Shorty’s Garden and Home

Lied about Praying Mantis, DEAD. Every single plant that you can buy here you can get at Farmers Market, far far cheaper and higher quality. Front Cashier was totally clueless.

I have been to Shorty’s several times now, and I have to say that I am less than impressed. The amount and variety of plants is decent but the health of some of them is less than stellar. I have also noticed that the staff is less than friendly with a slight attitude of «I’m better than you.» As if their time would be better spent elsewhere.
One of the main issues I see is that they seem to not have as much knowledge as they should, being a nursery and all. There were several different varieties of full shade plants arranged on stands in the direct sunlight, which explains some of the poor health, and when I asked about the care of some of the plants I was interested in, I received a lot of «I don’t know“s.
So, my personal suggestion would be to spend your money elsewhere, like Yard and Garden Land or Northwest Nursery Outlet where the people are friendlier, more knowledgable and you get more from your hard earned dollars.

I’m surprised that they are rated at only 3.5 stars! I had a great experience and will continue coming back. The staff was very knowledgable and so helpful. They also had a fantastic selection on organic and conventionally grown vegetables!

Nice shop; all about the plants in here. I say the previous, having come in looking more for ornaments to place around my garden.
The back part of the garden had a store, with artist handmade stuff, (basics like wind chimes and bird feeder). The staff was friendly/​helpful enough.
If your driving, be mindful it’s on the westbound side of the street; could quickly miss the parking lot, shared by the church next door.
I’m keeping in mind, this is Vanvouver, Wa, not Portland, Or with bike racks everywhere, but the staff was nice enough to let me leave my bike up front while I shopped around. Maybe a rack for two bikes in future would be a good addition to this place, but overall, I like it.

Shout out for Shortys! This place is near my house but I’ve never been inside before. I stopped by today looking for what is needed to bring a plant inside for the winter. I know nothing about plants but the cashier was super helpful. She knew all about my specific plant and helped me pick out fertilizer and explained when I need to use it.
I just breezed through the gift shop and it seems to have nice things. I’ll definitely be back.

I love this place. Lots of plants, great prices. I’ll keep coming back.

I took my first trip to Shorty’s a a few days ago and fell in love! I was looking for quite a few seeds and plants specifically, and I got everything on my list and more.
The plants were all healthy and affordable (a bit cheaper than Yard N’ Garden in Salmon Creek). They have a gift shop that’s adorable and not too badly priced either. I also got a couple of beautiful ceramic pots that were a great bargain!
Although I live in the Salmon Creek area, I foresee myself making the drive past a few nurseries to get to Shorty’s on a regular basis.

Friendly staff.
Lacks houseplants… I mean, there are some house plants there but they are more like gift-​giving plants than plants for plant collectors. (Some of you guys might understand what I’m talking about.)

Leashed– Dog friendly. (as they have resident cats)
Smarty Pants staff knows more than you could ever hope.(but they’re still polite)
Plants generally priced well & in good health
I’ve been going there since it was Bishops, & I know what picante sauce is supposed to taste like.

I used to LOVE Shorty’s. I loved it more than Portland Nursery, which was an inconvenience since I live in PDX. I loved the selection, the beautiful and inspiring container garden displays, and the friendly and helpful staff. I also loved Shorty’s bonus features: a giftshop full of trendy, garden-​themed items, and lovely cats to pet.
And all of these things are still true. But, as another reviewer pointed out, something seems to have changed lately. My major issue is that a huge Monrovia display is now taking up most of the prime plant space, which means that stock is way, way down. There are fewer variaties and fewer individual specimens.
But the staff are still helpful, and the place is not super busy, which is pleasant. There are also variaties you won’t find elsewhere.

I don’t get it, this is supposed to be a high-​end customer service nursery, but every time we go there we get miserable service. Yesterday when we went there, we asked a simple question regarding a particular kind of blackberry, the response from the staff was blunt… «We don’t carry that.» No explanation, no apology, no offer to help us find it, just, we don’t carry that. We felt snubbed. the same thing happened last time we went too. There seemed to be no interest in customer service. It is unfortunate, it’s kind of a fun nursery… But we won’t be going back. It’s like they’ve gotten too big and too fancy for their own customers.
Today I went to the 7 Dees nursery in Portland and I asked the man there the same question Although they did not have it in stock, the man was very helpful and told me he’d order it for me, no problem. He went right back to the office and made the call while I waited. That’s customer service!

