Got some plants, a water lily and umbrella plant. Cool place in a residential area. I parked out on the street but realized that you can drive up to the property. The person who helped me was friendly and helpful. read more

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I've visited a few times to pick up plants and fish/snails for my garden pond, and it's truly a hidden gem! The place is beautiful, and the manager is incredibly knowledgeable, taking the time to guide me through the perfect plant options for my space. It can be a bit tricky to find at first--it looks like a house, and you have to follow a dirt path to the parking area. The service is great, and my plants are absolutely thriving! Outdoor pond supplies can be hard to come by, but this place is a game changer. I even drove all the way from Torrance just to shop here! read more

Van Ness Water Gardens - Nurseries & Gardening Near Me - Upland, California

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Attention everyone! There are two owners! It's under new management as of June 2019. So reviews before that should be disregarded. Great young guys to work with who really loves what they do. We went during one of their grand opening weeks and wow it's totally different from the previous owner. They really took care of us and gave us really good deals on their water lillies. I recommend asking for "unknown" water lillies meaning the price will be almost half because they do not know what color flowers the plant will produce. I recommend looking at their tubs and if you see one of the flowers most likely the rest will be the same..Also upgrade to a 5 gallon pot for $5 dollars which is worth it. The aquatic dirt alone is $10. They will also get new fish and will start revamping the area. Give these guys a chance! Highly recommended as compared to other nurseries that sell water plants for ponds. read more

Great first visit to this kind and experienced person's shop. Anxious to visit it again because I certainly didn't take in everything available. read more

I first came here over 30 years ago when I built my first little pond in Riverside. They had everything and the grounds were so pretty. They're now under new ownership and it looks like they're trying. We drove from Palm Springs, worth the drive. We picked up 2 fish, some water hyacinths and got a free tadpole. We weren't prepared- they sold us a plastic tub to take the fishies back and they are loving their new environment. People are giving horrible reviews and I don't know why. Things change. Pandemic didn't do anyone any favors. I'm pleased when any small business was able to stay open - especially one that's 100 years old. I did my research before I came and we'll be back when the water plants are blooming again (it's winter and everything is dormant). read more

8/15/2020 I return to van ness water garden to buy some oxygenating grass. Since now the business is under new ownership. There as been a few changes, I'm kinda sad to see all the art pieces gone. I haven't seen there fish selection just yet. However let me just say that I'm not pleased how they run the business. First they have up the prices then the original owner for an example of you were to buy a bundle of Oxygenating Grass these people will charge you 12.00$ per bundle........ my head just imploded. The original owner would charge about 5$ per bundle and he would give you a decent amount for your dollars worth. These new people don't have a clue but to rape your wallet. I then immediately drove to Mystic Koi For the same plants and they charge me 3.00$ a bundle.. WTH!!!!!!!!!!. So I'm no longer going to Van Ness anymore for anything I will take my business to Mystic Koi.....oh BTW I would listen to Charles P Review everything he mention is totally inaccurate, as an upland resident, a former employee of the original owner, and a long time customer. Trust me when I say that these New Owners are completely incompetent on how to run a business and there customers service is below par.... DO DON'T BUY ANYTHING FROM VAN NESS if you like to pay away more then the going rate in todays market. read more

Van Ness Water Gardens - This review needs to need seen and noted!!!!! - Nurseries & Gardening Near Me - Upland, California

Visited there and such an amazing place, situated in a residential area of nice homes. They have every type of water plant your garden could desire with ponds and ponds full of blooming water lilies.. I have my plants in small containers so chose a dwarf papyrus and it is doing well in its new home. Spoke with one of the new owners, Vu Bui, and he was a very accomodating fellow and wish him all the luck in this business that has been going on for so many years. read more

Went to seek advice about plants for a duck and turtle pond. Purchased hundreds of dollars worth of aquatic plants. Was given bad advice about which plants to introduce and plants were destroyed by the turtles. Sent multiple messages and was just ignored. They got their money and just didn't want to know anything else. Horrible customer service. read more

This water garden is a valuable place around here in southern California and the guys there have to work really hard to keep up and make it better. They have to work other jobs to put money into gardens. Try to do this yourself and pay for water and other bills and you will appreciate. For the winter time when the flower season is over, you need to call before you visit as mentioned on website. It would be nice to show support for this garden as it is not like other businesses. People are in this kind of business is only for the passion and love of the unique aquatic plants and animals. Constructive advice and suggestion (not complaints and whining) will support a unique business like this to keep it going. It's good for everyone and the environment. read more

Van Ness Water Gardens - Nurseries & Gardening Near Me - Upland, California

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Great place for all of your pond gardening needs. The staff was extremely helpful. Manager Wesley took the time to explain the different plants. Slightly expensive but all the work is done, just drop the plant in water. Wish the business hours were longer and had more of a selection but will be by in the spring/summer time to see everything in full bloom!!! Will definitely be back read more

Van Ness Water Gardens - Majority of plants from van ness. Really added beauty to my pond. Thx - Nurseries & Gardening Near Me - Upland, California

Incredibly rude service. My husband took our kids to look around and purchase a tadpole for our garden. The man working was ridiculously hostile and rude. He just glared at my husband and my kids the entire time and then when we asked to purchase a tadpole he said "It's going to take too long" and walked away! He literally refused us service. As local residents of the surrounding San Antonio heights community where this garden is located its extremely disappointing to have been treated this way. It was a disheartening lesson to have to teach my kids that there are some unkind people in this world. They were confused and upset about not being able to get a tadpole. On top of that the place was unkept and overpriced. Steer clear from here. read more

