This is a tiny shop, but it is PACKED with botanicals…read more
The shopkeeper was friendly and quite knowledgeable, but he wasn't wearing a mask and this was a few days to a week before the mask mandate ended in Chicago (February 28, 2022) and I'm already a bit wary so I headed out. I'm not sure if that was on purpose or he didn't realize, but it was getting a little crowded in the store for me anyway so probably would have been ready to leave regardless.
There are lots of plants, and my understanding is that not everything is on display since they're short on space in the main area of the shop. They have a nice collection of orchids, too; I actually considered getting one, but changed my mind. For some reason I think of them as being somewhat... difficult, or needing more attention (whether that's true or not I'm not sure), and I have enough responsibilities with the plants I already own (especially one of my calatheas that's being a bit of a drama queen at the moment!). I may have to try my hand at an orchid sometime, though. The aforementioned shopkeep gave me a huge boost of confidence that I could. In our discussion he mentioned the crucial point that orchids are just plants that flower more often than other botanical houseplants folks might keep, even though many green houseplants may flower under the right conditions. Once an orchid stops flowering, they're still plants without the flowers for you to care for. Food for thought!
They also have a shop pet, which was a surprise! I don't like lizards, but luckily this one was in an enclosure. I was a bit startled, though, so be forewarned that the little guy is hanging out in his plexiglass home--he won't hurt you, since you won't be able to touch him, but I as I said, I was surprised!
They don't have a huge collection of pots, but the plants all looked lovely and healthy. They have some popular favorites, but it also seemed they had some more unusual and harder to find plants. They have displays for live plant walls for which you can consult with them to install in your home or office, too, if you wish.
Parking on this stretch of Damen is touch and go, and it's paid, so plan accordingly.