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Damen (Blue)
Mon-Sat. 10:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Sun. 12:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
"I love love love this store. I always go in with intentions of browsing, and always walk out with five-ten different cards. The space itself…" read more »
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I wish I could work in this place. Or possibly live there. I'm fine with a sleeping bag on the floor in the back corner. Really. This place is fab.
Asrai Garden has pretty much everything you've ever wanted and a huge chunk of stuff you were totally unaware you needed until you walked in. Flowers? Check. Obviously. Soaps and lotions? Yep, check. Jewelry, found objects, terrariums? Check, check, check. Candles, pillows, and other nice home accessories? Check. Pinned butterflies and beetles under glass that for some reason you want to buy even though they're dead bugs and you don't like death or insects...? Check.
The only issue I have with this place is that I have no idea how anyone affords to buy things here. I only go in for flowers because, while the other things they have are awesome, they're just way out of the price range of anyone I've ever known. They have tiny hand sewn pillows that, while adorable and totally awesome, run in the $60-90 range. I can't really imagine who, even in Wicker Park, can afford to buy this stuff.
If I even become a millionaire, though, I'm hitting this place up first thing because, as I said, I could live in this finely curated space of stuff you never expected to want.
If Mary Lennox or Colin Craven decided to take their garden, modernize it, and turn it into a cute little flower shop in Wicker Park, you'd have Asrai Garden. I would have totally missed this place if I didn't work out right across the street....secret garden indeed!
Yet another business I wish I could take down south; I come here when I want to pick up something that looks "hand picked" for the lady. I give them my budget, and I always walk out with a lovely little bunch of flowers or an "exotic" stem for my girlfriend. Flowers are luxury items, and I have issues buying them since they die...but I love coming here. The service is great, and they're very pleasant even though I'm probably their cheapest customer ever. If you are getting married or have a special occasion in need of beautiful flowers, come here. I will!
Decidedly my favorite spot to get flowers for somebody who really deserves it. A bouquet from Asrai Garden has never failed.
I started going to here when I first moved to Chicago & was headed to the suburbs for Mothers Day. After Asrai set me up with a show-stopper arrangement, I never strayed for my floral needs. And even though I'm a D-level flower arranger, their selection & beyond helpful staff somehow make my personal picks look legendary.
The only con: I never know what I'm getting myself into, price-wise, until I bring it up to the register. I know I could just ask ahead of time but somehow that dampers my creative spark. And surely, I could back out a few stems if the total cost was higher than expected. So, really, it's on me, not them.
I set up an appointment for a wedding consultation, and I received a call a few days later from the owner saying that she had several appointment books and had accidentally double booked during that time. So she rescheduled me for a different day. When I showed up for my rescheduled appointment, the girl working told me that she was out of town!! Given this experience, I would never book them for my wedding. Too much risk that my order would be put in the wrong appointment book and would be overlooked. No thanks!
I am a regular yelp-er, although have never written a review before. I chose Asrai Garden to put together flowers for my boyfriend's mother. For the past 8 years, I've given her flowers from my favorite florist, but wasn't able to get them this year. I chose Asrai as my backup, and, to their credit, they told me they could put something together on short notice. I asked for a low centerpiece and got a bouquet of flowers. Also, they charge a $55 minimum on flower orders -- and while the flowers are nice looking -- I could've gotten something much better for what I was charged. I was THOROUGHLY disappointed and will be a little embarassed showing up with a small little bouquet this year. I wouldn't personally recommend them to anyone - I'm sure you can find just as nice of quality from a florist who understands your request and can put it together at a reasonable price.
If I had an unlimited income, I would purchase everything in this store. It is all totally my style. However, a beautiful $295 plate is not in my budget currently, nor do I think it will be...ever. Crazy expensive, but crazy unique. On the more affordable (at least for me) side are the flower arrangements (lovely), soaps, and sweet small press cards and stationary.
I will be doing my best to save for a pair of those gorgeous air plants...