Need to update their hours of operation on google/Yelp and their website. On google/Yelp it says open til 2 and website til 7 on sundays. We drove from OC and got there at 1245. The gates are locked. We called and got voicemail saying we should schedule appointment if they are closed. A little annoyed by this inaccurate information. The ponds are visible from the outside. Looks like multiple stock tanks. Looks unkempt...nothing how a garden should be. Won't be coming back read more

Went there to look for aquatic plants for my new pond. My wife and I walked around for 15 minutes, and then from out of nowhere in a booming accusatory tone, we heard "can I help you?" It was the kind of tone you would expect from someone who just caught a trespasser on their property. We looked back to see an old fat man with a stupid looking hat. I explained to him that I had a pond with shelving and that I was looking for a particular kind of plant. He rambled on for a minute about something unrelated to what I'd asked, making it clear that he didn't understand what I had just asked him. He was uninformative and filled with hostility. What a useless a$$hole! Their yard looked unkept, their plants looked ratty and overpriced, and I would never give my business to such an unpleasant person. read more

Sadly the owner has made some changes to the staff. No longer is Wes servicing my pond. They new guys were very nice however, not nearly as knowledgeable experienced or thorough. Very disappointed. No follow up call was received or a call to book my next appointment. Maybe they have enough money and don't need to take care of their long time customers. Bad move in re staffing. read more

Beautiful historic water gardens. Best selection of aquatic plqnts including edibles and natives. Helpful staff. Check out their free planting guide for great information read more

My husband and I have lived in Inland Empire for 40 years and never visited Van Ness Water Gardens. Boy have we missed out on a real gem! We were in need of some mosquito fish for our pond and called Van Ness to see if they had any. I talked with Kristen on the phone and she was super helpful. When we drove up she was already gathering our fish. I can't say enough about how helpful Kristen was. She answered our questions, offered suggestions and was very knowledgeable about water gardens in general. There are lots of ponds with a big assortment of water plants and some beautiful koi of all sizes. If you are in need of something for your water feature or pond, be sure to visit them in north Upland. read more

What a beautiful place! I love walking the gardens and learning about the water plants. The staff is great and Kristen is especially friendly and knowledgable. read more

The young guy who works there is very helpful and sweet. The older guy-RUDE, RUDE, RUDE!! Not helpful in the least. I have never been treated so badly at a store. It has very few hours in which it is open and it is expensive. You would be willing to spend more if you thought that you would get more, but do not expect expertise because they are not nice at all!! This experience actually happened last summer, but I am still so angry about it I decided I had to let others know. read more

What a unique family business established in 1922! Water lilies, koi fish, supplies, really everything and anything you might need for a backyard water gardens, ponds, fountains, or even tub gardens. Lots of advice on how to care for your watery creatures to selecting the right sized pump for your waterfall. Closed on Sundays and Mondays. read more

New to water gardening, I asked the staff at Van Ness Water Garden every annoying newbie question under the sun. The staff were very patient and informative. They recommended starting off with a few plants that would be hardy (aka hard to kill) that would create a balanced ecosystem. When I went back 3 months later, I had the exact same experience - detailed info about how to repot, easy additions to fill out the garden a little more, set the pots in the pond very slowly to avoid making a mess. I drive about 60 miles to get to Van Ness Water Gardens and honestly believe it's worth the trip for the wonderful service and quality plants. Thanks to Kristen and the guys! read more

This place has every water plant you would ever want. The staff is very helpful and even makes suggestions when you don't have the slightest idea what to get. There are many large ponds to look at and get ideas for aquascaping your yard. Pricing is a little high but you get what you pay for here. They also carry koi and goldfish along with snails and tadpoles. read more

This place is a rip-off. You can get the same products and services at less than half the cost. I can't believe that these guys can get away with these price gouging. Don't go here if you can avoid it, there is Mystic Koi, or Rainbow Gardens. i'm sure that there are other places to find good service and reasonable prices, I RECOMMEND NOT GOING TO VAN NESS WATER GARDENS!!!. read more

I have gotten a lot of help from this place and some nice plants. The sad thing is on my last visit there is a real estate sign posted. The owner is older and the kids aren't interested. Will be sad to see this place dozed under for some home or even worse condo. read more

Talk about excellent customer service! I've been searching for answers for these new critters in my tub garden and came across Van Ness Water Garden's website. I didn't even purchase my water lilies from them but Kristen and her manager took the time to listen. Kristen even allowed me to send her pictures of the critters so she could help me figure out the problem. As promised, Kristen called back the same day with answers and a solution. They are absolutely wonderful! If they are this helpful and caring when I'm not a customer, I can only imagine how great they will be when I am. 110% Satisfaction! Highly recommend them! read more

We have worked with this company for over 10 years. The McKenna water lilies they sold us were extraordinary until another variety we bought elsewhere took over. They came out and cleaned out the pond. They have been really great about recommendations, patient with questions, followed up as we asked "call us when night bloomers arrive." Kristen and Wes are really a pleasure whenever we are in contact. I appreciated that they did not try to oversell me on plants for my small pond. read more