Plants of the Southwest — Local services in Four Corners States

I've been going to Plants of the Southwest in Santa Fe for over 20 years. I have very mixed feelings about it. The plant quality is very inconsistent. As an example, I recently purchased 2 Gaillaridia aristata and planted them about 2' apart. One is thriivng; the other is dead. The same with 3 Zinnia grandiflora - 2 thriving and 1 hanging on. This typifies my experience with Plants of the Southwest over 2 decades. When Santa Fe Greenhouses started carrying more native plants, I found their quality more consistent; Agua Fria Nursery's natives are also more consistent, but the selection is more limited.

I also find the seed germination rates to be quite poor. I have seen other reviews that say the same. When I purchase seeds of the same species from other vendors, germination rates are much higher. After several years of getting zero germination from any of their Helianthus annuus seeds, I finally clipped some seedheads from local roadside plants and threw them on the ground where I had previously sowed Plants of the SW seeds. I now have 6' tall plants. I know the owners are very well-meaning and dedicated, but the plant quality is very much hit or miss.

Also, if you are new to landscaping with natives, be aware that Santa Fe spans several very different climates and soil types. The fact that something is native does not mean it will grow well off of both Hyde Park Road and lower Cerrillos Road. I listen to many customers there who I think don't really understand the...

I used to frequent a reputable organic nursery close to downtown, but one never knew how one would be received there. After COVID, I lost my tolerance for retail buzzkill. Enter the Shangri-la that is Plants of the Southwest: Happy, relaxed, helpful staff; beautiful grounds with ample parking; a knockout of an owner who is a cross between Kate Hepburn and Jane Goodall; an encyclopedic catalogue full of wit and wisdom; super-healthy organic plants that are reasonably priced; and a restaurant that makes you feel as if you're at a spa in Tuscany...hence...

Love what they are doing here and so wanted my first trip here to be one that was great, but they don’t take cards and you won’t find out until you’ve driven all the way there. It’s not shared on the Google listing and should be front, center, and super obvious on their website (it’s not even remotely). As a small business owner myself, I’m sympathetic to the cost of card processing fees, but this makes for an extremely frustrating customer service experience. I don’t carry cash or use checks and the vast majority of people I know...