A great place for perennials, annuals and veggies. The owners are friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. They have a great variety of plants in different sizes. The plants are consistently healthy, plant well and thrive. And their pricing is some of the best anywhere and certainly very reasonable. One of my go-to places. read more

Windy City Garden Center - Foxglove bought from Windy City Gardening this spring. - Nurseries & Gardening Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

I've been coming to Windy City since it first opened, and it's been an absolute pleasure to watch this wonderful family grow their business over the years. I'm now working with the third generation, which speaks volumes about their commitment and consistency. Every spring, my garden starts here. Their plants are always large, healthy, and priced fairly--truly a great value. What sets Windy City apart is their deep knowledge and genuine desire to help. They know what will thrive in our area and what won't, and they never steer you wrong. The service is outstanding. They've gone out of their way to track down specific plants for me through their vendors, and they always offer helpful, thoughtful advice. Windy City is more than just a nursery--it's a trusted partner in my gardening journey. I love referring them. read more

Wondering what to do with your window sill but not good with plants? Big same - until I discovered succulents. Water once a month works for me! Stopped by here on a weekday morning & was happy to see parking. While it doesn't seem large, there's lots to look over, from your gardening needs & houseplants. After walking around for a bit, I found the succulents. There wasn't a massive offering, but I did find some wonderful gems. I would have taken home more than I wanted but I'm still getting a feel for my space. Also worth noting, their pots & plants are quite affordable & service was very friendly. I left with my finds & now having gotten them home into pots, I couldn't be happier. If you're looking for a gift or just simply for some greenery for your window sill, this place is worth the visit. Looking forward to going back! read more

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It's really impressive how well they make use of available space here. While you won't find that really rare organic native wildflower you've been beating the bushes for (ha. that's at least a little bit funny), you'll find a lot of what you're looking for, and it's always good to support a local business. Everyone who works there is knowledgeable and approachable, and the plants are always in good condition (unlike what you might find at a Home Depot or other large chain that can boast better variety. You'll get answers to your questions and come away with healthy flowers to add to your garden. read more

Windy City Garden Center - Nurseries & Gardening Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

They have more selection than you'd guess from the road, and things are in good shape. Staff were friendly. Great neighborhood garden center! read more

We have been going there since they opened. Loved their plant selection & quality. Rob used to be helpful ( even slightly friendly) but has become much less so. He acts like it's a burden to have to wait on you ( take your money). As for Jan ( the Danish man ) he has always been surly. Avoid him if you can. We'll shop elsewhere in the future. read more

Today, the temperature in Evanston finally made it to the 70s with a promise of continued mild weather. I've been excited to put out my planter and hanging basket for almost a month. Now, I can finally display some plants and flowers! Windy City! Where do I begin with you? I found Windy City garden center two years ago when I moved out of Chicago into Evanston. I was driving though town to explore what was nearby and was glad to come across a gardeners gem. I could've easily spent at least an hour or two browsing through their beautiful assortment of flowers. It's small. It's not big like Gethsemane in Chicago, but they've got a varied selection of flowers (annuals and perennials) along with rare species of foliage that you won't find at a Lowe's or a Home Depot. They also carry fruits, veggies, and (a personal favorite) succulents. Conveniently, they carry the vegetables and fruits in both seed and plant form. A perfect fit for any home garden. Another plus, they're competitively priced. If you already have a container/planter/hanging basket at home, I suggest purchasing their flowers by the individual pack or flat, buying some potting soil and creating your own hanging basket/planter. You'll save a lot of money versus buying their pre-made hanging baskets. It may take a little extra effort, but it's a lot cheaper this way (and a lot more satisfying). When you enter off to the side, pick up a Radio Flyer wagon (their kitchy version of a shopping cart) at the entrance and then shop to your hearts content. What put this review over the top was not just the variety of plants and flowers on hand, but the the knowledgeable staff working here. I have to make special mention to Karen who was so helpful in choosing my flowers this year. While I was at the counter to make my purchase, Karen explained the care and maintenance for each plant so that they grow in optimal condition throughout the season. I learned so many useful tips from her such as cutting the Vinca vine (an accent trailing long stem) just below the leaf so that they branch out and grow full with each cut. I just finished planting today and I'm excited for the turnout of my newly created hanging basket! Parking can be tough, especially on the weekend as their parking lot is shared with Buffalo Joes next door. So, be prepared to wait for a space, or go during off-peak times (mid-week, mid-day) to avoid the crowds. read more

