Today I attended a class on herbs and learned so much from Megan! The class was hands on and we got to take our completed project home. The service at this business is incredible. The owner came by while the class was on and thanked me for coming. There were different varieties of herbs to choose from and Megan went through each plant describing what you can do with it and how to use it in food preparation. The class was only an hour long and under their new tent with tables and chairs available. I felt like this was an incredible value for the money. read more

Waterwise Botanicals - Rosemary, carnation and chocolate mint geranium. All three flowering herbs are edible! Who knew? - Nurseries & Gardening Near Me - Bonsall, California

Aside from having a phenomenal selection of native/drought tolerate plants to choose from at a stellar price, the customer service is unparalleled. Everyone that works here is incredibly nice and helpful. My car battery died suddenly on a recent visit here and two gentlemen (the owner and an employee) made every effort to get my car started and brought me water and a juice box for my kiddo while we waited These are the kind of humans you want to support! read more

Have been seeing online mentions about Waterwise Botanicals and finally made it over on free succulent Saturday on December 6, which is the first Saturday of every month. We were shocked to see so many cars parked along 395, it was hopping this particular Saturday. They have a parking lot, which I should have tried first since I had my mom with me and it was a bit of a walk with a small hill to get up to the nursery. The people managing the parking lot are amazing and a well oiled machine. They were quick to flag down open spots to avoid driving round and round to find one. There were lots of great vendors lining the path, so varied with reasonable prices. The free succulents are very big! I also purchased a succulent bowl, which was chock full of succulents. It was $15.25 before tax. That is a DEAL! Ran down to get my car to pick up the plants and not make my sweet mom have to navigate the downward slope with her cane. That's when I experienced the parking team. Just look for the person at the bottom of the hill, they will be waving people to come up if there are open spots. Cannot wait to come again! read more

Waterwise Botanicals - Free succulents! They are huge and beautiful. - Nurseries & Gardening Near Me - Bonsall, California

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Water wise Botanicals is a hidden gem off Old Hwy 395. They have a huge selection of native plants as well as succulents and indoor plants. Every visit has been accompanied by excellent customer service and knowledge of every plant on the property. The prices are much better than your local box store and make the drive worth the visit. Tips: Bring a hat- the property is very large with little shade and you will want to walk your wagon out to look at the selection of plants. Bring a cool drink and sit in the benches provided to rest in the beautiful garden area near the entrance. Join their newsletter for tips and succulent giveaways. read more

Had our second visit and I don't know how it was possible, but it was even better than the first time. We came in early so we experienced all the vendors we missed the last time. All the employees are super friendly and helpful on top of the fact that if you catch Tom, he will always go out of his way to make you feel completely welcomed. They have some amazing vendors in attendance on top of The Mac Truck and Doh Creamery. We had so much fun exploring every inch of this wonderful paradise. I love how much care and thought that is put into every month's special events! read more

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So happy my friend found this beautiful place and invited me! It's a plant lover's paradise and a beautiful nature walk rolled into one experience. We visited on the first Saturday of the month where they give out a free plant and have a small market with various vendors. There were activities for children which included feeding fish and crafts. Their specialties are cacti and other succulents but they also have houseplants. The employees are welcoming, knowledgeable and helpful. I bought a plant I had on my wish list from last year and was pleasantly surprised at the great price and quality. Highly recommended!!!! read more

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Love,love love this nursery. We discovered it during Covid. And was a lovely place to wander around. And of course have been going since. I needed a specific succulent and of course I know for sure who will have it! I'm a bit cheap but also 1st weekend of the month is a temptation cos there is a very generous plant giveaway! Apart from my lovely freebie I got exactly what I was looking for. Great prices. They also have good home grown mulch & light pumice 'dirt'. You want something specific, indoor, succulents, cactus,roses, drought tolerant -they've got it. Lovely place to just wander on a lovely day. Fish pond with turtles-they've got it. It's weekend a craft & niche market. Popcorn, lunch, coffee! A lively SaturdayOh and lest I forget the loveliest people who are nothing short of helpful. Thank you! read more

