Molbak's

Wed, 5/22/19 waited till a weekday to go to Molbaks to avoid crowds and get help. The experience was so bad I plan on sending this to Jens Molbak and Julie Kouhia General Manager. Plan was to have two planter boxes replanted (as I have in the past) and purchase two hanging begonias. Went to information desk and asked for assistance to have boxes replanted. Waited for over 30 min and although information desk had called no one came to help us. Info person tells my husband the "design people" are too busy to help us and would charge $75.00 per hr. to help us choose plants and to create the boxes and after all our waiting they are "just beyond". I asked what on earth does that mean are they from Mars--beyond Earth? I mean really what did it mean. She finally said just too busy. Geez, I am sorry I thought helping customers was important. In the meantime back behind the information desk is a gathering of six women in green shirts who obvious work there laughing and talking and helping NO ONE.There is a line of at least seven people in line waiting for register help with two people working the registers. The information person suggested we should just figure out how to create our own boxes because no one knows how terribly backed up "design would be". We also had noted don't bother to try for lunch. There was already a line of 15 people waiting to put in orders there. At this juncture it became clear Molbaks was clearly not interested in our business. We do find their products pricey, however, are willing to pay if the service is there. THE SERVICE WAS NON EXISTENT. EVERYONE ACTED LIKE WE WOULD BE LUCKY IF THEY WAITED ON US. At this juncture I ventured to the "Information Desk" in the middle of the store I politely asked for a customer comment card. They pointed me to the check out line and then said they would get it for me. Check out line pointed the person back to the original "Information deck" who was not helpful. We left, went to Gray Barn Nursery Redmond, who was wonderful and helped. more

I asked the nice people at Molbak's in Woodinville the same question two weeks ago. The advice I got was mixed but many people seem to be pleased with their results from using the repellants with castor oil in them. Moles don't like the castor oil and it's not toxic for your soil. However, one helpful Molbak employee told us that she had spectacular results from collecting the "doggie dumplings" from her yard and inserting them into the tunnels. She said, "The moles leave because they don't like it!" My reply, "Wouldn't you, too?" Best of luck more

This is "The Four Seasons" of gardening stores. So if your tastes aren't refined, you might be happier buying your flowers at some place like Safeway. Molbak's 15 acre golf-course sized store will probably have whatever you may need for your garden. Their 36 acre computer controlled growing facility is the source of 80% of the plants that they sell, according to their website http://69.93.14.252/ You won't need to spend lots of time checking to see which plants will remain viable if planted, because many of Molbak's 200 or so employees constantly care for them. They have enough room for more exotic and interesting plants like Golden Dawn trees, Monkey Puzzle trees, lotuses, Antler Lichens, and variegated Japanese Maple trees. Don't expect to get any 'bargains' here, you can get many of the less exotic plants for half the price elsewhere, but it's hard to find such a beautiful specimens anywhere else. more

This place is truly amazing. They have an endless selection of every plant imaginable. The nursery staff is very knowledgable and will help you make choices based on your yard and sun exposure, etc. My only complaint is that I find their prices to be a bit much - yes everything is healthy and beautifully presented, but they really are expensive. more

My wife is the gardner in the family - I tend to get involved do heavy lifting or tend to the plants she unltimately wants to replace (since the odds are I will kill them). But I do tag along when she goes to the garden store. This week she took me along to Molbak's in Woodinville. I hadn't been in a while. I was reminded just how good a place this is. Molbak's is big. They have a large selection of plants, organized by type of plant (groundcover, leafy shrub, etc) and clearly marked in terms of ideal growing conditions. Inventory was impressive - we needed to buy new Irish Moss, and when we pointed out that they were running low they pointed to another spot with new inventory, allowing us to get what we needed. And best of all the plants were all in good shape - nothing close to death in the entire bunch. That's more than I can say for some nurseries I've been to. The staff is knowledgeable. The person we talked with about different ground covers (besides the moss) spent the time talking about the growing conditions we had and made a couple good recos. We had another conversation with someone about weed control on the patio and she didn't go directly to the "use RoundUp" answer but discussed the pros and cons of a couple alternative methods (my personal favorite - get a propane torch and burns the weeds), including a new organic method she was trying at home. Being a guy I had to check out the tools, and they have an impressive array. Nearly anything you want, short of power tools, can be found. I didn't know what about a quarter of them were for, but I'm sure they had a purpose. The only black mark is that they are pretty expensive, moreso than most of the other nurseries in the area. But the quality of service and selection makes it worthwhile. Couple survival notes - if you go on a weekend go early because it gets crowded fast. Also, if you are driving from Seattle you need to take one of the bridges and 405. If you take the back route through Kenmore around the North side of Lake Washington you can save yourself a lot of traffic headaches. more

The Molbak family has been a staple of the Woodinville environment for years. But those once arid greenhouses have been updated to a range of trendy shops within a larger greenhouse complex. If it remotely links to your yard or might fit in the living room, Molbak's has it. From plants to furniture to sculpture to tools, Molbak's offers items that you can pack into the card only if your credit card has a high enough limit. Prices are actually OK. Some items are quite reasonable. Some are overly high. But what you get with Molbak's is a kind of shopping experience that makes you want to go out and work in the garden. It's a fun place to take out of town guests when you want a break from the usual sight seeing. more

