpful whether it's wrapping the plant up safely or transporting it to your car - they are absolutely wonderful. A service they are missing though, hence the 4 stars, is a potting service - ESPECIALLY for large plants. While it was a hilarious endeavor, I would gladly pay the pros to do it - not to mention they could have easily upsold lava rocks and soil to ensure the plants were happy. I nearly killed my yucca during transplanting because realistically, it's not a job for just one person, let alone a rookie. I completely understand they are busy, but this small service would be greatly appreciated

Absolutely beautiful nursery with fantastic knowledgeable staff. Really impressed and will certainly be back.

They certainly have a beautiful selection of healthy flowers, veggies and plants. I wish they were a little less arrogant. It's a turn off to me. While some of the staff are friendly, the treatment is inconsistent. I prefer to be treated as a welcome guest, not like the privilege is mine for shopping there.

I don't know what Karen's are talking about bad customer service here. The customer service is ALWAYS on point. The staff is fun, warm, inviting and knowledgeable. The vibes are *chefs kiss* immaculate. And, yes, it is pricier than going to Lowe's or Home Depot - but the quality of plants is always going to be better at a smaller business such as this one. You get what you pay for.

If you are into customer service and being treated with respect this is not a place to patronize. I was prepared to spend a considerable amount of money (my budget was 10K) to enhance my 4 Bedroom 3 Bath PH and outdoor terrace with plants. After the first interaction with a rude girl who had no personality, low energy and sounded like she was in dire need of a cup of coffee and a nap, I attempted to speak to someone else who defended her colleagues behavior. I reiterated that her co worker was very unprofessional to me and she continued to offer no courtesy. The 3rd person who acted as if I was bothering him was even worse. They came across as if they were doing me a favor and when I politely inquired if they wanted my business they informed me that it really didn't matter. In a time where retail real estate is so expensive in NYC and Brooklyn I found the experience to be so disrespectful it was borderline bizarre. I'm sorry they are so clueless about giving impeccable customer service which is what every successful business is built on. I wish them luck because they will need it.

Walked through the this nursery while waiting for my food. It was very peaceful and the staff were extremely friendly. Although they did not have the plant I was looking for, they shared their website with me and encouraged me to check back when I could.

Lots of bad reviews for both locations...hmm... Anyway, I had great experiences at both locations. We were on the hunt for Prayer Plants "Marantha". We were successful at both locations!!! Until that time, the only place I was able to get one was at the Urban Garden Center uptown, and we had gone to Home Depots as well as about 15 nurseries within the 5 boroughs, Westchester County, Rockland County and New Jersey. I first visited the Brooklyn site on a late Saturday afternoon. Quite a selection of both indoor and outdoor plants. Located in the Red Hook section, actually a few blocks away from "Red Hook Garden Center", which seemed to have a good selection as well though not as big as Chelsea Center. I will admit that the prices are a bit higher than usual though, which is why I took away a star. The staff there was very helpful. While walking around I was asked by about 3 different people if I needed help with smiles. At the Brooklyn location, Rose was very helpful with advising us on indoor plants. She seemed to know her stuff which was reassuring. We visited the Manhattan site the next day in the early afternoon and the space is similar to Brooklyn location. The Staff there was just as helpful and knowledgeable. We dealt particularly which Kil who also seemed to know his stuff. As mentioned before, as far as the prices go, it is more expensive than other nurseries, including the Urban Garden Center, uptown, where I had good experiences with as well. I will update my review if anything changes, such as the plants dying sooner than expected.

i loved everything about this place ! beautiful healthy assortment of flowers and trees . Super friendly and hands on staff. Linda helped me pick some beautiful flowers, every one in there was super approachable,. I usually go to Kings county nursery - but find they are rude and unapproachable. will be switching over to Chelsea. thanks again Linda !

Okay people listen up - I see the bad reviews for customer service and can tell you I experienced the total opposite. Alex listened to my situation and then walked me around explaining all the different pots and some great options for plants that were perfect for my needs. He even ran and got broken terra-cotta and showed me how to create the perfect drainage. I chose what I liked and didn't lift a finger - he loaded it all up on a cart and handed me a slip of paper to check out. Easy as can be. So - give these guys a shot. Or you can head to Home Depot and get advice from someone from a completely different department and a plant off a conveyor belt. Up to you. I also got my Xmas tree here and sure it was pricey but it was gorgeous and lasted for weeks. You get what you pay for.

