I had to run out this morning to drop off Kavi at school (because she’d thought it was late-arrival Wednesday and it wasn’t — even her first-period math teacher had told them it was, which makes me wonder if that teacher missed their class today too…), and also pick up meds at Walgreens (my ADD meds are finally in, hooray, I feel much more sane now), and it was beautiful and sunny, so I thought today would be a good day to make the drive out to Luurs, a family-owned garden store (owned and operated by Jim and Carol, and their son Patrick) about 20 minutes west of us.
It was honestly a little chilly when I got there, and when I talked to the nice woman at the counter (who noted that she LOVES working for this family, the best employers she’s ever had, she left a corporate job to come work here), she explained that it’s been cold enough the last few nights that they pulled in a lot of the more tender plants, and haven’t put them out again yet. So you might want to wait a few more days before going out there — they’ll put things out slowly, bit by bit, keeping an eye on the weather, and by the weekend, I think everything will likely be out again.
But regardless of when you go, I do urge local gardeners to stop by and check them out. It’s only a 20-minute drive away if you avoid rush hour (Google Maps usually has me take 290 out, and a straight shot back on Washington).
I particularly love their layout — Luurs is up on a bit of a hill, and most of the nursery is open air, and they have multiple gazebos and fountains, and it’s especially nice if you have little ones, because they can be entertained for a ridiculous amount of time by putting their hands in the fountain and pulling them out again, or telling stories in the gazebo, or running along the paths amongst the flowers. Which gives you a little peace to enjoy the flowers and your own quiet thoughts. Or if you’re so minded, you can take the opportunity to teach them a little about plants.
If Dick wanders by, an elderly gentleman (turning 90 this year), definitely ask him your questions, because he knows EVERYTHING about plants. And take your time when you’re checking out, looking up and down and all around, because they have a ton of really cute and varied garden decor packed into a small space in the shop, plus a selection of handy tools and supplies.
I do recommend having a plan in advance and being somewhat disciplined about your budget, because it’s really easy to spend a ton of money here in a very short time. 
It’s not the cheapest prices in the area — for that, you probably need to hit the big box stores, or drive quite a bit further out west, to someplace like Sunrise. But this is so close, so convenient, and the experience of shopping there is so nice, it’s definitely worth at least a visit or two each year.
Oh, and if you’re looking for natives, they have a decent selection, mostly in larger pots. So you can find them cheaper elsewhere, but these bigger plants will be further along, and likely to flower sooner (and less likely to die from lack of care).
https://www.luurs.com — 5200 Butterfield Road, Hillside
