Green Thumbs

By Lisa Arnett
September 2024 View more Discover

Meet your next houseplant at these lush boutiques

GROW Geneva

220 S. 3rd St., Geneva

Owner Laura Pettit hand-picks every houseplant that comes into her shop, and because her selection is refreshed weekly, you always can expect something new. There are plenty of rare finds for collectors as well as affordable choices for beginners. “Our favorite classics are your snake plants, ZZ plants, pothos, and philodendron—things that are tolerant and love you back,” she says. Education is a big focus for Pettit, a former teacher, so you can trust her staff to troubleshoot your most pressing plant-care quandaries—and you can even text the shop number or DM on Instagram with questions. “We want people to feel successful about the plants they are taking home,” Pettit says. “You won’t see fiddle-leaf figs in our shop because even though they’re trendy, they are really finicky plants, and everyone kills their fiddle leaf figs.” Get creative in the self-serve studio space or sign up for classes such as Houseplant 101 or Air Plant Terrariums, offered for both adults and kids.
Good to Know: Visit during the fall open house (5 to 7 p.m. September 5) for live music, snacks, new merch, and other surprises, such as a rare plant raffle (last year’s prize was worth $800).

Nide Jardin

140 S. River St., Aurora

Nancy Martinez, an Aurora native and daughter of Mexican immigrants, opened this bilingual store to create a destination for plant lovers like herself to shop with their Spanish-speaking relatives. “When I have a customer say, ‘I can’t wait to bring my mom or my grandmother here,’ that makes me so happy,” she says. Jardin means garden in Spanish, and Nide is inspired by a phrase commonly used to describe the immigrant experience: “Ni de aqui, ni de alla,” which translates to “not from here, not from there.” The shop’s concrete floors and vibrant colors—terracotta, magenta, turquoise—remind Martinez of the plant-laden patios of Mexican haciendas, and papel picado draped from the ceiling adds to the festive vibe. “I try to curate the plants to be more of what I’ve seen in Mexico,” she says. “I have a lot of cacti, and with rare plants, I like to buy a mother plant I can propagate and that way the price isn’t as extravagant [for customers].” Variegated Monstera pinnatipartita is her latest rare fave.
Good to know: Nide Jardin will soon be sharing its space with Dapper Brews Coffee, owned by fellow Aurora resident Juan Almaraz. “People will be able to come get a coffee and hang out in the back,” Martinez says. “Hopefully it’s a little oasis.”

Blooming Succulents Studio

52 N. Adams St., Oswego

At her hands-on studio, owner Markita Young is all about sharing the mental health benefits of getting your hands dirty and creating your own masterpiece with plants. She previously hosted sip-and-paint craft workshops at her home and was inspired by her young twin daughters to start this business. “I never knew anything about plants, but [my daughters] are autistic and have sensory issues and they always loved playing in the soil,” she says. She made a fairy garden with them and was surprised how easy succulents were to care for. “So I added that to my sip-and-paint parties, and everyone found it so relaxing that it just took over,” she says. “Working with succulents and plants really allows you to unleash your creativity and it’s very therapeutic. I’ve made that my mission to share with the community.” After picking your vessel and plants, you’ll pay a studio fee ($8 to $12) that covers workshop space, equipment, soil, and clean-up, plus accessories such as moss, crystals, and miniatures. Wednesdays and Thursdays are reservations only, while walk-ins are welcome Fridays through Sundays. Prefer to get creative at home? Young offers all sorts of at-home DIY kits for both planting and crafting, from fairy gardens and paint-and-plant succulent pots to macramé and wood painting.
Good to know: Interested in being part of a community plant exchange? Visit Young’s propagation wall, which features plant cuttings from customers. “You can just bring in a healthy clipping of your own and swap it out for a new plant that you want to try out,” she says.

Plants on Wheels

Look for Naperville resident Stephanie Mistrata and her mobile houseplant boutique, Root House Social, on the road around town this fall. A former 911 dispatcher, Mistrata made a career change this summer to devote her time to helping west suburbanites find their next houseplant and hosting pop-up markets with her event company, Curated Collections Events. She’ll be at the Naper Settlement Farmers Market on Tuesdays through September 17 (in a tent, sans truck), and she also keeps her followers up to date on the truck’s whereabouts via Instagram (@roothousesocial).

Photos: Laura Pettit (GROW Geneva); Cindy Ramirez/@whatupcindy (Nide Jardin); Carrie White Photography (Markita Young); Stephanie Mistrata (Root House Social)