We are here to help you find Plants, Planters & other Nature Themed Gifts

Cultivate is Your friendly neighborhood plant shop

Located at 704 Main Street in Evanston’s Main-Dempster Mile shopping district. Here at Cultivate we believe plants bring wonder, healing, and and beauty to our lives. We are here to help you find the perfect plants. Are your shopping for the perfect gift or looking to bring to life your green design dreams for your home or office we are here to offer. Wherever you are on your houseplant journey we offer many supportive services. Sign up for our houseplant class “Plant Parenthood! Bring us your questions and any plant troubles and we will do our best to coach you. Please check out our list of services above.

By shopping with us, you are actively supporting a 100% woman-owned, diversely staffed local business. We have a passion for plants and we think you can feel that passion when you enter our Urban Rainforest. We do our best to share the vibrant love we have for plants with every person who walks through our doors. Our mission is to Cultivate a more verdant world one person at a time.

The owner strives to bring in small, independent, and primarily woman-made artisan goods at every opportunity. Which means that aside from just houseplants, we also carry: Art Prints, Handmade Baskets, Candles, Ceramics, Gifts, Jewelry, Planters & Pots, Stationary, Stickers, and Plant Accessories.

We also strive to do good not just within our shop, but in the community. Cultivate officially became Evanston Sustainable Business certified, and has also been named Age Friendly Business certified. We have a deep investment in improving both our neighborhood and Evanston at large. These improvements start at our roots- the shop itself and investing in our staff. We treat the folks who work here with respect and care by offering flexible work hours, paid time off, and a human-centered approach to work. Our staff keeps thousands of plants alive every day with tremendous care, and deserve the same care in return.



If you have any questions, please feel free to call or text us at (847) 418-1289.

We can't wait to see you in the shop! ☺️🌿💙

Your Neighborhood Plant Pals,

Louise & The Cultivate Team Lee, Renee, CJ, and David

Philodendron gloriosum ‘Silver’

PLANTS | pots | Supplies

P L A N T S B R I N G J O Y, healing, wonder and a dash of design to our lives.  Peruse our curated collection of indoor plants and pots!

Looking for pet safe plants? We always have a selection on hand for you and your fur family. We stock a large, ever-changing collection of plants from the rare and unusual to the classic everyday plants you know & love.

Are you are looking for easy care or low light plants? We have lots of them to choose from! (The same is true for bright light plants too)

We offer a curated extensive collection of houseplants. We have rare plants and unique varieties of some more well known plants too.

Our pot selection represents a vast array of styles & hues to match your home.

We carry artisan-made planters, along with globally sourced pots from designers in England, Belgium, Japan, and Australia.

potting soil and soil amEndments

All potting soils, sphagnum moss, orchid barks, and soil amendments that we carry are organic and sustainably harvested.

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Bronze Turtle by artist Sharon Bladholm

Terrariums | ART | Gifts

Connect to our little green worlds: Lee creates our unique terrariums in-house. Explore our pre-made terraria or speak with us about a commissioned piece.

We curate nature-inspired artwork and gifts for your home and lifestyle. We have stock a rotating assortment of candles, t-shirts, plant accessories and other plant themed gifts.

Throughout the year, Cultivate hosts solo gallery exhibitions. We have several works by Sharon Bladholm on permanent display.

Develop your plant brain in Plantparenthood class

Plant Parenthood aka houseplant 101 | events

Strengthen your plant care-taking skills & learn something new in our Plant Parenthood workshops.

Join Cultivate's very own Lee for this lecture format class designed to instill the confidence and knowledge you need to to cultivate your own green oasis at home!

During the workshop, we will discuss plant care fundamentals - including proper light and where to find it, watering techniques, regulating humidity, and how to adjust care when you observe unwelcome changes. Everything a new plant parent needs to succeed! We offer 15% off your purchases on the day of your workshop. Get your tickets here: Eventbrite

 
 
 
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Age Friendly Evanston Business

Sustain Evanston Business

 

Your Neighborhood Plant Pals

PLANT LOVERS | QUESTION ANSWERERS | CREATIVES

Louise
Owner | Plant & Shop Curator

Favorite Plant: All plants beautiful & strange

esp. Aroids

Other Hobbies: Listening to music and connecting with people and the natural world

Hometown: Skokie

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Lee
Plant Care | Terrarium Creator | Sales

Favorite Plant: Euphorbias & Begonias

Other Hobbies: D&D, quilting & embroidery, making shrubs, syrups & bitters for cocktails

Hometown: Heyworth, IL / Bloomington, MN

David

Plant Care | Sales

Favorite Plant: A nice velvety Anthurium…or a funky cactus.