3.5 stars... This is one of the most well stocked nurseries/garden centers around. The first time I came here it was because I was looking for a basil plant and the previous 3 places I checked in the neighborhood didn't have any. All their flowers seem beautiful and they have a great selection of pots, planters, and a lot of other shrubs, herbs, and so on. I came here a second time looking for activated charcoal/carbon for a terrarium and the girl had no idea what I was talking about. It's too bad they didn't have it but I don't expect everyone to have a degree in horticulture or to have experience with terrariums. What did bug me is that I had to wonder around on a busy Saturday for awhile before I found someone to help me. I also just needed a small bag of soil, and everything they had was very expensive (something mentioned in almost all of the reviews here). I liked this place as it's one of the most well stocked local garden centers within a mile or so of me but I'm sure to check out Lowes down the street first before I resort to coming here.

Thoroughly Meh- which is unfortunate cuz the space is beautiful However, I received attitude from one worker and when I did find another- he knew absolutely nothing about the plant in question...which was pretty funny. Plants are also horribly overpriced- Saifees (in east village!) has better prices (when a store in manhattan has better prices, and healthier plants in their much smaller, darker space, you're in trouble) Sad

Luis and Gina helped us and they were very attentive and patient with us. They were very good about explaining how to take the plants and a pleasure to deal with. Every team member were smiling and happy to help out. Definitely recommend it!

We've been to many nurseries in the city and by far Chelsea has the most varieties! We are impressed by how pretty all the plants look and all the options they have. We also appreciate the guidance the owner gave as. We were wondering if it is possible to keep a hibiscus in our sunny apartment but the owner told us we have to keep the hibiscus in a breezy, tropical-like spot for it to thrive. We are glad he was honest with us and didnt just want to sale the plants. We will definitely go back there to purchase more plants!

There is a line to get in, which is reasonable given covid restrictions, but once inside there is another line get into an enclosed area to pay and another separate line to view the house plants (which is inexplicably also in the same indoor space). The result is a line to pay which moves slow and a line for house plants that is impossible (given that priority seems to be given to the line to pay). I wanted to get a houseplant and gave up after waiting almost 20 minutes for them to let one person in (while half a dozen customers were let in to pay). I don't understand how in this day and age you can't set up a station outside for paying customers given the volume and speed of service. I don't mind paying the premium prices as long as the service and shopping experience is there, which is sadly not the case here. I ended up spending more time waiting in lines than viewing plants.

The worst service I have ever experienced. After spending multiple thousands of dollars on planter boxes and shrubs the Garden center refuses to stand by the quality of their products. Half of the plants died in a few weeks. I let them know and I was told that I had "bad dirt" and I would need to pay them to replace the dirt before they replaced the plants. Only problem is that the other plants are doing fine and one's that they planted in their dirt also died. I removed the dead shrubs and the roots bound and the clay ball over the roots were never broken up. It wasn't the dirt, it was how they were planted by Chelsea Garden. They also failed to bring one plant that was on back order and never refunded me for that either. I've reached out several times to resolve the issue but I stopped after the responses did. Now that my $400 Japanese maple has since died I've decided to write a review. Spend your money somewhere else!

I honestly don't understand all the negative reviews on customer service. Maybe they have changed all their staffing since then? Regardless, very helpful and well informed sales associate helped me select the right climber for my yard; patiently covering the various options and planting information so I left well informed. Great selection -- a legit nursery not a florist with a few succulents for your terrarium.

This is my favorite neighborhood garden center! They have a great selection of everything ranging from indoor and outdoor plants, tons of in season flowers, trees, bushes, lawn ornaments, flower pots and the like. As an added bonus the staff is super friendly, accommodating, and most of all KNOWLEDGABLE! This is extremely helpful for someone such as myself who blindly stopped by there to find some flowers or plants for a planter thingy that I had bought at IKEA last year, which I hang from my front balcony that gets full afternoon sun. I was eyeing the small pots of her era daisies, but it was explained to me off the bat that they would not do well with that much sun, and was redirected to a large assortment of pretty flowers that were into a lot of sun! That is just an example. We also got our Christmas tree from there this past year, and it was beautiful, smelled great, and lasted a long time! The staff was equally as accommodating throughout this experience! They also always have workers in hand to pack up your items properly, even tie your Xmas tree to the roof of your car (if needed). We happen to have a Car, and opted for this service, but they also deliver, as many Brooklynites do not own cars! Happy to have this gem in my hood!

I came here for the first time over the weekend ready to make a big purchase, but got nothing but attitude from my very first (simple) question. Condescending and thoroughly unhelpful. I won't be returning.