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Nearly 20 acres of botanical gardens, shadehouses, ponds with fish, turtles and frogs and an entire greenhouse full of healthy houseplants! Free and open to the public with plenty of parking. You'll find little hidden chairs throughout where you can enjoy peace and tranquilty of the gardens. The staff is super nice and helpful. HUGE selection of healthy plants. This is a hidden gem for sure! Loved our visit and so excited to plant our new succulents read more

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Excellent selection of beautiful plants for different microclimates. Plants are all gorgeous and healthy. There's not much shade when it's hot, so perhaps bring a parasol for the hottest days while walking around. There are beautiful ponds with turtles and fish, and landscaping for you to enjoy if you bring lunch and want to relax at one of the picnic tables. This is my favorite vendor for small (2" and 4" pots) harder-to-find succulents. They also have pre-aaranged pots that make excellent gifts. They have many to choose from, so there are gifts to fit a whole range of budgets. I also like their airplant selection, dried cholla stands, and driftwood offerings. Prices are either very fair or the best you will find anywhere. Fun First Saturday events that are family- and dog- friendly. There are plenty of different vendors to browse. Very generous of them to offer free succulents to adults and craft kids for the kids. The craft kit was so ingenious and included two crafts our toddler was able to make (with help) and no extra supplies needed. Thank you! We loved it. These giveaway items ran out around 12 or 1pm. Parking spills over to the outside high-speed road but easy to find parking. The dirt paths are bumpy and sometimes muddy, and the paths around the covered plants are narrow, so it's not the most accessibility friendly. read more

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Wow. I already loved this place but my visit today was extra special. Huge shoutout to Patrick who took the time to show us around and answer questions. Very informative and made our time there worth the hour drive !!! Thanks again Patrick !!! We love our cherry chocolate chip plant. Huge selection of awesome plants. read more

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This was my first time visiting and so happy I came. The staff was friendly and offered insight into how to best care for the plant I purchased. It is very clean, organized, and has a great selection of plants. Every plant looked very well taken care of (kiddos to their team for maintaining their nursery). As others mentioned, the downside is the prices aren't clearly marked for some of the plants and it makes it difficult to compare prices with other locations. Nonetheless, great way to spend an afternoon with the family. Looking forward to checking out their first Saturday event. read more

Waterwise Botanicals - Nurseries & Gardening Near Me - Bonsall, California

Downgrade (2022 review) Even though I received a "review of the day" back in 2018 for my review of Waterwise, I regret to report that waterwise gets a downgrade in 2022. For most people, waterwise is still a fun place to visit expecially with the family on free succulent days. But for people that shop here regularly (non-wholesale) it's becoming a pain to shop here. I'm really tired of the lack of pricing in the areas past their rapid retail section. Also, is it really too much to ask to make sure identifying plant placards are added (or maintained) for all plant sections? The past few visits I've found unmarked plants and I was forced to buy them and then research at home what they actually were. Waterwise is marketing itself as a "destination" so they really should make sure the whole experience is positive and easy. Here's a prime example of why pricing is dodgy here. I bought an 8 inch artichoke agave which was in a 1 gallon pot.. Again, no posted prices. When I got home I noticed on the receipt the cashier charged me for a 5 gallon plant 32.50. 5 gallon agaves are huge compared to my tiny 8inch one. So what happened? Well there was no misjudging the size of course because a 1 gallon is so much smaller than a 5 gallon. In the past this place has upcharged me based on plant size, not on pot size. Meaning if a plant had outgrown the pot it was in, they would charge for the larger pot price. This isn't just my experience it's a known practice here. As an FYI, Oasis Succulents in Escondido sells the same size artichoke agave (also originating from Altman) for $20. I've let small pricing issues go in the past, but this was the final straw. Perennials also have weird pricing issues lately. Just this past week they were selling single salvia sprigs in 5 gallon pots for $10.. A month ago you could get a whole Salvia bush in a small pot for 7 bucks. Keep in mind these are just a few examples. In summation, waterwise is a bustling wholesaler grower/seller that's desperately trying to be a retail destination. It's great for lookie-loos and for families looking for something to do on a weekend. It's just not working out for the more serious buyers and I just don't see it changing anytime soon. TIPS: - Once you get past their retail zone there are no prices anywhere. It's up to the cashier to determine price. You'll never know if you're getting a fair price or not. That's the frustrating part. - Prices are good here when compared to Moon Valley, Green Thumb, Armstrong, and the downtown Walter Anderson location. But as others have mentioned, prices are equal or higher than other smaller independent nurseries. Shopping around matters. - They sell the hard-to-find bonfire iceplant here. - If you like a plant that's sold in the retail area go check out the wholesale rows. Often the best quality ones are back there where the wholesale buyers pick from. read more

