So you think you're playing it safe by buying flowers for the mom in your life? Not necessarily! You're not five years old anymore, and pulling dandelions out from the back yard just isn't going to cut it, and neither is grabbing a five dollar bouquet from the convenience or chain drug store. Even if you are one heck of a landscaper and can cut the perfect arrangement from your patio, you just might want to kick it up a notch and present it in a nice vase, with a card, of course!
Here's some fantastic places to shop that can make her forget all about the teen angst grief you gave her as a kid!
Fleur: Hands down, this place is the BEST in Chicago when it comes to beautiful arrangements, fantastic prices and wonderful, caring staff. If you tell them no carnations, they will oblige. If you just want a single, long stemmed rose, they will treat you just as well as they do for their big weddings. What I like is they stick with the seasons, so you always know what you order will be fresh, long lasting and treasured.
I recommend you visit the store instead of calling your order in, because you will find a lot of nice additions here you won't find anyplace else, like unique and locally made jewelry, soaps and purses. Besides, when it comes to Mother's Day, you really should be doing the delivery yourself. Like I said, this place is the BEST!
Cattails in Wicker Park is my second favorite place for all of the reasons above. I love working with the independent shops for things like this, because they genuinely seem to care and not treat you like a number. And wow - when you walk in, you feel like you have just stepped into paradise, with all the sights and smells of the most vivid romance or fantasy film ever created.
Now granted, they seem to run on the pricey side, but if you go in and chat it up with the staff, they can most assuredly assist you within your budget and not have you walk out feeling like a cheap skate.
Gethsemane Garden Center: Now if you're looking for guaranteed organic cut flowers, your best bet is to hit up your neighborhood WF. However, if you're going that route, I would suggest taking it a step further and tapping this local, indie nursery. Buy a couple flats for mom to plant in her garden (after the 15th, of course!) and decorate them in an open, gift wrapped box, lined to prevent water seepage. Go perennial if you can, so she can cherish the blooms year after year!
This place isn't cheap by any stretch, but you get what you pay for, and you just might end up calling it even when you count the gas and headache you save from heading out to the 'burbs to wheel n' deal with the chains. And hey - they're just plain sweet and helpful!
