Dear Bellarosa,

I used to live in Evanston and still frequent this nursery for myself and clients - it's well worth the visit for those in North suburbs and North side of Chicago. I myself drive up from the Oak Park area.

Antons Greenhouse - on Fowler. Take Dempter west past Dodge to Fowler and go south about 2 blocks.

They are the best - great customer service, knowledgeable staff, huge, huge annuals (look for the coleus especially), reasonable prices (much cheaper then Chalet and without the snootiness) and also have a good selection of hard to find perennials like Virginia Bluebells and vintage heirloom and Asian vegetables.

Thank you so much! I will definitely visit this nursery. I know what you mean about the Chalet nursery - nice selection, but overpriced and SO snotty. I was really turned off and never went back.

I would also recommend Jamaican Gardens in Morton Grove--not too far away from Anton's, farther west on Main St./Lincoln Ave. (a couple blocks south of Anton's), just west of 94. It's a little pricey compared to stuff you can get at Lowe's and Home Depot but it actually comes back the next year. I've had very good success with plants I've gotten from them. They also have vegetable & herb plants, and a really cool waterfall inside the greenhouse and plants for ponders. I think it's been around a long time--don't know why it's called Jamaican Gardens!

Do you know if that Antons Greenhouse is affiliated with Antons The Branch on Skokie Highway in Highland Park? A million years ago Antons was a seasonal fruit and veggie stand but they've built up and now have The Branch which is all plants.

I live in Evanston. Anton's is actually on Pitner, not Fowler, but the directions are basically right. It's a couple blocks east of McCormick, west of Dodge, south of Dempster. It's on a residential block. I really like Anton's. It's a little place, so they don't have a vast selection, but they have a nice mix, including quite a few native perennials. I often find some choice little perennial that surprises me, and they have great annuals and vegetable starts too. And scented geraniums!

As to Jamaican Gardens in Morton Grove, I recently heard they moved. I did stumble across their Mundelein location last fall.

Wow, I guess I didn't realize they were moving--it looked like it was just the florists supply place next door. But it's like a ghost town over there, so I will have to visit Anton's too now. Lurvey's is another place I go since it's also on Dempster, but farther west, in Des Plaines. Not exactly Evanston!

I was just at Lurvey's yesterday - another great place as suggested. And there's Pesche's too in Des Plaines within a couple miles of Lurvey's.

In fact, the north suburbs are filled with great garden centers all relatively close to one another. I wish we had as much selection here in the near west suburbs by the city.

I hadn't realized Jamaican Gardens had moved either, I only go there about once a year. I remember years ago they had a second huge location up near the Naval Base off Rte 176 I think - been gone a long time though.

Oops, sorry about the snafu with the directions.

I misspoke about where the current Jamaican Gardens is...it's apparently in Libertyville on Rockland Road, which might be the same thing as Rte. 176.