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Beware... Online and at their entrance signage they state "open Sunday from 9-2." This is the second time I've driven almost an hour each way and they've been closed. Love this nursery but they need to update their hours.... read more

This place is so adorable. I saw their free succulent Saturday from Instagram, which drew me in to visit for the first time. I expected the free succulent to be a tiny one, but it was a whole big plant! It was so calm and beautiful walking the grounds. The vendors there what adorable stuff and some delicious treats. A great way to spend some time and I can't wait to go back and find more great additions for my plant life at home. read more

Waterwise Botanicals - Nurseries & Gardening Near Me - Bonsall, California

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This place is amazing! Acres and acres of beautiful plants located in Bonsall just off the 15 freeway. I really like their variety of cacti, some that I've never even seen before! Waterwise Botanicals also has events! For example, every first Saturday of the month they offer one free succulent to every customer. There's also ponds, lawn chairs, and picnic tables scattered throughout the grounds to relax and take in the beautiful scenery. read more

Waterwise Botanicals - Nurseries & Gardening Near Me - Bonsall, California

5 stars great customer service, very large selection and the BEST prices. I have been to 2 big box stores and 3 other nurseries. 5 gallon plants are 12.50. Bags of dirt for North San Diego soil about 1.5 to 2 cubic feet (bag not marked) for only 12.85. If you like cactus theirs are in bloom. read more

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As far as plants go, they are good quality and they have a good selection. I try to buy all my plants here. I go here regularly on the way to the horse ranch. I want to have a pleasant relaxing time when I go here, but some of the staff are just so rude that it takes away from the experience. This has happened too many times here, being treated badly by rude employees. A woman worker (heavy set hispanic woman with long black hair, the one with NO glasses, the one with the darker skin who works in the nursery area) spoke to us in a rude manner and it was unpleasant. Some employees are nice like the cashier guy, but some are just hateful and aggressive. I just want to pick out plants and enjoy the ponds without dealing with negative attitudes. read more

Great Selection. Awesome Friendly Service. Extreme value on tons of plants and poetry just get there early n beat the heat.

a great morning here lots of families and vendors. Our 3 year old granddaughter had lots of fun making her succulent pot. She wants to come back soon. The variety of plants is amazing so worth the drive come early to beat the hea read more

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No pricing on many plants ruins some of the fun. Great variety of items to choose from.

We absolutely loved this place. Masks are mandatory while on the premises. Such a wide variety of plants and nice places to just walk around. They have a few ponds with fish that the kiddos loved. We initially wanted to just take the kids and walk around because we've been quarantined for such a long time, we wanted to stretch our legs. People keep their distance- which is very nice. We ended up buying a few succulents and a torch Bougainvillea for my mom. We'll be back since we have a landscaping project coming up soon. Signs for social distancing and masks are everywhere. Everyone seemed to abide by the rules. We'll be back for sure. read more

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Large property with a wide array of succulents; cacti; and other drought resistant plants. Perfect for our dry Southern California weather. In addition there are three ponds and associated plants to entertain kids. Finally a wide selection of pots for indoor plants. My go to for gardening needs. read more

