Best places to find fountains and garden art near San Jose?

Any recommendations for stores that sell garden ornaments, like fountains and statues? I'm willing to drive up to an hour or so for a really special store.

I'm not sure what style of fountain I'm looking for, so I'd love to find a place that would let me browse a lot of styles at once.

I know the expert garden shoppers out there can help me.

Tracy, there is a place along 92 going toward Halfmoon Bay that has a big selection and what seemd like good prices. It's on the left just past the HMB nursery, also a good stop.

Right near the Cow Palace with hundreds of items to see:
A Silvestri Co Garden Ornaments
(415) 239-0422
2630 Bay Shore Blvd
San Francisco, CA 94134
http://www.asilvestri.com/products.htm

Their website lists retailers that handle their merchandise, but why not go to the source.

Silverstri is one of the statuary companies that sell to retail nurseries who then up the price astronomically for sale to us. Buying direct from them should get you a considerable discount. Here in the valley is another one of those companies...Lomelli's. They are on the south-west corner of Highway 99 and 8 mile road in Lodi. Any Bay Area people going to Sacramento can exit 8 mile road, go back over the highway, then go right on the frontage road. Their drive is the second right. You can see them from the highway as you go by.

K

Thanks for the tips! I can't wait to check these out.

There is a discount store in Hayward, I believe it is on Industrial. I went there 2 years ago. I just did a google search and came up with this place

Florence & New Italian Art Co
(510) 785-9674
27735 Industrial Blvd
Hayward, CA 94545
3.4 mi S - Directions

It may be the right one. You could call them.

Florence is another who sells to the retail nurseries! Buying direct from the manufacturer is the way to go!

K

There is a business in front of Western States Garden Center which is just north of the (Stockton) Arch Rd exit on Hwy 99, east frontage road. Their prices are great & they also take their things up to the Galt Flea Market on Tuesdays and sell them at wholesale prices. I wish I could remember the name of the place, but I guess one could call Western States Garden Center for that. I have bought a few bird baths and some stone animals from them & I am very happy with them. Probably too far for you to drive Lily, but for anyone that lives closer to me it might be of interest.

I looked at Silvestri and Florence and all the places in Berkeley for a fountain, but I wound up finding the perfect one at the place on 92 that Calif_Sue was talking about. We were on the way back from a vacation and just stopped off on a lark. They have a large selection on site, but the key is that they can order from catalogs. That way you can get exactly the finish you want. Prices weren't bad either. I wanted a fountain that was not formal/traditional, but not modern either, which was not easy to find. I LOVE my fountain. It's in the front yard and the neighbors love it too.

I'd love to see a picture of it, jills. I still haven't found the time to go to any of these places. I'm hoping to make a shopping trip soon.

You got time during the week at all Tracy? I would love to go again as I know they have good prices and selections plus I want to hit the Halfmoon Bay nursery at the same time down the road from them.

I would love to go, Sue, but I'd have to arrange for someone to get my kids from camp. The only days I could possible go this week are Wednesday and Thursday. I really do need to pick out a fountain, though.

Oops, actually, Thursday is the only day I'm free. Sigh...

If you want to go together, we can arrange it to carpool.
Oh, I really shouldn't go to another nursery, I can barely keep up with all the stuff I have been buying and have so much moving around and redoing to do out there already. It's horrible! And I am wanting to go more nursery shopping?! It's an illness I tell you, a real disease!

I know what you mean, Sue. I'll send you e-mail.

Lily, here's an attempt to post a photo of my fountain. The file is large, and I'm having all kinds of problems doing it, so I hope this works!

Very beautiful Jill, nice size for it's placement.

Very pretty, Jills. That's similar to what I'm looking for.

Do they have statues and other garden art there too?

I believe they did have statuary as well, but I couldn't swear to it.

yes, they do have statues and other garden art

So, what was the final decision? You order yet? and the pics?

I will post the pics. However, after all that careful searching, my DH is hemming about getting a fountain because of the extra work involved in maintaining, cleaning, and filling it. Oh well, I had a grand time looking around and I made a good haul at Half Moon Bay Nursery.

My DH came up with a cleaning solution that works pretty well. He drilled a hole about an inch in diameter in the bottom of the fountain. Then he got a rubber plug to fill it. When the water gets scummy, I just unplug the pump, pull out the rubber plug and stick a bucket under the hole to drain the water. I use the hose on a stream setting to rinse everything off, put the plug back and refill. It's a little tricky to get the plug in perfectly so that there are no drips, but I have to say this innovation really makes the fountain easy to maintain. Of course, this would not work with a fountain where the basin is on the ground. Good luck convincing the DH!

It's all PudgyMudpies fault. I had to go hunt up the unnamed statuary in front of Western States Garden Center. It is Ralph's Statuary, 3030 S Highway 99, Stockton. http://www.ralphsstatuary.com/ I got two pedestals. While roaming 99 I also went to Discount Statuary, 12878 West Stockton Blvd, Galt (East side or 99, just south of Twin Cities exit.) http://www.discountstatuary.com/ I got 3 heads. I had an address for Hollandutch Nursery off Eight Mile Rd in Lodi, but at 10950 N Hwy 99 at the exit from 99 on Eight Mile, I found Lomeli Gardens (East Side) I got a gargoyle. Made it to Hollandutch, but fortunately they did not have much statuary.
Each of these locations makes their own products and each has rather unique items. All were friendly, but Lomeli definitely had the largest selection and was the most professionally presented. I though all prices to be reasonable and found all that I was looking for, with the exception of a really ugly troll for under a friend's bridge. The friendly staff of Ralph's directed me to Art Craft Statuary http://artcraftstatuary.com/ so I guess I will be off there and Florence & New Italian Art Co (which seems to be related to Orchard Supply) tomorrow. To paraphrase Snoopy "Curse you PudgyMudpies!"

hehehehehe I LOVE it!

There is this store in Lafayette on Mt. Diablo Blvd. I cannot remember the name of the place. It's a small store, but they have all kinds of fountains, HUGE wind chimes, really great stuff!

The one fountain I want is a huge flat pool, with 8 or 10 candle holders in it, and a huge Budda head right in the middle. Not that I'm a big follower of the chubby god, but when you look at it, with the right landscape around it, it can be an amazing center piece for a meditation garden!