Last Updated on February 23, 2022 by Kimberly Crawford
Have you tried shopping for plants online yet? If not, you are highly recommended to join the trend of online plant shopping, which has had a boom in recent years.
Buying greenery online saves shoppers both the time and effort necessary for traveling to brick-and-mortar stores. There are several things to pay special attention to when shopping for flora online, such as the seller’s reputation, product specifications, and delivery information.
Even if you are a newbie to house plants, the tips below will help you choose the best greenery and have it shipped to your home.
Consider the seller’s reputation
The primary step to consider when choosing greenery online is the seller’s reputation. A good starting point is definitely word of mouth, as some of your family members and friends may have made such a purchase before. In case you already have a particular vendor in mind, you should join online forums and groups to gain insight into the experience of other buyers.
In addition, you should read online reviews to check out the opinion of other people regarding a particular company. Buyers are advised to seek out online reviews that provide useful information related to the way products are shipped and packed. Nevertheless, you have to remember that not all customer reviews are to be trusted, as customers are likelier to leave a negative review if they aren’t satisfied with the purchase.
When looking for genuine reviews, you should rely on trustworthy third-party review sites, such as Yelp or Google. Nowadays, there is a multitude of reputable online vendors of plants offering simple returns and fast shipping. Another aspect to consider when checking the reputation of sellers is whether they provide a money-back guarantee. Most vendors offer a thirty-day guarantee, which allows buyers to get a refund or a replacement. Money-back guarantees are indispensable in case the product you ordered arrives in bad condition.
Check specifications
The following step of your online shopping journey should be checking plant specifications. It’s common for retailers to use retouched photographs to represent their flora, which don’t always provide an accurate reflection of the greenery you hope to receive. Plants used as models are usually larger, much shinier, and contain no yellow leaves. Nevertheless, this might not be the case with the one you intend to order.
Therefore, buyers are encouraged not to skip the fine print below every product, which provides useful information about its condition and size. The fine print reveals whether you are purchasing a baby or mature plant or whether it will be delivered potted or bare root. Some packages arrive with care instructions, while others require buyers to look for instructions on the site.
Most individuals prefer buying plants online, as they can get a better idea of how various types of greenery will fit their living space. Most websites allow shoppers to easily filter the products by size, care levels, light requirements, watering needs, etc. Always read the description below the product to get information about the plant’s zone, exposure, and soil requirements. Check out the basic needs of plants.
Another important aspect of such online shopping is being provided with enough photographs to be able to see the greenery from multiple angles. Buyers should be informed about the size of leaves and their texture through pictures. A single photograph is not enough to get to know the plant.
Check delivery information
The next thing to consider when shopping for greenery online is delivery information. It’s essential to check whether the seller is permitted to ship such products to your country. People dwelling in the USA are prohibited from importing plants from countries outside the US for sanitary reasons. Consequently, buyers in the US should only make purchases from sellers within the country.
Regarding the average shipping time, it usually varies across retailers. Nevertheless, the usual waiting period is between three and eight days, depending on the location. Next-day shipping is an available service provided by most vendors, but it comes at an extra cost. Also, most sellers offer free delivery on orders over $70.
Another factor to take into account in view of delivery is the type of weather. Plants might not survive shipments in extreme temperatures, such as heatwaves or below-zero temperatures. Nevertheless, sellers cannot do much about mitigating the risk of flora not surviving the trip, except for delaying the delivery for a few days and waiting for better weather conditions. Some vendors tend to use heat packs to provide plants with a chance to survive extremely cold weather, but this delivery method isn’t confirmed to be entirely safe.
Furthermore, buyers should consider the time of delivery to see if they will be home to receive the package. Unless you plan the time of delivery, your package might end up staying on the porch for hours and not surviving extreme weather conditions. The following link, https://www.houseplantsexpert.com/indoor-plants-temperature-guide.html, provides a useful guide to indoor plant temperature.
Prior to shipping out greenery, retailers clean and shine each leaf in order for them to glow when arriving in the hands of customers. They usually fit the flower, fern, or succulent in a ceramic pot chosen by customers themselves, which is then carefully packaged and wrapped in a special box.
Best places to buy plants online
1-800 Flowers.com
1-800 Flowers is an American company that specializes in delivering flowers, plants, and other gifts to customers for various occasions. Customers can either purchase items online or over the phone. To date, 1-800 Flowers.com has delivered more than two billion arrangements worldwide making them one of the largest florist chains in North America.
Bloomscape
Bloomscape Incorporated is a floral and garden supply company that provides only the highest quality, freshest flowers at wholesale prices. The company offers same-day flower delivery for all of their products as well as free shipping to any order over $50. Bloomscape currently serves more than 2 million customers across North America and has a warehouse in Canada.
Fast Growing Trees
Fast Growing Trees is a fast-growing wholesale tree nursery that provides trees for commercial use. The company offers a wide variety of species and specializes in providing the most popular native and fruit trees.
Fast Growing Trees also offers a wide variety of berry plants, evergreens, ornamental shrubs, and more. In addition to offering same-day delivery, Fast Growing Trees also offers next-day and second-day shipping.
Gardener’s Supply Company
Gardener’s Supply Company is a Vermont based company that provides gardening tools for commercial purposes.
The company has remained family owned and operated since its inception in 1978 and has grown to become the largest mail-order garden supplier in the United States. In addition to same-day delivery, Gardener’s Supply also offers overnight delivery as well as weekend delivery depending on the area.
Gardens Alive
Gardens Alive is an Indiana based company that has served both homeowners and commercial customers with high quality products for over 30 years.
