One of my favorite places to visit in Champaign. I love the huge selection of plants and seasonal home decor. There's always something new to check out here. Great variety of ceramic pots and houseplants. The largest selection of artificial Christmas trees in the area too. read more

Prairie Gardens - Nurseries & Gardening Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

Store review: Wide range of plants and home decoration is a one line summary of my experience at Prairie Garden. You won't find great sales prices like the local hardware stores, but you will get a large selection of items and plants that you may not find elsewhere. An example of this is 1 bag of marble rocks is 3.99 vs. 3.28 at the other hardware stores on Prospect Ave. Another big plus is they have free coffee located in the front of the store that you can drink while walking through. They have a lot of outdoor green house with large selection, however as it is winter they were winding down with less inventory. Pros: free coffee, large selection of plants, friendly staff Cons: expensive, few sales Hidden deals: Free coffee! read more

Always find what I'm looking for and usually a find a little surprise along the way. Everyone is always helpful when you're looking for something specific. read more

This is my favorite nursery in CU! They have a great plant selection, especially of houseplants, as well as having a plethora of home decorations, pots, soils, et cetera. It's a one stop shop for a lot of my home needs, and it could be yours too. Check it out for sure, the staff is very friendly and willing to help with whatever you may need. Also, be sure to sign up for their version of a "frequent buyer program", it only takes your phone number to save at the register. This makes the prices here a lot more reasonable. read more

Very pricey, but beautiful plants and home decor. The staff is ready and willing to help. I give it 3 stars because there is no warranty on their perennial plants. I bought a $40 plant there and within 1 month it died. I planted it according to the instructions and cared for it properly. Now, I'm out $40. Everywhere else I buy plants gives a one year warranty on perennials. I assumed that was also the case at Prairie Gardens. Because of their no warranty policy I will not buy plants there again. read more

PG clearly does not value customer service at all. It has been my only gripe about the place for years. I only shop there because of the diverse and extensive selection of products. But prefer to shop at businesses that offer decent service and value their customers like Country Arbors (highly recommend.) The employees at PG rarely greet you. In fact they barely acknowledge your presence! Getting assistance is difficult at best. The most aggravating problems arise at checkout. It is often slow and disorganized. The cashiers are perfunctory at best. Occasionally downright rude. Their return policy is one of the worst I've ever seen. 3 days?! (I'm not talking about the plants.) God forbid you choose to complain to management. They seriously could care less and put all the issues back on you the customer. No empathy, no concern, no apologies! I worked in retail as high up as store management. One of my employers was in fact another local garden center. Customer service was always our number one priority. My new career has me doing what I love, landscaping and gardening and I assure I will never use PG as a source of materials. In fact I will no longer shop there, period! read more

Prairie Gardens might as well be a Champaign IL attraction. It's a huge store that blends seamlessly with a giant greenhouse. Inside that greenhouse lies the most colorful and varied flowers of so many colors--pinks, reds, orange, yellow, blue, purple, white, and combinations. Giant banana plants with green leaves twice the size of your head, trees, ferns...Stepping into that area, you can see the sky through transparent sheets high overhead. The place is clean, a bit humid, and very fresh and bright. It's like a vacation almost. Stepping outside that greenhouse lies yet another area with lilac pond plants and little fishes in one of the tanks. The store area is also pretty much an interior home decorating area. They have wooden tables, chairs, ceramic painted plates (which are gorgeous), and even a little arts and crafts area with various stickers, scrapbooking materials...near the greenhouse area lies assortments of seeds for birds, seeds for planting and things to accentuate your garden with. Seriously, the question is "what don't they carry". read more

This is a first class place without a doubt. Reminds me of Hoerr nursery in Peoria...places of this quality and reputation are few and far between these days. A bit of everything...quality plants even this late in the season. The inside "gift shop" is enormous and had everything from ready made wreaths and center pieces to all the componets to do it yourself. Was looking for something to raise my Moms spirits during a health issue and found not one but three things I know she will love. Its nice to see these gems still exist these days...I now know why she loves this place! read more

I don't know anything about plants, at all, but yesterday I decided I wanted one for my condo. My hope was that if I went to prairie gardens, there would be lots of plants, the people working there would be really nice, and that even though I don't know anything about plants I would be able to find one suitable for the growing inside. That's what happened! Surprise surprise! When I walked into the greenhouse, there were three giant banners that said HOUSEPLANTS, from under which I made my selection. When I walked back out, there was an entire wall of cheap ceramic pots of varying sizes to put my HOUSEPLANT in. Awesome! read more

This is the best place in CU for all things horticultural, and for many other things, too. They have a HUGE selection of plants for all your green needs (except that one ... can't really help you there). This almost labyrinthine store is so big I dont think I've ever actually seen everything they have, though I've been there 4 times. The stuff that they have is always better than the stock at the local big boxes and the employees all know their stuff. There is an older lady at an information booth stationed smack dab in the middle of the green house that can answer anything you throw at her. In addition to plants, they have excellent (though high priced) premium garden tools with aluminum shafts, padded grips, and stainless steel tines. Think Snap-On for the green thumb set. They also have a huge selection of home decor geared around plant presentation with row after row of different pots, pedestals, statues, and I dont even know what. Not really my thing, but they sure do have a lot of it. They also have a framing studio and a craft shop and at least 2000 square feet dedicated to nice smelling stuff that makes my nasal passages slam shut like stomates in drought. Prices here are a little higher, but are matched by superior quality. Patronize this local gem and you will not regret it. read more

