Business Details
32 Years
experience
Your Trusted Garden Center in Austin, TX
Since 1994, The Great Outdoors has been a cornerstone of Austin's gardening community, offering an extensive selection of plants, tools, and decor to enhance both indoor and outdoor spaces. Our team of 25-35 dedicated professionals brings decades of combined experience in horticulture, landscaping, and plant care, ensuring customers receive expert guidance for projects of all scales. We specialize in personalized services such as design consultations led by renowned horticulturist Mark Gibbs, professional potting assistance, and delivery solutions for oversized items. Our 2-acre urban oasis features a tropical greenhouse, orchid room, and curated gift shop, creating a destination where plant enthusiasts can explore rare specimens and unique gardening accessories. We prioritize customer education through hands-on support, instructional resources, and a commitment to helping plants thrive in Central Texas climates.Our facilities include a tool shed stocked with premium brands, organic soil and pesticide supplies, and water features designed to inspire sensory garden experiences. With daily operating hours from 9 AM to 6 PM, we provide consistent accessibility for both casual shoppers and serious horticulturists. Our loaders assist with transporting heavy items, ensuring a seamless shopping experience from selection to vehicle loading. Through video tutorials and care sheets, we extend our expertise beyond the nursery to support year-round gardening success. This combination of product diversity, expert staff, and customer-centric services solidifies our position as a trusted authority in Austin's gardening industry.
Services
Design Consultations
Potting Services
Plant Delivery
Tropical Greenhouse
Orchid Room
Tool Rentals
Organic Soil Sales
Water Features
Gift Shop
Gardening Workshops
Details
- Year established: 1994
Highlights and features
- Experienced on-site team with decades of plant and landscaping expertise
- Exclusive design consultations led by horticulture expert Mark Gibbs
- Professional potting services with customized plant care solutions
- Delivery options for oversized gardening items unavailable in standard vehicles
- Curated inventory featuring rare indoor plants and specialty gardening tools
Services
Design Consultation
Our expert-led consultations provide tailored garden solutions for residential and commercial spaces. Mark Gibbs and our team assess your property's unique conditions to create sustainable, aesthetically pleasing landscapes. Clients receive actionable plans with plant recommendations and maintenance strategies suited to Central Texas climates.
Potting Services
Professional potting assistance ensures optimal plant health through proper container selection and soil composition. Our specialists handle delicate root systems while educating customers on ongoing care requirements. Services include decorative potting for gifts and structural support for large specimens.
Plant Delivery
We offer specialized delivery for oversized plants and bulk materials requiring additional handling. Our team safely transports items like 25-foot palms using appropriate equipment and vehicles. Delivery pricing considers distance, item quantity, and labor requirements for secure installation.
Tropical Greenhouse
The 3,000 sq ft greenhouse houses common and rare indoor plants, including philodendrons and aroid varieties. Customers access expert advice on tropical plant care, humidity requirements, and light optimization for indoor environments. The space serves as both retail area and educational resource for houseplant enthusiasts.
Orchid Room
This dedicated space features orchids, air plants, and terrarium components for creating miniature ecosystems. Staff provide specialized care instructions for these unique specimens, including mounting techniques and watering schedules. The room includes all necessary materials for DIY terrarium construction and maintenance.
People
Mark Gibbs
Horticulture Expert & Consultant
With over 25 years of Central Texas gardening experience, Mark Gibbs leads our design consultations and educational initiatives. He develops instructional content for our video library and workshops, sharing expertise on plant selection, landscape design, and seasonal garden maintenance tailored to local conditions.
Questions
What services does The Great Outdoors Nursery offer?
We provide landscape design consultations, professional potting services, plant delivery, and educational resources. Our nursery features specialized areas like the tropical greenhouse and orchid room for unique plant selections.
Are plant care resources available for customers?
Yes! We offer instructional videos, care sheets, and expert staff assistance for plant maintenance. Our educational content covers topics like orchid repotting, bonsai care, and seasonal gardening preparation specific to Central Texas climates.
What are the nursery's operating hours?
The nursery is open daily from 9 AM to 6 PM, providing consistent access for plant shopping and gardening needs throughout the week.
Can I get help transporting large plants or materials?
Our delivery service handles oversized items requiring specialized transport. For in-store purchases, our loaders assist with moving heavy containers and soil bags to customer vehicles.
What makes The Great Outdoors Nursery unique?
Our 2-acre property combines retail space with immersive garden experiences featuring water features, a tropical greenhouse, and curated gift shop. The team's expertise and extensive inventory of rare plants differentiate our offerings from standard garden centers.
Reviews (5)
Jesse Crowley
May 28, 2022
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Astounding. I've been to nurseries all over the state, and this is the best for every reason. Well stocked, variety of sizes and prices of each plant. Simply amazing.
Kacie Swartz
May 18, 2022
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Eve Julian at Great Outdoors was a HUGE help when I was trying to make my planting bed look good. She took extra time to help me choose the right plants and rocks to make it look terrific. AND I vastly underestimated how much rock I needed. So when my SUV was stuffed to the max with 900 pounds or rock, it was the staff who pointed out I needed to reduce the weight or risk my shocks or tires. Great service all around!
Barbados Pearl
Apr 26, 2022
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I haven't been to a nursery in a long time that made me gas with Wonder and excitement. I was like a little kid running around wondering what I was going to find and each different section of this expansive nursery. They seem to carry everything you might want from indoor plants, outdoor plants, succulents cactuses, tropicals, natives, organic fertilizers, beautiful pots, and of course images of beautiful artwork and sculptures throughout the place. I definitely plan to continue to come here for some of my landscaping needs as a professional groundskeeper, but I also plan to bring friends here just to enjoy the beautiful surroundings.
Valerie Wong
Mar 15, 2022
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Great place with supplies you can't find at a lot of stores. They don't answer their phones though. I had to take a gamble that the ladybugs I wanted would be in stock.
Michele Roi
Mar 06, 2022
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I've shopping here for years and love the staff and variety of plants. I'm a realtor and buy plants for staging there. On my last visit Eve helped me immensely when I was in a bind needing to get in and out in a timely manner as I had photos for a home I was staging in 30 minutes. She was so helpful and friendly. Love the Great Outdoors!