As a newbie to plants/gardening, I came here looking for advice on an easy plant for my apartment. The lady who helped me worked inside (I think it was Rose) and she was super nice and helpful. She took us around the entire section, explaining the various indoor plants and their differences. When I settled on a pothos plant, she helped show me how to repot it and further explained how the drainage worked in the pot. I took the plant home feeling very confident in my lackluster green thumb! She was so kind and helpful, and I will definitely come back to see her when I'm ready for my next plant.

Wonderful place - huge selection of plants, very knowledgeable and helpful staff, and reasonable prices. I had many questions and they counseled me through plant selection and care. Highly recommend!

Pretty much appalled with the girl working the register! Everyone else was pretty nice and helpful! I was pretty much amazed at how rude this girl was. Didn't thank me for my nearly 100$ purchase on a few herbs and flowers! And rolled her eyes numerous times. This was my second year going here for plants. NEVER again. Almost didn't buy them due to her terrible attitude.

Avoid losing your time with Chelsea Garden Center: - They are disorganized, their email inbox is full and it seems like they don't check it very often (we are in 2012 how can you have a full inbox?! ( especially if you are a business!) - Once we finally managed to have the landscape architect come to our place to do an initial estimation of the project (for 100$) it took him over 4 weeks to get back to us with a plan! - After waiting for such a long time we wrote him an email asking for the next steps to start the project and he NEVER replied to us! Summary: a TOTAL waste of time and money.

I had a great experience here. I had a not-so positive experience at a nearby nursery and came here as a back up. And I'm glad i did! I met one gentleman who assisted me with finding the right person for indoor plants who, i believe, was the owner. And he was lovely. Efficient and took his time to assist when it was packed on a Sunday. The two ladies that rang me up were friendly as well.

Eh, weak service but a great selection, leaving us conflicted but purchasing some plants with no help from them.

The place next door seems more reasonably priced. I buy plants and trees from multiple garden centers around NY and it never fails, everything I buy from them dies in a few months.

If you like to pay more for less then this is the place to shop! The selection is poor, the manager has no manners, and every item is 5 times elsewhere. This is just not a place for passionate gardeners, or smart shoppers.

Not sure what has happened to this place. It was always on the pricey side, but lately the customer service has become slow, churlish and downright sloppy. I wonder if they are just too busy working with landscape designers to bother with the little people.

This is my first yelp review ever. I usually let things slid but I was just appalled by the way I was treated. I did not give it 1 start because it is well stocked nursery with a good selection. All the women I have dealt with were lovely and very informative. I also had a really nice younger gentleman helped me out. I am however really annoyed by the older white guy who works there. The first time I was there, he was already cheeky with me. I generally try to avoid him when I go there. Today when I was assigned to him, he just said I was beyond help and walked away. I am a new gardener and just needed help. That's his job. I don't just ask for their help and walk away. I am appreciative and always buy something. I just wanted to know how to keep my garden healthy. This is my last time there. Too expensive anyway. I just have better experience with Sprout in williamsburg and Gowanus nursery.

I really like the Chelsea Garden Center in Red Hook. The prices are on the high end for BK, but the plants are always healthy. The nursery is spacious and well-organized. And even on busy weekends, if I look confused [typical] someone on staff will approach me and ask how they can help. Shopping here is just a pleasant experience.

Great service today at Chelsea Garden Center West. I was asked if I needed help shortly after I walked in, and they helped me pick out two plants that will do well in my basement apartment. When purchasing, one of the leaves was cut so they gave me a discount. I went to another store and bought pots but forgot soil. I went back to Chelsea Garden Center to ask how they recommend potting them, and they offered to pot them for me. They didn't charge for this. After they were finished, they even brought the plants out to my car. Wonderful!

I have driven by the Garden Center several times on my way to Fairway and have always wanted to stop by. It looks so cute and inviting! Yesterday I finally had the chance to visit and was not disappointed by the selection. I walked to another nursery nearby and didn't see anyone there (customers or workers), and their selection seem limited by their lack of space. When I returned to the Chelsea Garden Center West it was bustling, and despite that at least three different employees asked me throughout my visit if I needed any help. The prices do seem a bit high, but the manager at checkout noticed some of the plants I selected were not at their peak and gave significant discounts for each of them and packed them up perfectly to take home. I only wish I could have purchased more, as they have a really nice range of plants and flowers. I will definitely return in the future!