I don't know if it just me or because I'm Black, but ever time I've been there at least ten times the people/ gardeners outside are the rudest people I've met in Champaign. GRUMPY AS HECK!! I'm asking because I don't know. It seems they pride themselves their helpfulness but man it's unbearable at times. I'm not even sure if they read this post and they are one of the grumps and will be grumpy about it!! O my lawd! read more

COVID ALERT! Staff clearly do not believe that a virus exists. Management people walking in and out of restroom wearing NO masks, framing staff pull mask down to talk to you, many customers wearing only a half mask. Coughing customer quickly pulled mask back up. OK! Well, maybe these people all think they are immune, but it is all too risky for my blood. read more

This is a beautiful and sprawling craft, home, and garden store all wrapped together under one roof. Right when you walk in the door you are hit with the wonderful smell of CRAFT STORE! What fun. With that, Prairie Gardens has many things to offer beyond plants. They offer a selection of charming furniture, housewares, and seasonal decor, for example. They also have a framing service for all your framing needs. When looking for additions to your garden, though, Prairie Gardens is the place to go. The employees are knowledgeable and the plants are high-quality and well taken care of. I am always confident that whatever I buy from Prairie Gardens will thrive, even if it was a cheaper option of a plant variety (for example, if you're looking for a specific tomato plant, they carry several different brands at different prices.) Although many of their items are pricey, I would rather shop here for my garden needs than a big-box store. read more

Prairie Garden has split personalities. On the inside, it resembles a Michael's or other chain craft store, with plastic flora, candles, and cutesy decorative signs you'd find at Grandma's house. Outside, it's a well-organized collection of plants and tools for landscaping, much larger and more exciting than the gardening section at Home Depot. Overall, I'm pretty impressed by the diversity of houseplant accessories sold here. During the summer, a few rooms are packed with colorful pots great for both indoor and outdoor settings. There are a few shelves reserved for bonsai enthusiasts, with appropriate containers, decorations, and tools. Different types of general potting mixes and substrates can be purchased for an assortment of plants (orchids, indoor starters, etc.). The store is stocked with plenty of craft supplies for creative home projects. For example, I like their assortment of Vintage-style bird cages, which can be used as shelters for indoor plants (great for protecting plants from mischievous cats). I've also bought fish bowls and decorative rocks to construct my own terrariums (miniature gardens). Only 2 things really bother me about this place. First, houseplants and their associated products (though kept indoors year-round) are only sold during the summer. By mid-September, all of these plants and plant-care items are replaced by holiday merchandise, which is pretty annoying if you need a replacement pot or some additional potting mix. Second, a lot of their gardening experts, though good at answering general questions, could not provide feedback on certain specific issues (e.g., "I bought this plant last week, and it developed 'X' problem with its leaves. Do you know what's wrong and how I can fix it?"). read more

While on the pricey side, it is well worth the high quality plants that they offer. The variety is amazing. I am never disappointed in the results of our garden purchases. They also have a tremendous selection of gardening supplies as well as home decor, craft, and gift options. I really love this place and highly recommend it. read more

Best place EVER for your gardening needs. The plants are all in good condition and the staff is super knowledgeable, which is awesome for people like me that have never had any kind of green thumb. They've also done some recent rebranding and I think the store feels a lot fresher and more youthful than it was before. They still have some of the crafts and other small goodies, but their furniture and home selection is awesome. Definitely an awesome spot! read more

The customer service there is TERRIBLE!! My husband and I ended up leaving our cart full of items in the check out line and leaving. I really wanted my plants too, but I will never go back there. There were 4 employees standing around at the other registers goofing around and only 1 line open and the line was long. Then some customer comes walking up to one of the other registers and one of those employees just walk up and wait on her. We were pissed read more

I'm really disappointed in prairie gardens in Champaign Illinois, we just built a new home and gave no living room furniture, I fell in love with a couch and recliner chair in the prairie collection. The sign on the couch and chair said take me home. I was not allowed to purchase them and take them home because they wouldn't have any to show customers. Wait time is 18 weeks! We have been in many furniture stores lately trying to find the right furniture for our home, all of them were selling the furniture on the showroom floor trying to accommodate their customers. I was even going to purchase a second recliner to be delivered at a later date. Missed a sale for approximately $4000 corporate people. read more

Absolutely horrid customer service I was waiting around for an hour or two before I got helped in the garden center. The store manager (short older lady with short blonde hair) was extremely rude walked away from me multiple times to talk with employees no help at all. I will not be returning here ever again. read more

Any time I call with questions, the employees are super helpful. In store, the employees are helpful when you can find them. They are usually scattered all over the place helping customers. I have never seen them stocking items while ignoring customers like most stores. The employees are generally hard to find due to assisting customers or on the phone assisting customers or other staff. If the employee doesn't know the answer, they often give a number to the local extension office for master horticulturists. read more

Horrible return/exchange policy. I bought a bee balm (Monarda didyma) plant last weekend and it had powdery mildew and died within a week. This morning, I took the plant carcass along with my receipt and went to the store for an exchange. When I got there, the manager told me that they don't give exchanges/refunds/store credit on potted plants. WTF? At their high prices, I assumed they would back up what they sell. Nope. I was so mad. It's not the money as much as the principle. From now on, I'll be getting my plants at Lowes, Menards, or Home Depot where I can get a one-year warranty on plants. read more

A must-see for all my out of state family when they come to visit! LOVE this place. Pricey, but you get what you pay for! Healthy plants.