Other Hobbies: There’s other hobbies besides plants?

Hometown: Phoenix, Arizona 🌞🌵🏜️

Renee

Plant Care | Sales

Favorite Plant: Just about any Philodendron

Other Hobbies: Watercolor and Oil Painting

Hometown: A Couple of Places in Nebraska



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Our terrariums are delicately handcrafted with a range of moss, tropical, and succulent plant species that make each piece as lush and green as it is unique. Commission a terrarium or choose from our pre-made selection. Choose from our unique glass on hand or bring in your own vessel. Lee is our terrarium creator, with a background in art and a passion for plants, he’ll work with you to create your perfect terrarium.

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Reviews

 

Natural Awakenings Chicago Feb 28, 2020

Channeling Our Inner Botanist

“Color psychology definitely plays a role in why we’re attracted to plants, according to Louise Rosenberg, owner and curator of Cultivate Urban Rainforest & Gallery, in Evanston. Like Joy, she feels green’s calming tone and that houseplants bring us closer to nature help us manage some of the stress we might be feeling with what’s happening in our world.”

Daily Northwestern Feb 3, 2020

Local plant shop creates sensory experience for customers

“Upon stepping into Cultivate Urban Rainforest and Gallery, the temperature changes and the humidity rises. Even the smell is different, resembling a mossy fragrance.

Louise Rosenberg founded the plant shop, located at 704 Main St., in 2015. It’s covered floor to ceiling in green leaves, immersing customers in a sensory experience. Rosenberg said owning Cultivate has been the “coolest and most wild ride” of her life.”

 

Star Tribune Oct 13, 2017

Chicago's elevated northern burb

"I made a really cool living room, and I said, ‘Come in,’ ’ says Louise Rosenberg of Cultivate Urban Rainforest and Gallery. She personally curates the exotic house plants — look for beautiful ferns and terrariums — and nature-showcasing home decor and furnishings and regularly hosts artists’ talks and community benefits."

 

J. Siegel Designs Blog Aug 17, 2017

Cultivate Urban Rainforest & Gallery

"Reflecting my predilections, the place shows off carnivorous plants, ferns and succulents to their advantages (light conditions mid-day made photographing "interesting"). The owner, Louise Rosenberg, ‘founded Cultivate on the belief that plants, art and community create a wonderful synergy that is self-sustaining."

 

Chicago Gallery News Jun 27, 2017

An Interview with a Dealer: Louise Rosenberg

"Each week, CGN interviews a local art dealer to discuss the ins and outs of running a gallery in the city of Chicago. This week we caught up with Louise Rosenberg of Cultivate Urban Rainforest & Gallery."

 

The Lokal May 23, 2017

Chicago Finds. Part 1

"In the modern world it is becoming harder and harder to find a piece of natural beauty when one lives in a city. This is why Louise Rosenberg’s Cultivate is a real treasure and a must for all the nature-lovers. Whether you are looking for houseplants or pots and terrariums, garden accessories or books on plants and nature, this is definitely the place to be."

 

Windy City SecretsNov 1, 2016

The Urban Rainforest You Didn’t Know You Needed

"Let’s face it: it’s hard to resist a tiny, adorable succulent plant. What’s harder is caring for one when you don’t know the difference between an air plant and a fern. That’s where Cultivate comes in! Cultivate Urban Rainforest & Gallery is all about making your foray into plant parenthood as easy, fun, and cheap as possible."

 

Yelp Official Blog Jun 13, 2016

For The Love Of Dirt At Cultivate Urban Rainforest

"Not everyone has a green thumb, but after North Shore Elites and their guests stopped by Cultivate Urban Rainforest & Gallery, everyone was excited to get their hands into some dirt."

 

Illinois Business DailyNov 10, 2015

Ribbon cutting set for Cultivate Urban Rainforest in Evanston

"A ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday will mark the opening of one of the Evanston Chamber of Commerce's newest members, Cultivate Urban Rainforest & Gallery."

 

Evanston Round TableOct 21, 2015

Cultivate-ing Community

"Broadening Evanston’s wide spectrum of artistically inspired and unique retailers is Cultivate Urban Rainforest and Gallery at 704 Main St. Entering Cultivate is like being drawn into a cool, contemporary, carefully curated secret garden."