I had lunch for the first time at Molbak's cafe, quiche and a strawberry lemonade. The quiche was surprisingly awful, tasted like egg beaters heated to a rubbery texture on a soggy crust. The strawberry lemon drink was disapointing also, with a powdered drink type taste. I guess I was hoping that it would be as good as the Swanson's cafe but it doesn't come close in quality of food served. I do love the nursery part of Molbak's! more

So Molbak's is absolutely a beautiful place to wander around. Around holiday time, it's the best and truly captures the holiday spirit, especially with their Kringles, from Larsen's Bakery. They have a fantastic supply of exotic and not-so-exotic-plants-that-look-exotic-there. But the prices are really expensive for what you get. I have to admit, Molbak's has presentation down! Hands down, they do stock these wonderfully delicious Kringles from Larsens around holiday time that you can get for about $10 each. This is a better price than you can get at the bakery and they make a wonderful holiday gift. I go just for these pastries! more

HUGE place, great selection of products. nice and friendly staff who know the business. also have demonstrations and activities for the kids, which really separates em from the competition. only drawback is so big takes awhile to find what you are getting, fun place to browse. more

Especially around Xmas time! Pointsettia's everywhere! Its festive, colorful, everybody's in a good mood. Also, around july 4th or so, they alwys have a 2-1 on annuals, herbs, perrenial's and baskets. they are helpful people when you have questions too. I also like the gift shop, most stuff pricey, but fun to dream! I've been going there for years & years!! more

Molbak's over the years has just grown and grown. They have a wonderful selection of plants, shrubs, flowers, etc., and staff who are quite knowledgeable and friendly to boot. At Christmastime, it is just a wonderland with all they have to buy with treasures around every corner. Their pointsettia collection is just amazing with the choice of colors and variations. There is plenty of parking. more

Visiting Molbacks in November and December is a must. They have the most amazing poinsettias. Making the trek out to Woodinville to pick up a couple of these colorful flowers is as important as picking out your tree. A great way to jumpstart your holiday season. All other times of the year, you will find what you need for your garden or inside plant needs. more

I could spend a day here and get lost!! What to expect on your visit: A beautiful atrium like area with jungle like plants. A very large gift area with everything from baby toys to place mats and The Thymes lotions. A full service florist department too. It is pretty special to receive something from Molbaks florist, you know you are getting a quality plant or bouquet. A huge selection of house plants. An area filled with kitchen stuff and gourmet food items. Knowledgeable staff able to help with gardening issues and plant questions. A large selection of rose bushes, shrubs, trees, annuals and perennials. Outdoor furniture and garden features, such as a bird bath or fountain. Quality products and service. www.molbaks.com more

Molbak’s, as you likely already know, is a great local business for all of your gardening needs. The drive is a bit of a pain, being all the way over in Woodinville, so it’s not the place to go for quick and simple tasks. That said, when you’re doing larger and more extensive work, it’s worth borrowing a friend’s pickup and making an afternoon of it. more

Feeling a million miles from Seattle (but only in Woodinville), Molbak’s offers acres of plants. Their poinsettia collection at the end of the year boggles the mind: peach, pink, red, white, and so forth. Mostly, though, Molbak’s offers an all-encompassing sense that you can find any plant or gardening tool you’ll need. The only question is where are to put everything once you return home… more

This store located just south of Woodinville has a huge selection of plants, plant products and a great staff that gives great advice. For those in the city needing a lot of plants, it's worth the drive across the bridge to get plants at great prices. The plants are healthy and usually are varieties which will do well in our mild climate. more

Let's face it. The selection and quality of plans and flowers at Home Depot and Lowes sucks for the most part and no one at these big box stores knows a perennial from an evergreen. Molbak's Garden Center is not close, but it is well worth the drive. There huge campus has anything you could possibly need and that are ample staff to help you out. And, they actually know their stuff! more

When I'm looking for something painfully specific in the herb kingdom, like Thai Basil or Orange Mint, there's only one place and time to go: Molbak's in late spring/early summer. They have a an amazing selection of herbs that is hard to beat--Thai, probably 12 different varieties of mint, rosemary, sage, rue, lemon catnip--it's a pleasure to walk the herb aisle during late spring, and just indulge in a little aromatherapy. I have also found I generally don't need to worry about buying root-bound plants at Molbak's--they take excellent care in selecting their stock. If you want to try adding fresh herbs to your cooking, this is a great place to stock up on a variety of basics. They also have a nice variety of earth-friendly pest management solutions. And their seed selection is amazing. more

For one of the largest selections of plants, flowers and gardening supplies- check out Molbak's in downtown Woodinville. The staff is extremely knowledgeable and eager to assist with all of your needs. The selection is massive and easily categorized under care requirements, to allow easy navigation through the aisles. There are also garden tools and accessories inside the store. I have found them to be slightly more expensive than discount retailers, but the service more than makes up for it! more

Molbak's carries a lot of exquisite seeds and planting accessories. Price can be high unless you join their E-Club and use the coupons they send to you via email. The tree and shrub selection is not big but plant quality is good. They also have an adjacent store that sells home decoration accessories. more