I'm not sure I can write a review that will do Elizabeth and Asrai Gardens justice. The flowers for our wedding were perfect, beautiful, lush, different and exactly what I wanted. Elizabeth couldn't have been easier to work with--her straight up, knowledgeable advice mixed with her laid back nature and wicked sense of humor made her a joy. And, to top it all off, the prices were well under the other florists I priced.
So, if you need flowers for an event, or just because--call Asrai Gardens. You won't be sorry.
There are some beautiful gifts to be found here. From imported scents to hand-crafted odds & ends and beautiful tableware. I loved exploring the unique selection Asrai Garden had to offer.
Its a bit out of my price range but I can appreciate how special these gifts are. Maybe someday I'll actually be able to buy something here! Haha.
Definitely check it out. Even if you're just window shopping.
In searching for a florist for my April 2007 wedding, like other reviewers, I was very frustrated by other florists minimums and the fact that flowers I didn't want (roses, orchids, calla lilies) kept ending up in their proposals!
Venting my frustration to my stylist, he left me mid-highlight to bring me the business card for Asrai Garden. He said "Elizabeth is awesome and you have to check this place out". So I made my appointment.
I met with Elizabeth after work one evening, discussed my budget, ideas, etc. We discussed the flowers I wanted and she gave me an honest assessment about how well they would hold up in a bouquet and in boutonnires, and suggested other flowers that would still work with my budget and look great with the other flowers I had chosen.
She was so easy and fantastic to work with, and on our wedding day, the flower arrangements she created for us so completely exceeded my expectations that I made sure to tell her she has a customer for as long as she's in Chicago. The peonies, tulips, lilacs, ranunculus, and snowball vibernum stayed fresh, fragrant, and completely gorgeous all day long - and not a single flower from my "don't include" list made it into the arrangements.
Since then, my husband only buys me flowers from there because he knows how highly I think of the business and the owner!
I joined Yelp around Valentine's Day, and the Talk threads were peppered with florist questions--mostly from guys asking where one could get a dozen red roses for their significant other on the much celebrated Hallmark holiday. A dozen roses? That screams, "Hey darling! Thanks for tolerating my bullshit and being my cum dumpster for a year. I got these for you because every other chode is doing it and I honestly can't think of anything better. Oh, let's talk later, because I'm going to play Xbox until I get horny."
There's nothing wrong with that, but it might be easier just to skip a florist and pick up that discounted bunch of roses at Jewel. It's more bang for yer buck, and one can pick up that month-long supply of frozen pizzas along the way.
With a little bit of careful thought, flowers go a long way, and that's what makes a unique florist like Asrai Garden a gem. I've been a regular customer for almost a decade, and besides Fleur in Logan Square, I've haven't yet found a local florist compelling enough to warrant repeat visits.
Asrai Garden has an eccentric, lived-in quality and can feel cramped with its diverse foliage and array of home decorations. The space can be somewhat disorganized, but the tempered chaos only accentuates its charm. I mean, why buy wildlife from somewhere sterile and rigid? It's like the red light district in The Hague, where you have to buy hookers by rattling off a seven digit number written on the placard they're holding. Where's the romance in that?
I've found that most florists offer a standoffish approach, and often guide customers to buying prepackaged bouquets. They might as well ask me if I want to SuperSize it at the register. Asrai Garden shines by not defaulting there. Their incredibly friendly and laid back clerks offer a hands on approach, suggesting sublime details to specific ideas, or helping flesh out a general and vague foundation into something tangibly beautiful. Patient in explaining what works and what doesn't, they offer input instead of pressure. Every purchase I've made here has wowed its recipient, as if it were some tailored peacock show. [insert favorite innuendo pun here, or "That's what *she* said!"]
Hmm. That joke wasn't very funny and doesn't work so well when one's buying funeral flowers.
The only drawback is that its size and popularity means the shop gets picked over pretty fast, and sometimes the selection isn't quite as fresh as other boutiques. I've gone once near closing time and it looked like a herd of hungry goats went rampaging through the store.