Checked out this place with a friend for their Free Succulent Saturday but ended up going home with a few additional purchases as well. They have a ton of variety and everything is so gorgeous! Even if you don't plan on buying anything, it's still nice to walk around and take in the sights. Seems to be children and dog-friendly as well. read more

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Very nice nursery great selection of plants cactus & succulents . We went the Saturday they gave a free plant to everyone with a lot of different vendors aswell read more

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We are redoing our front landscaping and this was definitely the place to go. The selection was amazing. We had a couple of picture and the staff took us right to those plants. Healthy plants. Helpful and friendly staff. Good prices. read more

Waterwise Botanicals is such a Hidden gem!!! If you are a plant lover, You HAVE to come to Waterwise Botanicals! They have over 20 acres to roam and explore with so many options for your home and/or landscape! This is not your "average nursery".. Its beyond amazing! They have 3 ponds with fish, turtles, frogs and the biggest tadpoles you've ever seen! Explore all the beautiful plants.. then rest under a shade tree by one of their ponds when you get tired. Such an amazing experience and the staff are extremely helpful and kind! If you haven't been to Waterwise Botanicals, you are definately missing out! read more

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Waterwise Botanicals located in Bonsall is such a hidden gem. It's a huge nursery with acres of beautiful plants, shade houses, green houses, and ponds with fish and turtles. It's such a peaceful and tranquil spot to visit. Waterwise has tons of wonderful photo ops spread out throughout the property and it's so fun to just wander around. The plants are well taken care of and there's so much variety. Waterwise does wonderful community events. They have a beautiful pumpkin patch in October, and have tons of varieties of pumpkins for sale. In December last year they had Santa come to take pictures with children in his sled-- he's so sweet, and last year they did Polaroids for the photos, and there were delicious gingerbread cookies for sale. We love visiting on the first Saturday of the month for Free Succulent Saturday where each adult receives a free succulent and each child gets a themed craft kit. It's so generous and sweet of Waterwise to gift these. We love the different craft and food vendors that set up during the event, and have found lots of great goodies during these festivals. There's always at least one main food vendor for lunch, and often something like a dole whip or treat food truck. Definitely check it out. We love visiting-- you will too! read more

I am working on a succulent project in my backyard and a friend recommended Waterwise for the large selection and the good prices. During the pandemic, I look for any reason for a "field trip" that is safely outdoors, and it made for a fun Saturday getaway with my husband. Waterwise is a large nursery, with a small "green house" and many acres of plants. You can walk around a small pond stocked with fish, pose for fun cactus-themed photo ops, or just admire the views. Seriously, there are hundreds of varieties of succulents. There are so many to choose from. There is also a large area dedicated to roses. They have some other plants, as well as some veggie and herb plants, but I would plan on going for the succulents. They do not sell fertilizers or gardening tools. As we were there during the pandemic, there were no garden shows or demonstrations, but it was nice, peaceful, and uncrowded. We ended up getting the succulents for my project, a prickly pear, because it looked pretty amazing, and a couple fun plants for indoors. I definitely recommend Waterwise for a day trip with the family! read more

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We have been to almost every nursery from Oceanside to Murrieta and this nursery is one that I feel inclined to NOT recommend. Although it is clean, organized, a good selection of unique succulents, and they offer some enticing events/experiences, it's still not worth it. Their prices are extremely higher than other nurseries; and most of them aren't clearly marked which requires extra steps to track someone down to inquire. We came back a second time because of their large variety of succulents (knowing we would be overpaying) and we had a very unpleasant run in with the owner. We had our dog outside of the car and I had not yet put her on a leash (breaking the rules yes, but she's a well trained dog with a good recall. Regardless, I'm aware that they have signs saying dogs must be on leash). He came speeding up behind us in his truck, dust flying, and yelled "your dog cannot be without a leash. Absolutely no way!" With the scene he was making I felt like I was about to be arrested for breaking the law! We put our dog back in the car, and he got to talking to my husband about the plant we were looking at before he arrived. Eventually he apologized for yelling at us, he knew he was over the top. It was awkward and unnecessary. We will not be back. read more

