SummerWinds in Bloom – Albany

This nursery next to Target offers a decent selection of well cared for plants at a fair price. They have some of the old standards but some more interesting plants as well. Most of what they stock are plants that require sun but they do have some shade plants. They also stock indoor plants, some vegetables and even some Venus fly traps. Overall a nice variety of plants.

Sergio helped us find just the right plant for our balcony that the hummingbirds would be attracted to. He was super helpful and showed us a lot of different plants!

The first thing to know is this nursery isn’t part of Target. Summer Winds leases the space from Target. Targets used to have a pretty good nursery. But apparently they stopped when they decided to sell food.
Second thing to know is it seems the buyer knows and presents things that you aren’t going to find in the big box nurseries. I went during the winter, so it’s hard to tell what their true selection is like. The Christmas trees were taking up a lot of space, but there were plenty of great plants — varieties selected for the Bay Area.
Third, if you’re looking for a Christmas tree, they have reasonably priced and fresh trees: Douglas Fir, Noble Pines, Monterey Pines.

Absolutely the best nursery in the Berkeley/​Albany area and maybe beyond! The staff are all knowledgeable, friendly, and available. The selection is excellent and fresh. The prices are reasonable. Best house plant selection anywhere.

Really like this place! Why? Each time I’ve visited, I have been really struck by the friendliness and knowledge of the people who work there. From the greeting at the door to the interactions with the staff, it is evident that they are happy to be doing what they are doing. They give off a great vibe and it’s feels great to receive sincere service. Thank you!
I should add that their plants are great too! Wish I had a huge garden…

I just love a place when my perplexed look is met with kindness and the question, «can I help you find something in particular?» Aaron did JUST that! Then, at check out, Manny took over with great style! He answered a few more questions I had, grabbed a couple of items, and helped me to my car. Old fashioned FAB customer service!!! I will return again and again!!! Did I mention how knowledgeable each staff member is? In the off chance someone doesn’t know the answer, they will find out!!!
Gotta love that! T h a n k you!!!

I’m not exactly a gardening fan, however this place is pretty nice. It’s not super overwhemling like for example the garden section of Home Depot, and it does match nicely with its neighbor Target.
It’s true that there is a nursey much closer to me, and I’d probably go there in a pinch, but Summerwinds is big enough to carry everything, and I’m in that part of town sometimes. Although I suspect it’ll be Amy Z. dragging me along.

I am so glad that this nursery exists– not only is it conveniently located near Target so you can combine shopping, it is inexpensive and the staff is friendly. They have a good selection of quality pots, both glazed and terra cotta for less than other nurseries. The plants offered vary from the standard common varieties to the more unusual and all are healthy. Also cool is the fact that they carry ladybugs and praying mantis for your organic pest control!

Manny helped me find some plants and even watered them. What a gem and the store was nice too!

This place is a breath of fresh air. Highlights include:
1. Knowledgable and friendly employees.
2. Plenty of help when you need it, without «hovering» over you.
3. Plants that are clearly well taken care of. This is not Target’s Garden Center, nor is it Home Depot.
4. Although it isn’t a big box store, there are some good bargains.
5. For a small place, they have an interesting mix of stuff, including some organic herbs, nice flowering plants, gadgetry and general supplies.
Seriously, take a look. It’s like a middle level between a big box store and a boutique shop.

Looks like a Target finally opened a garden center — NOT. Yes, this is a new store «housed» in front of Albany Target.
Super convenient location
Clean
Friendly & helpful sales staff
Decent selection of well taken care of plants
Fair prices
Nice size — no need to roll around aimlessly lost in warehouse space
A nice find for the neighborhood and a big symbiotic score for both Target & Summerwinds Garden Center.
Roll on in, big red Target shopping cart and all. And don’t forget that roll of plastic liner for your trunk — it’s by the door :)

I stopped in here the other day thinking it was the Target Garden Center only to realize that nope, it was another business but also a new one. In fact, they had just opened a few days prior even though they seemed fully stocked and ready to roll!
Although it seemed a little quiet (are they planning a grand opening or anything to attract attention?) in there, the guy working there was super friendly and within a few moments I was able to find a good selection of plants that I liked. Everything looked healthy and from my fuzzy memory I remember seeing perennials, edibles, succulents, and both indoor and outdoor plants.
Even though I was sure the answer was going to be a NO, I asked if they had air plants/​tillandsias since they are always great to give as gifts (and sometimes Cactus Jungle doesn’t have exactly what I want) and I was really surprised to hear a strong YES as a response! The dude was really excited to show me the selection of what they had — some interesting air plants in shell arrangements and stuff like that.
I bought a few things and went home and poked around the internet to try to look up the store to get more info about it and found NO INFORMATION WHATSOEVER on the webby webz, not even on the Summerwinds website to the point where I started to convince myself that I MADE THE WHOLE THING UP.
I’m a new mom, fairly underslept even though I like to think I am doing quite alright as a sleep compromised person but really do have moments where I have to submit to Mombrain™ issues, although with Mombrain™ I don’t usually make up new businesses and find their products around my house…
Anyway, today I happened to check Unilocal and find that indeed this business DOES EXIST even though the last few times I checked it wasn’t here.
YAY FOR MY BRAIN WORKING & YAY FOR A NEW PLACE TO GET PLANTS! Prices were totally decent too. YAY FOR THAT!