But such chance shortcomings can be overlooked and perceived as an incentive to come back, and often.
It is so beautiful in there. I like love the John Derian plates she has in there.
And the arrangements? Could they be anymore beautiful?
Awesome, that's all. Great flower arrangements every time. Fresh, original every time.
Elizabeth and her Asrai garden crew have gotten me out of trouble with my wife, many, many times! Thank you and will be back again.
If you're looking for a unique flower arrangement or other assorted foliage to impress your spouse/boss/yourself with, then get thee to Asrai Garden. They have the most beautiful flowers at an extremely reasonable pricepoint.
We used them for our wedding and couldn't have been happier with the tropical flowers they acquired and put together for us - orchids, protea, ginger, birds of paradise, etc. The arrangements were unbelievable.
Elizabeth, the owner, is a cool woman - she is beautiful and has great body art. I developed a total girl crush on her when she worked with us. But I digress - she is also a floral genius.
The moral of this review is: Avoid overpriced and boring florists! When you really screw up something, do you think some wilted carnations are the way to say you're sorry? Hell no. But a breathtaking bouquet from Asrai will make her forget that you ever screwed up. Mostly, anyway.
this is a lovely little oasis in the heart of bucktown/wicker park . every item seems very carefully curated. i went in on easter morning to get some flowers for my soon to be mother-in-law and found just the perfect little flowers that i needed. they have soap, candles and other gift items, many of which are french. if you need a unique gift or out of the ordinary flowers, go to asrai.
I like Asrai Garden, they have a diverse variety of flowers and plants. The only thing I thought was odd was the assortment of imported soaps and things. I understand that some floral shops offer other things like birthday cards and things like that, but I'm not really sure how toiletries fit into the picture. Their flowers in the refrigerator also looked like they were dying but maybe I was visiting right before they were restocking. The owner is really cool and very personable. I would have loved to have bought my flowers there but I felt as though I wasn't a priority. Although she had sent me her proposal quickly, the response time from my questions were quite long which is why I ended up choosing the other florist who quickly responded to all my questions. I still will get flowers there from time to time though.
Gorgeous flowers, cool items for your home and the coolest staff of any flower shop I've ever been to. I bought an arrangement for a friend who was moving out of town and it made her cry it was so beautiful. She said it was the kind of bouquet only another girl would know to buy you, and it totally was. Exotic colors, unusual flowers, it was perfect. Now my husband knows to only buy me flowers from Asrai.
By far, the BEST flower shop I have ever been in. And I love flowers. This store has such a beautiful and unique collection, you can't go wrong. I've gone in and picked out several stems of flowers, foliage, and berries to make a BEAUTIFUL bouquet for about $12. My boyfriend bought me a bouquet here. First, getting flowers is already awesome, but he got bonus points for the effort (he and the clerk went through and handpicked the bouquet).
This flower/plant shop has wonderful, wonderful arrangements. I love shopping here for whatever floral presents I am buying. They have cute miscellaneous items that are also on sale and although some flowers are somewhat overpriced, it is a great choice for any of your floral needs.
If they would let me, I would live there. As it is, I seize on any and every opportunity to stop in. Need a birthday gift (everyone loves an orchid), fine soaps, flowers for the table, or a stunning bouquet for your wedding? Check out Asrai for a unique and wonderful selection in a magical setting.
the most adorable flower shop i have ever seen! they carry such a unique assortment of flowers, plants, dishes, stationary, and gifty items. really obscure plants too. it was the selection of staghorn ferns that impressed me. they are my favorite and you never see them anywhere. i did get busted for taking photos in the store but everything was so beautiful i wanted to take it all back with me to la. the girl working there was very friendly and gave me some great recommendations for places to go to while i was in town. leave yourself some time in this store. there's so much to look at you'll need it to take it all in.
Neighborhood: Bucktown
Category: Florists
Neighborhood: Logan Square
Category: Florists
Neighborhood: Near West Side
Category: Florists
Neighborhood: Wicker Park
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