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I've passed Windy City Garden Center for years and always thought it looked interesting. A couple of weeks ago I finally checked it out and was so pleasantly surprised! They have the coolest selection of flowers for my yard. I'm always drawn to things that are a little unique and different and I found so many interesting flowers that I had a hard time deciding what to buy. I knew my brother would love Windy City too so I brought him today for additions to his balcony garden. Of course I couldn't resist buying even more stuff including black petunias and beautiful begonias that are the prettiest reddish orange I've ever seen! I'll definitely be back year after year! read more

We are new to Evanston and wish I had found this gem sooner. They have lots of flowers, vegetables, fruit and more. They also have sod (from what I saw when picking up) If you call they will take your order and process your payment over the phone. When you get there it will be out front with your name on it. I was really happy as I had a few things I needed and would rather support a local business. Thanks! read more

Thanks to Robert and the staff at Windy City for making it easy to get Flowers and Plants for my garden this year. Great selection and knowledgeable staff- let's invest in keeping them open Evanston read more

Windy City Garden Center - Thanks - Nurseries & Gardening Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

I was in Evanston meeting a friend and went here on a whim. I was so pleased to see such a wide selection at fair prices. I live in the city and will gladly make the drive next spring for my flower selections. Bravo! read more

Blink and you might just pass this place up. WCG is a lot smaller than some of the nurseries i visit, but they do a lot with their space and they have a huge variety of items for your home/home garden. i visited because I was in the area and forgot I needed to purchase some teacher gifts. I called ahead and they confirmed they do have potted succulents. So I headed over to purchase as well as browse for some items to liven up the home. Everything was well-kept and healthy. The space was a riot of color with all the different plants and flowers. It almost inspired me to do dig up some of the small yard we share to do some gardening...almost. Haha. I'm just not green-thumb inclined. I did find a very interesting candy corn plant and some pretty succulents for my son's teachers. And decided to buy some green tomato plants for a little home gardening--so wish me luck! Service was super sweet and very knowledgeable. This place is way out of my area, but I'll sing their praises. A nice spot for your garden growing needs. read more

My all time favorite garden center, so much so that I am willing to drive 40+ miles round trip to go there! Extremely knowledgeable and talented staff who help me with every silly question that I have. Beautiful pre-made arrangements as well as top notch quality plants. I have never had a problem with the plants not being healthy. Really nice variety of both annual and perineal plants. They also have a nice variety for every season. Also a nice variety of planters and other accessories. Highly recommend Windy City Garden Center for all of your gardening needs! read more

I think I've maybe written 2 yelp reviews in my life, but after visiting Windy City yesterday I felt I had to leave a review. What a gem of a small local business! Not only do they have a huge, beautiful, well maintained selection, the people that work there are absolutely wonderful and helped me put together all my planters quickly and efficiently. And, very reasonable. Can not recommend them highly enough! read more

Wow! The guy selling Christmas trees on Christmas Eve..., are you kidding? This was pretty much the rudest sales person I have ever encountered. I was looking at a number of 9-foot trees. He told me that the prices were not set in stone, and having purchased a tree there the night before, I knew that their prices were high. I specifically told this gentleman that I wanted a tree that was 8-feet or less. He proceeded to show me a 12-foot tree. He claimed that he could take 4-feet off of it. Why would I pay all of this money for a 12-foot tree when there are these other smaller trees closer to my desired height available? I told him what I wanted to spend and he threw the tree back against the fence and stormed off. I left the lot. There are other lots in Evanston that are more reasonable and with better customer service. read more

