I've always been a firm believer in "The Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon," which means you are six…read moreconnections away from anyone in the world. Well, now I'm one degree from Nicolas Cage, whose real name is Nicolas Coppola, who changed his surname after his first role to avoid favoritism when starting his acting career. The reason for this one-degree connection is Rob, the "head green thumb" at Vivero Playas, the premier nursery in Baja California. Vivero Playas, family-run for 25 years, has an inconspicuous sign and entrance that leads to an Alice in Wonderland adventure in plantlife. Even the owners have majestic names like Iliada and her son Ulysses. Having moved to Playas de Tijuana in May and growing up with one of the Master Green thumbs of all time, my Mother Joyce, I yearned for some greenery to complement the ocean views at Olas Magicas. I had visited some of the more rustic, lot-like viveros and then stumbled upon Vivero Playas, whose trails wander through indoor and outdoor options, much of which is grown onsite. But if you walk too quickly, you'd miss the turtle farm and Bonsai trees. So you might want a guide, and Ulysees is appropriately named to lead your odyssey. So why did this place make the CieloLifeStyle.mx Select List? Onto the review, which breaks down the different components of the Gringo Experience Score (GX Score™). This measurement methodology evaluates the various parts of the experience, which are called "Elements" or Experiential Drivers, and then weights them based on their importance, or "Impact" to the average American's (Gringo's) Satisfaction, and calculates an overall GX score based on a 100 point scale. For more information on the definitions of each Experiential Driver and Micro Driver, including the GX Impact of each Driver, visit www.kish-llc.com GX Driver - Product Score - 98 GX Impact - 2.0 The plant and assortment are amazing. The wood pots are artisanal, varied, and offer many choices. They also offer baby turtles, and unique fixtures for your home and garden. GX Driver - Ambiance Score - 95 GX Impact - 3.0 Wandering through Vivero Playas is story-like. You can get lost as you cross the moat. The fragrance of the stream below the bridge is the sole degradation here that prevented a higher score. GX Driver - Convenience Score - 87 GX Impact - 3.0 Located on an access road next to Avendia Ensenda at the entrance of Playas, Vivero is quite convenient for locals on there way in, or others headed down the Ensenada Cuota just a mile away. Parking is on the street out front and easy to navigate. For those coming from the US, its 8 minutes from the San Ysidro crossing. GX Drive - Price Score - 90 GX Impact - 1.5 Prices are fair compared to other Viveros. For Americans, the Dollar Purchasing Power is around 3X. For example, a wooden pot that costs $45 in the US will cost $15 at Vivero Playas. GX Driver - Service Score - 82 GX Impact - 2.0 Preventing this score from being 90 were two things. First, they are lightly-staffed with one-on-one expertise. So, when its peak hours, patience is needed, a struggle for American Consumers in today's on-demand culture. Also, their delivery service is under-equipped and understaffed. If you're going to offer it, make sure this last-mile delivery is a white glove experience as its the last impression you'll have on your customer. GX Driver - Communication Score - 95 GX Impact - 1.5 Fully proficient and bilingual. Frequent texting and updates on order pricing and status. Nice work here. COVID Readiness Score - 90 GX Impact - 4.0 While I don't recall having a temperature scan at the entrance, all staff wore masks, and those interacting with clients wore plastic shields as well. Hand gel is available and signage describing COVID protocols was clear and visible. Delivery options need to improve to accommodate COVID demand. Overall GX Score: 90.8 Overall, Vivero Playas is highly recommended and on Cielo LifeStyle's Select List. They set a high bar for others to match. Check them out and disfrutelo!

This place is an absolute treasure if you value plants, need advice on care, want to learn what's…read morebest to clean indoor toxins, and everything plant related. Which plants do well is sun or shade or both. The lady who owns it is very helpful and so are all of the workers. 3 of my recent purchases died due to being gone for a month without being a responsible plant mom. HA! I'll return and replace hanging plants that will need less watering and I'm sure they'll be able to help!! Great place to peruse multiple plants for any space you wish to enhance!!

I told Manolo what we were looking for and he directed us to the perfect-size Raphis excelsa!…read moreThe price was in within our budget and it's the perfect size to grow into our back yard. Fantastic, knowledgeable service! Steve P.

Miriam and Renato were super helpful with delivering my plant…read more The plants here are the best, they last for a life time and they are very beautiful.

I purchased more than 400 plants and 20 yards of Gorilla mulch from Kristen at this shop. Working…read morewith was easy and fun. The plants were first rate. The survival rate was high. This is my go to place for price and service. Highly recommend.

