they are super knowledgeable and I love all of the new things taking place here! I have heard that…read moreSchaefer's Greenhouses is planning some awesome things!

This business has been sold. The new owners don't have any idea what they're doing unfortunately. I…read morewent here 2 weeks before Christmas and the retail side was gutted for renovations. Went back in March before Easter and the entire store was closed for renovations. Now it's 2 weeks before Mother's Day and the retail side is open but the only thing they changed was the flooring. The flowers are not ready for spring shoppers. Minimal to choose from. The planters that would typically sell for $150 all planted and ready to go have just been planted and look pathetic. They've missed 3 major flower holidays to replace the floor on one side?? And it's still not complete.

We stumbled into The Growing Place on a rainy Father's Day after a farmers market left us wanting…read moremore, and walked out two hours later completely enchanted. In the rain. Nobody complained once. This is not a garden center. It is an experience. The grounds are laid out in a way that feels less like retail and more like exploration, with magical little pockets of gardens tucked throughout that pull you deeper in at every turn. Twenty six gardens maintained across the property, each one more beautiful and considered than the last. We were mesmerized, all of us, adults and kids alike, just wandering and discovering in the drizzle like we had nowhere else to be. The plant selection is exceptional with a strong emphasis on natives, which is exactly what we have been hunting for as we plan out our garden for next year. Prices are reasonable and feel fair for the quality of what they carry. But the real story here is the staff. Joanne has worked at The Growing Place for over 35 years and helps maintain those 26 gardens herself. When our daughter bought a rose bush recently Joanne spent genuine unhurried time with her, walking her through exactly how to care for it. That kind of knowledge sharing and patient generosity is rare and it is clearly baked into the culture of this place. Four generations of family ownership spanning nearly 90 years will do that. You can feel the legacy in every corner of those grounds. They also run community events and educational classes for aspiring gardeners of every level. This is a place that genuinely wants you to grow, literally and figuratively. Our new forever garden center. No question.

We went for their Garlic & Cider event and were pleasantly surprised how nice this Garden Center…read morewas. Their plants looked healthy and they offered a great variety. This is a family owned business with a very knowledgeable staff. They also have a nice gift shop selling garden and home accents and containers. Thru out the year they offer classes and tours as well as seasonal events. The Garlic & Cider event was smaller than we expected with only a handful of vendors. We did end up buying a few succulents plus they gave us a FREE mint plant. With 2 locations, Aurora and Naperville..they have grown into a garden oasis for everyone!

My wife and I came here yesterday because we have been wanting to purchase a Bonsai for a while…read morenow. However being new to the world of Bonsai we had no idea where to begin. I found BC Bonsai on Yelp and called to make sure they were still open. Spoke to one of the owners on the phone and she was extremely friendly. Arrived at the location about 45 min later and upon arrival you can see that Bonsai is definitely their passion. The location is in their home and their showroom is their rather large back yard. There were hundreds of absolutely stunning little trees of all types of varieties. Linda, the owner, was there to greet us and she was so incredibly helpful. She assessed our familiarity with Bonsai or in our case lack there of. She gave us some great advice about the type of trees and the environment that we were planning on keeping it in both now in the summer but in the winter as well. She made some great recommendations but then left us alone with all of trees so that we could take it all in and make a decision on our own. Which I absolutely appreciated. We never felt rushed, it was a great experience overall. We ended up coming home with a beautiful Chinese Elm. What is also great is that they offer classes both in a group setting and one-on-one on everything Bonsai, including how to care for them and shape & trim. I will definitely be going back for those classes. I absolutely love going to places where you can see the passion that either the workers and especially the owners have for their service or product. BC Bonsai definitely fits the bill here!

Very helpful and kind with a great stock. Able to help you…read moredecide what works best for your experience and living conditions to help your tree thrive

Glad I went It had a good selection and prices The staff…read morewas friendly There is parking in a small lot across the street

Been going here for almost 20 years. Sue and Mike are great. They are my go to for flowers every…read moreyear. Fabulous quality! I love supporting a small neighborhood business.

Harry is the best and so knowledgeable. I had ideas and he…read moremade them all happen We could not be happier and I wouldn't go anywhere else - my next life / or house I will be back and be soooo happ every time I get a delivery A plus !!!!!!!!!!

I just wanted to say I stopped in over the weekend to look at what was available. I had some…read morequestions so I reached out to an employee and I was told to Google my question. Then they proceeded to help someone else when I was still there asking for help. If I didn't have a gift certificate, I would not be getting any items here. Not the best customer service. I'll be going elsewhere going forward.

This store is amazing, the owner and his daughter are very knowledgeable and extremely patients ,I…read moregot an answer for every question I had. The store is fully stocked with everything you can think or need. I got all the equipment I needed for my outdoor hydroponic system from this store. Highly recommended.

Great place friendly staff very knowledgeable about growing so many different kinds of things to…read morechoose from

Excellent wholesale nursery stock! These guys are the best in the business here in Illinois. I…read morewould highly encourage others to purchase their plants from Hinsdale Nursery!

We just got back from our Spring trip to Contrary Mary's. The flood waters have receded and Mary…read moreopened for business this past week. They had some damage. I'm glad is wasn't any worst than it was. We go there for her heirloom tomatoes and peppers. We have been going there for a few years so we have some favorites that we get. In addition, each year she has some new varieties for us to try. when I told her that I had a very small vegetable garden she said (as only she could), "Do you still have grass?" Check out her website. If she has anything at all that you are interested in, it's worth a trip out to see her. She's about 5 mi. West of Route 59 on the North side of Route 52.

So disappointing. Read the reviews about the great selection of unique hostas and was excited to…read morego because it wasn't too far from home. Much to my surprise there were almost NO hostas! There were a few very small plants, I did purchase two as I had driven 25 miles to "see the unique hostas". The owners were nice and explained they had fallen on "hard times" since 2008 and then Covid. I have ordred hostas via mail before and had much better luck... Would not recommend for hostas! Mary