I have been shopping here on and off for a couple of years now. They have some advantages and disadvantages for the consumer. Another reviewer noted that the customer is no longer allowed to look in the back corner where the large and awkward bags of dirt are in a fenced off corner. I can only surmise they may have had some theft issues that led to this decision, however I find it difficult to see how considering the oversized nature of the product and the fence that surrounds it.
That aside, they have been and continue to be very helpful with finding the cause of unhealthy plants or identifying unwanted plants I don’t recognize. They have a wealth of organic gardening products. I can find one line of such products at Lowe’s and one at Home Depot, but not shelves of it as Shorty’s carries. They are also very knowledgeable and helpful in regards to how the products work and what product is the best one for your particular need.
When it came to underground pest control (diggers), they highly recommended a product that did not work for me at all and when I tried to return it, they were very pleasant, but would only provide half the purchase price in store credit even with a receipt in hand after a week or less. I did find a different product elsewhere that finally drove the buggers out. The credit back did bother me a bit, but they are much more helpful and a better resource for knowledge than the big home improvement or big box stores with a garden section, I still take a chunk of my business there. I guess I was spoiled by Lowe’s and Home Depot. When I purchase products there, if they don’t work and I return the unused portion within thirty days, I receive a full refund.
I like the gift shop, but can rarely enter due to sensitivity to scent and a lot of chemical scent from products wafting through there. If it’s a bit of a windy day and their doors are kept open, I can dive in for a few minutes before having to re-​emerge for a breath of fresh air.
The quality and variety of pots for plants surpasses that of the box stores, but just as everything else here is pricier, so are they. In the long run however, I find they are worth it. I like that I can purchase eco friendly recycled plant pots there with a drain section built in. I can’t think of anything for a garden short of fencing one might need that they don’t have or can’t obtain. Everyone there is so eager to help, I always feel welcomed and that coupled with the depth of their knowledge and combined experience is why I keep returning.
They have a frequent shopping program, as many shops do nowadays. This consists of earning points that can be redeemed for cash over a period of a couple of months. Then in the ensuing three month or so period, you can cash in your earnings. This helps offset the extra cost of their products. However, the fact that this is a local business and it keeps my money circulating through the local commerce market helps to bring my business back also. There is also an email sign up with garners the recipient with coupons occasionally. They also have regular free gardening classes covering a variety of topics from hardy native perennial species for the garden, to how to attract birds and butterflies. This community service is something I highly reccomend taking advantage of and yet another reason I want to support this local garden shop.
Just a tip, if you are leaving after shopping there and don’t want to be forced to turn W onto Mill Plain, head towards the back of the parking lot and turn W in the road just after the speed bump. At the side road you exit on, turn S towards Mill Plain. This brings you to a stop light where you can take a L and head E on Mill Plain.

Dont choose Shorty’s! Shorty’s used to be a great place to get plants and soil, but lately something has changed. While looking for plants I was watched (like I was going to steal a plant) and when I asked to look at soil I was told «we don’t let people out there». When I tried to explain that I had looked at the soils in the past the lady told me «If you want to look at soil he have samples in the boxes». I then chose to leave and went to City Bark, where the staff was helpful and let me roam and choose the soil I needed. Although Shorty’s is in my neighborhood, they wont be getting my business anymore!

Great staff, eager to help and answer questions…

I’ve been driving by this place for years. I think in my younger years I probably stopped in here with my parents but didn’t really care about flowers. I mean really, what twelve year old wants to be seen with their parents looking at plants and fountains?
Fast forward to present day. My poor orchid that I’ve had for almost four years started to lose leaves. At first I was okay with it because it was only one or two leaves but then everything started to die off. I tried to google possible causes but there were too many options (plus an abundance of Lost references!). I finally got fed up with trying to identify what was wrong with it so I took it to Shorty’s to ask their advice.
I pull in about an hour after they opened to an extremely empty parking lot. I figured that was probably the norm for the season considering it is still technically winter. Anyways, I walked in to two staff members hanging out. Both were very friendly and eager to help me. Luckily, they came down to one cause and told me ways to try and bring the plant back to life. It was also time to replant my orchid so they showed me where their orchid supplies are (because yes, this is quite a large nursery) and helped me pick out the best kind for my particular type of flower. It was a lot cheaper than I thought it would be so I left as a very happy camper. I’m sure I’ll come back if I need any other information or supplies.
I’m already looking forward to go back to look at their indoor and outdoor selection. I’m now the type of gal who enjoys gardening so I am much more willing to look at said plants and fountains I avoided in my tween years.