Hi. I just stumbled upon your post. We live down in Stafford, but have been to the Merrifield that you are asking about a couple of times.... and we love it. This last trip, I was asking about what I thought were some oddball plants...I asked 3 different people about 3 different plants.... and by the time I was done talking to each of them, they had provided a thorough education on these plants! They also pulled in coworkers to the conversations... as they knew who could also give input. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience... I didn't find their prices crazy,...particularly with the wealth of knowledge that came with them. Also, they do offer a military discount.

I live in Reston and I love Merrifield! I usually go to the one in Gainsville/Manassas. Its huge. I love it there. Like rbcary said they have knowledge about the products they sell. I dont find that in some nurseries.
My 9 year old son usually finds odd cactus there that are not at other places. Hes a collector :)
I hope you get everything together!

Thank you so much, rbcary and cghpnd! We did indeed decide to go to Merrifield for our plants in the future, perhaps a little later in the summer when it's not quite as hot and sunny (although it has been mild compared to most summers, for certain).

My dad is fearful of the high prices at Merrifield, but he is also incredibly stingy, so it was hard for me to tell if it would be reasonable. I'd expect to pay more at any nursery (rather than somewhere like home depot or lowes) for better quality plants. Plus, the labor costs are free-- me!

And thank you for affirming that the staff are knowledgeable and helpful. It's just what we need. We've gotten a better idea of some plants, but if some friendly folks could chip in and give us more advice, that would be wonderful.

Thanks again!

P.S. I love that your son collects cacti, cghpnd. Little cacti and succulents are just adorable! :)

I'm jumping in a little late here, but I love Merrifield as well. Their prices ARE higher though than other garden centers... but I find the quality and service there is worth the extra $5 or $10 per plant. I have also shopped at Meadow Farms (Annandale and Falls Church) and I really do not recommend them unless you can't find what you're looking for at Merrifield. The staff is underwhelming, the plants not taken care of very well, and the one thing I did buy there was infested with larvae (monarda) and they wouldn't let me return it.

Edit: To add, I don't want to make M. Farms look terrible, I just didn't have a good experience. I did actually buy a hosta and black-eyed susan from them, both of which are doing well. Their prices are more reasonable than Merrifield and they have sales often.

This post was edited by ayimera on Tue, Aug 26, 14 at 16:01

You're not late at all, ayimera! Since we decided to wait until the late summer/fall when it cools off to do any buying/planting, your tips are greatly appreciated.

It's good to hear another positive experience with Merrifield. The main things we want are communicative staff and healthy plants, and it sounds like Merrifield fits the bill perfectly.

OK, way late to the party here. I too really like Merrifield garden center. I have found a few deals on plants there and most often I don't get the regular priced stuff there unless I'm looking for something special. There is one place I really like that's just up the street from the Merrifield Fairfax Center called "Betty's Azalea Ranch". They have a lot of great plants and the price is a little better then Merrifield.
Dave