Note: This article has been updated for accuracy reasons as of April 22, 2022 at 11:04 a.m.
Note: This article has been updated for accuracy reasons as of April 22, 2022 at 2:34 p.m.
Best Buds will be open for the season on April 23, and the new owners are ready to help the community learn about the benefits of growing your own plants.
The garden center is located at 2401 W. Farmington Road in West Peoria and is home to a variety of hand-selected plants from nurseries all around the Midwest.
The owners, married couple Ben and Lindsay DuBois, travel hundreds of miles to find the perfect picks to add to their collection and fill custom requests from shoppers. The DuBoises are looking forward to sharing their collection with the Peoria community on opening day, as this will be their first season as the new owners of Best Buds.
“We try to bring in a good selection for everyone,” Ben DuBois said. “If there’s something we don’t have, we’ll find it for you.”
The previous owners of 14 years sold the business to the DuBois, hoping to pass on the family business and transition to retirement. The DuBois are continuing with a similar business model by prioritizing unique, safe and affordable plants for customers.
One loyal customer of Best Buds, Corinna Martinez, enjoys the convenience and individuality that the local gardening center offers.
“[The previous owners] definitely went above and beyond,” Martinez said. “I’m very excited to meet the new owners and support a local business.”
In addition to its diverse collection of plants, Best Buds sells fertilizer, soil, planting pots and other home decor. Customers can visit the center in person or place an order over the phone. They expect to be fully stocked by Mother’s Day weekend with warmer weathers.
The owners offer pesticide-free products, unlike many of the big-box stores in the area. Although they allow for some beautiful flowers to bloom, pesticides can be incredibly harmful to the environment.
“You’re going to be killing the native insects,” Ben Dubois said. “Pesticides are something we really, really try to avoid. We do focus as much as possible on being organic.”
Best Buds also seeks to bring a number of vendors from varying areas to share their field expertise with the Peoria community.
The first vendor will be showcasing her 2022 orchid collection at Best Buds on April 30 from 12 to 2 p.m. An expanded selection of orchids will be for sale, as well as the opportunity to ask questions and receive care tips from an expert.
The owners are eager to share their gardening and growing knowledge to anyone interested in purchasing a plant so that each plant that is sold can be properly cared for.
“We’re here for questions,” Ben DuBois said. “I’ve got a library inside that I keep here, if anybody wants to come flip through books. I want to make sure people know what they’re doing when they take them [the plants] out.”
Ben DuBois has given an extensive list of tips for those who would love to get into the hobby or are just starting out. It’s possible to grow plants in any environment, even in a college dorm.
Best Buds’ opening day is Saturday, April 23, and they will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sundays. Visit their website here or call them at (309) 676-2837.
The graphic below has been updated to remove an incorrect plant-raising tip.
