Recognized Garden Center

For numerous years, The Great Outdoors previously attended frequent Home and Garden shows at the convention center. Each and every show we did we were awarded some sort of trophy, either for "Best of show" or Landscape or Layout. Stop by and see the trophies and plaques here at the nursery.

We are honored to have been awarded "Revolutionary 100" Garden Centers in the country, not once, but twice. We have also been honored five times in the Austin Chronicle.

Check out some of the great press honors we’ve received

Best of Austin Best Gardening Store

Great Outdoors
(Readers Poll, Shopping, 2005)

The horticulturally challenged will find this South Congress oasis as inviting and inspiring as the green-thumbed do. A turn into the gates and down the hill, and suddenly you're seemingly miles away from the bustle of the Avenue. Glorious foliage and friendly help provide outdoor inspiration and good-ol' Texas know-how all year round. Christmas tree purchases are tops here, too.

Best Gardening Store

Great Outdoors Garden Center
(Readers Poll, Shopping, 2004)

The staff boasts that the Great Outdoors is not just a plant store but an authentic Austin “destination,” and they’re right about this veritable Eden. Stroll around under the magnificent oak trees, stop for a cup of coffee or a leisurely lunch, select a plant to satisfy your sensibilities, breathe deep the refreshing air, listen to the fountains trickle, and you’re sure to feel at ease – at least for the duration of your visit.

Best Plant Nursery

The Great Outdoors Garden Center
(Readers Poll, Shopping, 2003)

An oasis off South Congress that provides inspiration and motivation for even those folks with thumbs o' brown, the grounds of these Great Outdoors are a virtual fairyland at Christmas, a riot of color in spring, and a cool refuge in summer amid the waterfalls, swings, and fragrant herbs.

Best Place To Buy A Christmas Tree

The Great Outdoors Garden Center
(Critics Picks, Shopping, 2001)

December in these parts don't resemble the snow-dusted greeting cards scenes that fill the stores. There are plenty of days when shorts are perfectly appropriate attire. Where is one to find a winter wonderland and get into the spirit of things? Right on South Congress, where the good folks at the bucolic Great Outdoors nursery set up their Christmas trees among the permanent collection of gorgeous plants, garden accessories, and trees that inhabit the nursery year round.

The yuletide trees are kept in water while they await adoption, which ensures minimal needle expulsion. Sizes range from lilliputian to grand two-story monsters that grace local bank lobbies. And while you and the kiddos (bring the kids, it's a fairyland delight that resembles the Secret Garden) peruse the forest, the aroma of freshly baked cookies compete with the piney smell of evergreens. Munch the warm Christmas cookies while the staff goes the extra mile of putting your selection on a super shaker machine that releases all loose needles before they bag the tree and put it safely in your car for the trip to its new home. That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.

Best Plant Nursery

TIE: Red Barn Garden Center;
The Great Outdoors Garden Center
(Readers Poll, Shopping, 2001)

From dirt cheap Red Barn to the gloriously extravagant Great Outdoors, these two winners offer an amazing selection between them. With knowledgeable staffs and good customer service, each has something very different to offer, and each offers excellent quality.

Best Gardener/Landscaping

Great Outdoors Landscape
(Readers Poll, Services, 2000)

Ever tried xeriscaping? No, it's not some new n' gnarly x-treme sport or a mood-enhancing meditation practice. It's a hot-weather way of landscaping with plants that require little water. And the folks at Great Outdoors can completely design, install, and maintain a xeriscape or any other landscape for your home or business.

Best Plant Nursery

Great Outdoors Landscape
(Readers Poll, Shopping, 2000)

How big is an 800-year-old live oak tree? Big enough to be the star attraction of this unique nursery. Specializing in hard-to-find native plants, it also boasts its own waterfall that literally makes this urban oasis 10 degrees cooler than the rest of our city. Could that be why this place is so South Austin cool?

Today's Garden Center magazine's 100 Revolutionary Garden Centers for 2007