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| - I've been going to Baker for about 8 yrs now. I like the nursery...they have a very good selection of succulents, starts (veggies, herbs), and a decent selection of trees, vines and desert-adapted plants. I wouldn't recommend them if you are looking for natives however because the selection is small.
Over the years I've bought a lot of plants and trees here...and I've only had a few die...most recently, 4 out of 5 pedilanthus I bought (lady slipper plant) died almost immediately after bringing them home. When I went in to Baker to talk with them about it, they were unapologetic, unhelpful, and rude. They said they don't guarantee their plants at all...it was my fault completely and I killed them. I was upset, yes, but I kept going back and resigned myself to having just lost about $100. It is after all, a local nursery close to my home and maybe I did do something wrong...I'm not perfect.
We started getting serious about landscaping our yard a year ago, and I wanted more natives and desert plants. Since Baker didn't have them in stock, I requested them by writing down the item and giving it to the cashier who then would give it to the person who orders plants. I did that three times over about 3 months. No response. I tried to call...sometimes they don't answer the phone. I stopped by. No one ever responded to my requests.
So I finally went to other nurseries around the valley to find natives. It was then that I realized what I'd been missing at Baker--good customer service with a smile. Baker's staff seem disgruntled or crusty most of the time--even the 20-somethings that work there never have a smile to greet you.
The last straw: I've been asking around at all the nurseries for a certain plant called Rabbitbush. It's a Chihuahuan desert native related to our Sonorant desert's turpentine bush. I want several for my yard and I can't find them anywhere in Phx (most nurseries are supplied with desert plants through a wholesale company called Mountain States and I knew already that they didn't have it in their inventory.) I'm not an expert at plants, but I did my research on this bush and I knew what I wanted. I went to Baker about a week ago to get some succulents and while I was there, I asked about Rabbitbush. They didn't have it in stock of course but I could leave a note for Joy, the gal who orders plants. I thought, "yeah, right, no one will call me back", but urged by the salesperson who said they sometimes order plants from Civano in Tucson, I wrote out the request: "5 Rabbitbush, Ericameria nauseosa var. nauseosa" and left it with no expectation of hearing back.
I got a call a few days later saying they got it them in. Thinking that was too quick, I called back several times and finally they picked up. I was transferred to Joy. I asked her what she had ordered and she told me Ericameria nauseosa. Yeah, but which one, I asked. The one you requested she replied. I asked her about the exact botanical name, at which point she got annoyed and told me again she'd gotten what I requested. I tried to ask whether it was the subspecies nauseosa or speciosa but she told me that Mountain States shortens the names on the sticker (shouldn't she have asked whether it was the right plant prior to buying it or calling me?). Sensing this was about to be a repeat of the Pedilanthus conversation where I was the one that was at fault for daring to question the all-knowing Baker staff, I quit trying to explain it and asked, "does it say Whitestem chamisa on the bucket?" "Yes." I told her there was a difference between chamisa and Rabbitbush in the subspecies name, but she just said "do you want them or not?" No thanks was my reply and we hung up.
Yes, maybe I'm just a customer and maybe I haven't worked at a nursery, but I know what I'm talking about on that one. I will probably go back to Baker at some point and I think it's a good nursery for Phx folks to check out at least once. But, if you go, set your expectations low:
1. Expect to be treated poorly. Don't expect them to be nice to you or give you any respect, even if for one moment you know more about a plant than they do.
2. Buyer beware: if a plant dies, it's your fault, not theirs and don't ask them about it because you will be told that you killed the plant in a rude tone of voice.
3. Help yourself. Don't expect them to go out of their way to help you. (We have a hard time getting anyone to help us get our plants to the register.)
With low expectations, if anything goes right for you at Baker, you'll think it's great.
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