Lovely place to go buy plants plus they decorated for this holiday and had a Santa and had selling some cookies it such a nice place read more

Waterwise Botanicals - Water garden botanicals.. they have a great selection of plants it's a cute place you can take pictures - Nurseries & Gardening Near Me - Bonsall, California

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Cute place to check out in the area filled with beautiful plants, flowers and trees! Absolutely adorable they have the man made ponds filled with frogs, fish and turtles! Spent a good 2 hours here with my little one and she had a blast! Of course we took some plants to go to show our local support. read more

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A plant lovers paradise! 20 acres of magnificence! I spotted a very colorful hill in the distance and wondered what it could be and how can I get to it? As we approached this special place I realized that it's a nursery and open to the public!!! Not only is it open to the public but every first Saturday of the month they give out FREE succulents to each person visiting! Too good to be true? Nope! I fell in love with so many items that I ended up with a trunk full of plants! There are so many unique and special pieces I honestly had a hard time controlling myself and could have easily rented a uhaul and brought back an entire moving truck home with me! I had to control my urges! The grounds are something else, the colorful hill I spotted is referred to as Succulent Mosaic Mountain and you can walk all around. Explore the ponds filled with fish & water lilies. There are also so many different areas to explore such as the composting section, rose gardens, mini succulent shade house, tropical garden and so much more. Open Mon-Sat from 8am-5pm and closed Sundays. read more

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My favorite place to walk around and buy succulents! So many too choose from! I love the variety and beauty this place has to offer. There are some that are already arranged in a pot but many sizes to make your own. I was blown away by how many different types of plants they had. All so unique and beautiful. I love that it's dog friendly too. But be respectful and keep your dogs on a leash. And be mindful that during the summer it gets hot so make sure to bring them water or bring them when it's cooler outside. Overall they have lots of plant options, friendly staff, and lots of parking. I can't wait to come back. read more

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A beautiful place to learn about local plants! We didn't get to spend enough time here. Will definitely need to come back when we have more time. read more

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If you missed it, here are some photos from our visit in April 2023. Waterwise had an amazing collection and show of cactus blooms. We spent hours enjoying the splendor. read more

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Great spot for succulents and other plants! They gave us some free 1 gallon blue elfs! Nice place for the kids to learn about plants. read more

This was my last stop to visit all succulent nurseries in my Yelp collection. What a wonderful surprise! First, this place is not only a nursery but a lovely garden as well. Worth a drive to San Diego area. It's just a minute off I-15 on Old Hwy 395. Acres of plants, other ornamentals and not just succulents, anything "waterwise" for the dry So Cal areas. I am new to succulents and am working on small planter projects for homes and friends, maybe arrangements to sell down the road. Iwanted some plants out of the ordinary and that you probably won't find at Home Deport or Lowe's. I found them here. AND, I didn't break my budget! If I were someone in LA or OC, you could make a day of it to Old Town Temecula, Waterwise Botanicals, and go out to the coast to see the ocean! Love this place! read more

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What an amazing place! It's HUGE, and they have tons of plants to choose from. The people are very nice and helpful, but they leave you alone until you ask for help. It's a very relaxing, peaceful place. Dogs on leashes are welcome! They are very COVID conscious. I highly recommend. Stop by and I'll bet you'll leave there with a few plant buddies to bring home! read more

Such a fun nursery to visit! Lots of varieties for succulents! We spent 2 hours here and honestly we could of spent more time walking around. The staff was helpful if you asked but other than that they let you be and wonder around without bothering you. Which I greatly appreciated. They had a lot of people taking care of the plants so there's always someone close by to help without feeling pressured. read more

Waterwise Botanicals - Succulent bath tub - Nurseries & Gardening Near Me - Bonsall, California

A huge nursery with lots of plants in many sizes. It's located near Fwy 15, in the middle of the canyons. We went there a day after rain so the air was super clean. Beautiful view. The plants are well taken care of. The water of the pond was crystal clear. Love this place. read more

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