If you're looking for the nicest, friendliest, garden center around, then Windy City is the place to go. For the last several years, we've driven to Evanston to get the summer plants for my parent's balcony. The particular color we wanted was unavailable at the time, but the always helpful and knowledgeable owners at Windy City assured us that they would call the moment the plants came in. Sure enough, they gave us a call and they also made it a breeze to pay for and pick up the plants - something that is especially appreciated during this time of social distancing. They were also prepared with plastic for the car seats and helped load everything inside. In addition to their top notch service, the plants are always healthy & hardy and reasonably priced. read more

I live near this garden center, so naturally my wife and I have frequently visited it over the years to see what we can find. While the quality of the plants are generally decent (I'd say about 5% better than what you would find at Home Depot), the service and attitude of the owner is absolutely disgusting. He talks to people like he wants you to leave. I honestly have no idea what his problem is, but he is extremely rude and condescending. They don't put prices on their products, so when you go over to ask him what something costs he treats you like the dirt he puts in his pots. His products are not good enough to warrant the kind of treatment he gives you. read more

We stopped by last weekend & loaded up the wagon with the most perfectly rotund, orangy, and carve-worthy pumpkins ever. The kids chose a few mini's, I lovingly selected a "blue" squash, we perused the hilarious gourd section (we laugh at weird fruits/vegetables), and left with an autumnal porch bounty at just under $50. A local delight, too easily missed tucked away behind a few intersections. read more

The Christmas tree I bought from them wasn't taking water and was losing its needles. I called them and they replaced it without any questions, explaining that the warm weather was hard on the trees. Great customer service, and we've bought all our plants from them for many years. read more

Love love love this place. Their prices are very fair and yet they provide better quality. It's family run and you receive such friendly service. And they definitely know their stuff! I love supporting them rather a big box site. read more

This Christmas I purchased a 5.5' Frasier Fir that was a beauty but once I got it home, the needles began falling off in copious amounts. I hadn't even put on the lights and thought it was going to be a horror show once I did. I decided to drop back over to Windy City and they offered to swap out an 8' Balsam Fir (cut down to 5' for my condo) and picked up the old tree when they delivered the new one. Even though there was a $30 difference in the cost of the trees, they absorbed it. I HIGHLY recommend buying your Christmas tree from Windy City---you can't go wrong, no matter what! read more

I had serious bad luck a year ago when I purchased four geraniums in a greenhouse in Wilmette, Illinois. The geraniums never grew and I ended up throwing them away. THIS YEAR I bought four geraniums and sixteen marigolds and all are GORGEOUS! ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS! I am a customer for life! read more

Great place. The folks here are very knowledgeable and the prices are really fair. The quality and selection are awesome. Family run, local business that I am proud to support. I get all our Spring and Fall flowers here and it's all been high quality. I highly recommend them. read more

This is a GEM - just went on a Sunday in September and they had a wonderful selection and all of the plants were in great shape and more reasonable prices than other local places and NOONE was there - come on people - get on over and patronize this wonderful gem! read more

We just bought some pumpkins from them. When I went to inquire information the owner was very nice. They have so many kinds of pumpkins (large to mini) and gords for decent prices. The store is just a tent on a yard so easy to miss or not to notice. In the spring and summer they also have different plants too. When we were there, we just saw some Christmas trees coming in. The owner might not be overly friendly, but very kind and helpful. read more

My friend loved this place! We went there and bought a few pepper plants. His died real soon (lack of care) but mine lasted for an entire year. We're definitely going there again! read more

This is a great family owned business. We shop here several times during the gardening season. They always have beautiful plants (mainly annuals and perennials). Owner and staff are always friendly and very helpful. None of our many questions went unanswered. They even helped us load our purchases into the car. Their prices are very competative and cheaper than most local garden centers. During the fall season they have a beautiful selection of all kinds of pumpkins and gourds and other fall/ thanksgiving decorations. After thanksgiving they carry a beautiful assortment of Christmas trees and decorative greens, wreaths, garlands etc. one of the people working there told me that the owner and his manager go to a tree farm in NC where they hand select and tag all their trees for the season to come. You can clearly see that in their merchandise offered. We bought a beautiful Frasier Fir last December and kept it up way past new year and the tree didn't drop a needle. They also offer a line of organic soils, fertilizers and pesticides, vegetable starter plants, mulches, some outdoor tropicals and pottery. We will be back. Two thumbs up!! read more