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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.

Our 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 Planters & Pots, Plant Accessories, Candles, Jewelry, Cards, Stickers,Pins, Patches and lots more.

We also strive to do good within our shop, and 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.


Philodendron gloriosum ‘Silver’

PLANTS | pots | Supplies

Plants bring some much to our lives. They can be awe inspiring, healing, beautiful or strange. Come in and peruse our curated collection of indoor plants!

Our plant selection ranges from the rare and unusual to classic plants you know & love. Stop by regularly to explore. New plants in most every week.

Looking for pet safe plants? We always have a large selection on hand for you and your fur family. It’s how we got started.

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 contains a vast array of styles & hues.

We carry globally sourced pots from designers in Belgium and Japan. From Berg’s Potter terra cotta planters to glazed Orchid pots we same somethings to fit your taste.

potting soil and soil amEndments

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

We are excited to offer our own mix of Aroid Blend - Soilless mix & Chucky Mix - Soil Blend!

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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 Plant Parenthood class

Workshops | events

Plant Parenthood houseplant 101 WITH LEE

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!

Plant Parenthood: Advanced Techniques with Lee

If you're already an experienced plant parent, but looking to improve your skills, then this is the place for you!

In this judgement-free 60 to 90 minute workshop, participants are encouraged to bring in a plant from their home collection so we can discuss how to diagnose and rehabilitate their plants together!

We'll explore different troubleshooting techniques to deal with issues including pest management and prevention, treating fungal issues, pruning and propagation.

PLANT MOUNTING WORKSHOP WITH BO

Epiphytic plants are found growing amongst trunks and branches of trees in tropical rainforests. Mounted epiphytes can be incorporated into spaces that would prove difficult for traditionally potted plants and keep them out of reach of ...

KOKEDAMA WORKSHOP WITH BO

Kokedama is a Bonsai adjacent method of caring for and displaying ornamental plants that involves wrapping the roots of a plant in a ball of preserved moss rather than growing in a traditional planter. It is a beautiful way to hang, display, and enjoy your plants in a new way!

In this 60-minute workshop, we'll give you a brief history of the practice and walk you through making your own Kokedama! We provide the plants, soil, moss, and instruction. Join us for this hands on class!

Terrarium Workshop with Louise

Spark a brand-new passion: Learn how to design, build, and care for your terrarium! We provide all necessary materials and walk you through the construction of your very own terrarium that you get to take home at the end of class.

We also host Plant Swaps and more.

We love to collab with other like minded compatible business.

Your Neighborhood Plant Pals

PLANT LOVERS | QUESTION ANSWERERS | CREATIVES

Louise
Owner | Plant & Shop Curator

Favorite Plant: Aroids & Begonias

Other Hobbies: Listening to music, chilling with my cat, knitting, forming the resistance!

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

Bo

Plant Care | Sales

Favorite Plant: Alocasias & Aglaonemas

Other Hobbies: Chemical photography, tropical bonsai, casual gaming & riding vintage bicycles. Is coffee a hobby?

Hometown: The middle of nowhere, PA

Renee

Plant Care | Sales | Graphic Design| Social Media

Favorite Plant: Pothos & Ferns

Other Hobbies: Watercolor and Oil Painting

Hometown: A Couple of Places in Nebraska



TERRARIUMS

 
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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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Age Friendly Evanston Business

Sustain Evanston Business

 

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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."