Lovely Ambiance. Service is helpful…read more Humongous variety of flowers. Visit this place it has really valuable things for your garden.

My daughter has a love for plants and so she decided she wanted to go to a nursery one Sunday to…read moreHunter's Nursery in Lemon Grove. They do have parking which is always a plus. They have a beautiful selection of plants and flowers for you to choose from everything looks well taken care of the flowers are so beautiful. They have an area also which I thought was considerate where you can leave your plant there in one area while you continue to shop and look around. They have staff available walking around working to ask any questions you may have about the plants or how to take care of them, which was very nice. They also had some local artists artwork of pots you can use and decor as well The plants were about average in price nothing outrageous than I saw compared to other plant stores . We found our plants and flowers well worth the price we paid. I would definitely go back again very nice nursery plants, flowers and trees.

Friendly staff and very helpful. I was able to pick up a few things while I was here. They have a…read moregreat local plant section as well! The pricing is pretty differentiated, some stuff is priced well and some a little more than expected compared to other nurseries. I will however be returning 100%

The best place in City Heights and my favorite San Diego nursery! I can be here all day -- and so…read morecan my pup Enzo. First of all, the place is huge. There's so much to see, so bring a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, and comfy shoes since the ground can be uneven. You'll encounter steps, slopes, and some dirt paths. The parking lot is small and fills up fast, so I like to get there early, especially if I'm doing a big plant haul. It can be tricky loading plants when you're parked far away. What doesn't this place have? There's an onsite bar and grill that's dog‑friendly, has live music, and serves brunch on weekends. There's also a cute boutique flower/gift shop with curated items perfect for any plant lover. They offer free local classes to help educate the community -- I've taken the shrub class, but they have tons of gardening‑related workshops. They have chickens, birds, turtles, and more. They care for and rescue animals, which is amazing. They sell compost, and they have every plant you can imagine, plus a large selection of seeds, pots, tools, beekeeping supplies, and canning equipment. I love that this is a neighborhood, locally owned nursery that truly gives back. They do so much to educate the community and promote sustainability. Please support them and get your next plant baby here. A perfect place for kids and pups!

Parking sucks as their small lot fills up fast, but this place is awesome otherwise. There are…read moredifferent parts to this nursery, including the store, Nate's Garden Grill which featured live music in their the outdoor patio this past Saturday during our visit, and of course the garden area filled with a range of flowers, plants, fruits, sculptures, a bonsai section, live animals (turtles, rabbits, mini donkeys, and chickens), even a lemonade stand (being run by a kid) where we picked up some cookies and refreshments. The setting is beautiful and a joy to explore. And it's a great spot to check out for all of your gardening needs.

The Saffron & Sage Urban Garden cultivates non-GMO, organic heirloom vegetables, herbs and flowers…read more Saffron & Sage also grows native drought-resistant plants, specializing in succulents and cacti. This is the best place to pick up a potted plant to add to your office desk or an air purifying plant to bring into your home. The S&S Urban Garden is also the place to stop by and pick up potted herbs to add to your home garden or give as a gift.

I made a stop at this wonderful ceramic shop on my return from Mexican wine country Valle De…read moreGuadalupe as I drove back to Tijuana. As I drove off the exit, I passed multiple ceramic shops. But I came across this great find after reading some other helpful Yelp reviews. I was drawn to come here to replace my colorful ceramic dog from Mexico that was stolen off my porch in DC. My partner was so upset, that he called the police to say it was stolen (only to have the cops mishear him and think he said our ACTUAL dog was stolen). It wasn't until we started describing the color of it that they figured out it wasn't a real dog -- my partner saying "it was yellow with green polka dots and pink." I immediately asked for any ceramic dogs and to my surprise they had over 10 options and it was the exact kind of dog that was stolen. Ergh, ceramic dog! I paid $40 USD, which I'm not sure is a good price or not. I guess I could have bargained but I was just so happy to have my ceramic dog replaced. And this time, he's not going outside and will be my ceramic indoor pets. Take note, DC Mexican ceramic dog nappers!

I LOVE this place for my planters and garden decore. Ive come several times and i only wheel and…read moredeal with the twins. Lizette is a wonderful sales person and she always gives me the best price! Today i came back again for more items driving into town from 4 hrs away for my pottery just to head home in a few hours lol im serious about my pottery. Everything ive purchase from my cast iron mermaid or set of reading children garden decore to my variety of plant pots have been withstanding the extreme weather condtions at home as well as have not cracked or faded. I hadnt finished my review, so now (a year later) we are here again buying our second batch of pottery for the year. Again Lizette is the absolute best and the pricing is on point. They always get new stuff! I wont even try to go anywhere else.