I love this place! They have a beautiful, reasonably-priced outdoor area with a nice selection of plants in the summer. The staff is very helpful as well. They are dog friendly and have offered my dog a bowl of water when she looked thirsty in the garden area. read more

Absolutely love love love this place! I typically only go when they're having a big event. Almost every worker there has excellent advice for a gardening problem you might be having. Everything they sell is excellent quality, so happy to live right down the street from here now! read more

Searched up and down to find the rock I was looking for. Finally found samples. Wanted to see the size of the bags. Was directed to the back to ask someone to help me. Up and down again, finally saw someone....as I walked towards her, she quickly walked the other direction as I approached! Found someone else, who did not move from her spot and pointed towards an area and said it was "by the tower". What is the tower? I did find what I was looking for, and purchased several bags, but only because I was determined to find it. No help, at all from the employees, and very few to be found! read more

I am disappointed in the lack of attention to detail with the photo I left in their hands to custom frame. When my husband brought the finished product home, I found two black pieces of material between the glass and photo. I now have to take the frame back to have these removed. I won't be using this department again. read more

I go here with my mom a lot and we always find something-ranging from gardening to picture framing to scrapbooking-anyone can love it!I highly recommend. read more

recently had my grandfather's engraved fountain pen mounted in a custom frame at prairie gardens' custom frame shop. i had stored the ink pen in one of my drawers at home for years, but didn't like the idea of not having it visible. I used it at work for a while, but was too worried about it getting damaged. so i had been meaning to do something...just didn't know what until recently when i was some good ideas on line, showing keepsakes being framed. i knew the framed look i wanted would be pretty simple, but i didn't really have any other preconceived ideas beyond that. the framer listened to what i wanted and then gave me some really good suggestions on how to give it the look i was after. it is perfect!! now i can enjoy it everyday. lots of great memories. i can't wait for my dad to see it this holiday season. he'll be thrilled too. thanks prairie gardens custom frame shop!! I'll be bringing in some more things before Christmas! read more

This is, hands down, the best gardening supply store in Chambana. About once a year, I think Home Depot/Lowes/Etc is closer to my place, so maybe I'll look there first. Every time I wish I had gone to Prairie Gardens straight off. They have an excellent selection of houseplants, vegetables, and ornamentals. As far as I can tell, the staff is all quite knowledgeable about all things horticulture. It is out of town a bit, but if you factor in the time you would spend asking clueless home depot garden section workers questions about things they don't even carry, you'll come out on top. read more

Never buy indoor plants. Three tries and all had spider mite infestations. Infected my healthy plants. They would not take back. Wanted me to buy insecticide spray instead. read more

i passed by prairie gardens so many times before i finally gave it a visit. i really enjoyed what they have. it is a great place in a small town like CU to get home decoration stuff. read more

Beautiful colorful European selection of pots. Perfect!

Prairie Gardens is *the* place to go for anything for your garden, house decor, furniture, scrapbooking needs....I could go on and on. I love this store and all it has offered the community for decades. Their staff (especially manager) is always welcoming, well-informed, and ready to help me find what I need. read more

Lots of choices for household decorating and large, varied selection of plants. Great selection of hostas.Help is available if you have specific plant or lawn questions. A little higher priced unless they are having a sale but well worth a visit. read more

Beware of the signs! I always loved coming to this place when in Champaign, but will hesitate in the future. (See UPDATE below.) It's a lovely store, but on my way back to Chicago after spending over $300, I realized that I was not given the 50% off sale price on the garlands I bought, which at full price were rather pricey and I would not have purchased them at that price. I called the store and they said they'd look into it. After several hours they let me know that the garlands I bought were not on sale, even though the sign I read said something like "all garlands over $x.xx 50% off." She claims that it said "spring and floral" and I bought fall garlands. It was not obvious that there was a differentiation since the signs were posted in both sections. She said I could ship them back and they'd give me a refund. Well, they are bulky and the shipping cost would be prohibitive. I cannot just get in the car and drive 150 miles to return them. Seems like they could have done something more for customer satisfaction given the unclear signage, but no... I noticed that the employees in several sections of the store yesterday were less than friendly. So sad. Really makes me reconsider spending my money there again. UPDATE: They called back later today and said that the buyer said she would allow them to credit me with 30% of the price due to the confusion over the signage. That seems fair, and warrants an additional star for the positive customer service. read more