Avoid this place at all costs. The longer story is below but the bottom line is that the staff and owner's approach to customer service can only be described as inept and indifferent. For Mother's Day, I wanted to plant a lilac bush for my wife. I call Chelsea Garden Center a month before to see if they had any in stock. Rose, the manager told me it wouldn't be a problem but if I really wanted to make sure they would have one in stock I should call 10 days before and I could reserve one. I called again 10 days before and could not reach Rose. I left 4 messages for her over three days and never heard back. Every time I called, they would tell me she was with a customer and they'd have her call me as soon as she was done. Finally, I just started dealing with the woman who answered the phone, Gina. She told me she had one of the trees I wanted in stock. I asked her if I could reserve it and pick it up on Mother's Day morning. She said sure and took my credit card number. When I showed up to pick it up, she told me she didn't have one in stock. I said, but you already charged my credit card for it --how could you then sell it to some else? She said, well, I can order you another one. I asked to speak to the owner, David. I told him that I just wanted him to know what it had been like to deal with his business (I run a business and I would want people to tell me if their experiences had been like this one). I tried to tell him about the lack of call backs and about them selling my tree even after I had paid for it. He was COMPLETELY indifferent. He did not once apologize. All he did was make excuses and took no responsibility. He said people take the sold tags off merchandise and he "couldn't be responsible for that." All I was looking for was "Gee, sorry. That is very frustrating and shouldn't happen. Can I order you one and deliver it to make it up to you?" I then asked for my money back and he sent me inside to get it. When I asked the clerk for it, she said, "I don't do that." When I asked her name so that I could include it my report to my credit card company when I disputed the charge, she started yelling at me and told me "I can get aggressive too." I eventually found a manager who did refund my money but I can truly say that their customer service sucks and having talked to the owner, it starts at the very top. If you can avoid doing business with them, please do. If you choose to do business with them, DEFINITELY done trust what they say and be VERY wary of giving them payment without the merchandise in hand.

Nice selection - I got some gorgeous Swamp Milkweed there among other things. It is pricey, but the plants are generally quite robust and in very good condition, so I consider it a good value. Of course you can get a few of the more common plants over at Lowes on 9th Street for about half the cost, but unless you get there right after a shipment arrives, everything will be showing signs of severe neglect.

There is not a garden center in New York that compares to the variety and quality of plants sold at Chelsea Garden Center. The staff is extremely knowledgeable, friendly and helpful. They are great helping you plan your garden, they have experienced staff who do a great job planting. I wouldn't go anywhere else!

We were charged $65 to deliver 1 small tree and 1 small bush a total distance of 1.8miles. The 2 delivery people tried to hustle my 9 month pregnant wife out of an incremental $20. Do not go to this place period!!

The nursery onsite is pretty well stocked, but after purchasing plants from this nursery I found spider mites on 3 of the 4 plants I purchased. I would double if not triple check any plants before purchase at this location.

Very very pricey. Cannot speak for the shrubbery, but the flats of flowers are extremely pricey and not even that great. I bought two flats of small-medium sized flowers and paid $150! Best to drive out of the city (Long Island) where I got flats of spectacular blooming flowers for $12 a flat!

I went to the location in Manhattan and was very disappointed. It is expensive and the customer service is horrible. The "landscape architect" did not listen to what I wanted and did not even remove the dead plants! I spent $$4k on plants that are not doing well and it was not what I wanted. Steer clear!!!!

I have to disagree about the friendliness of the staff. They have a beautiful selection of ceramic containers and I bought a few for my stoop. Very heavy ceramic containers that I couldn't manage carrying. The staff was great about helping me get everthing into the car, and letting me know when they were getting more spring annuals in. I found the service excellent. Do agree that they are pricey, however.

I can't speak to the quality of services because we never got to that point. They were scheduled to send over someone to access our needs and give us ideas, in addition to help us with the purchasing of anything needed. They never showed and were not able to find the person who was supposed to come AND they are overpriced.

I never write reviews but I just had a wonderful experience with Chelsea Gardens in Red Hook. I went to talk to them (after having a bad experience with another nursery) about replacing some hedges along my driveway with something less damaging to my car. I dealt with Keith who was charming, friendly, knowledgeable, professional and efficient. With some of his suggestions, I selected some suitable bushes. He scheduled the job a few days later. I promptly got a call from the installation crew confirming the appointment. Two guys showed up on time, worked steadily and quickly, did a great job and cleaned up perfectly. It looks beautiful and is just what I wanted. Yes it was very expensive but sometimes expensive is worth it!