The company specializes in organic gardening supplies as well as soil, mulch, compost, plant foods, pest control, weed killers, and more. Gardens Alive offers same-day delivery of their products with overnight and two-day shipping also available.
Kelly Nurseries
Kelly Nurseries is a New Jersey based company that provides wholesale trees for commercial use, including evergreens, ornamental trees, fruit trees, shrubs, hedges, vines, berries plants. Kelly Nurseries is certified by the International Society of Arboriculture and offers same-day delivery of their products.
HeyHorti.com
HeyHorti.com is an online plant supplier that specializes in offering wholesale products for commercial use to homeowners, landscapers, businesses, schools, and more across North America. HeyHorti offers same-day delivery of their products with weekend shipping available.
Léon & George
Léon & George is a California based company that specializes in the delivery of healthy and beautiful houseplants as well as unusual cacti and succulents.
The company offers same-day delivery to most areas, with weekend delivery available. Additionally, Léon & George supplies interior decoration services such as wedding flowers and event design.
Lula’s Garden
Lula’s Garden is a family owned business that has been in operation since 1989. The company specializes in the delivery of premium quality, healthy plants for commercial use.
Lula’s Garden offers same-day delivery on their products with weekend, next day, or second day shipping also available depending on the area.
Modern Sprout
Modern Sprout is an online plant supplier that specializes in offering houseplants for commercial use. The company offers same-day delivery of their products with next day and second day shipping available depending on the area. Modern Sprout also provides wedding flower services as well as interior decoration services such as event design.
Nature Hills Nursery
Nature Hills Nursery is an online nursery that offers wholesale trees for commercial use, including evergreens, ornamental trees, fruit trees, shrubs, berry plants. Nature Hills also provides gardening supplies such as topsoil and mulch. Nature Hills currently serves customers across the United States and offers next day delivery with two-day delivery also available depending on the area.
Plants.com
Plants.com is one of the world’s leading online plant delivery services, offering customers 100s (yes, HUNDREDS) of fresh-cut or potted specimens to choose from. You can order these plants online, by phone, fax, or even EMAIL… with each method having its pros and cons.
Terrain
Terrain is a shop that offers not only flowers, but also garden furniture, art objects, outdoor decor, and more. Terrain currently serves customers across North America with same-day delivery of their products with next day shipping available depending on the area.
The Bouqs Co. (thebouqs.com)
The Bouqs Co. is a flower shop that specializes in the online delivery of 100% PURE, UNTREATED flowers and plants straight from the farm to customers across North America. The Bouqs Company also offers local delivery services including same-day service to select cities such as San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles.
The Sill (thesill.com)
The Sill specializes in offering houseplants that are NOT the usual “office green” but rather lush, tropical specimens that can survive even the blackest of thumbs. The Sill offers same-day delivery on their products with second day shipping also available depending on the area.
UrbanStems (urbanstems.com)
UrbanStems specializes in offering a wide variety of flowers and plants for same-day delivery across all of the United States, as well as worldwide delivery options for select countries. The company currently offers a 50% discount on first time orders with free shipping also available depending on the area.
Why you should buy plants online?
If you are worried about your local climate, surprise frosts, city ordinances against outdoor gardening or mail order plants that come in bareroot form then it is better to buy plants online. There are several positive aspects that make buying of potted or boxed plants online preferable over offline purchasing.
Online stores have a larger variety of plants available than the usual neighborhood store. Many stores offer coupons, discounts and free shipping on all orders which is not possible with an offline store. A person can also buy plants online at any time of the day or night for that matter without having to deal with traffic or weather conditions.
Some of your favorite plant varieties may not be in stock at your local store. This is because the plants sold in a neighborhood store are mostly native to that particular area. To get exotic plants, one has to order online. For example, a plant which you have been wanting since long can be ordered from a different state or country and delivered right at your doorstep without any shipping charges added on top of the price.
Online shops also allow you to compare prices at different stores and choose the best deal. Buying plants online is generally cheaper than an offline purchase because there are no transportation or other related costs involved in getting them delivered to your doorstep. Since everything happens online, there are no additional charges for packing, handling, storage etc which saves you a lot of money.
The plant delivery service is also good for the environment, since you are buying a boxed plant, there is no packaging material wasted and all the plants will be delivered to your doorstep in a box with soil and fertilizer intact.
The best part about buying a boxed or potted plant online is that they require minimal care and do not need any kind of soil preparation like in the case of a bare root plant. There is no question of transplanting or replanting with such plants and they can be placed anywhere in your house without any hassles.
Plant delivery service by local nurseries and gardeners is also available but most people prefer to buy plants online because it is easier for them. People are busy these days with work and family responsibilities, so it is better to buy plants in a box which saves you the time and effort involved in digging and moving plant pots and dirt around. Since all you have to do with a boxed plant is unpack it and place it in the soil, there is no question of transplanting or watering either.
If you are living in a city where it is difficult to grow plants, even though you have taken all the precautions, buying potted plants online will not only save you money but also give you the chance to decorate your home with exotic plant varieties that are not available locally. There are many ways through which one can buy plants online.
These days, you do not have to go through a lot of hassles looking for the best place to order plants from because all you need is an internet connection and your computer or laptop. There are many websites that sell plants online so it is advised to compare their prices before buying them to get the best deal possible on a potted plant. By going through all the formalities mentioned above, you can buy plants online without any hassle and make your home a green haven.
How to care for the plants which are bought through online?
When you order a plant from an online vendor or purchase it from a garden center, one of the disadvantages is that there’s no way to check the condition of the plant before taking it home. You can reduce this risk by ordering plants that are sold in pots, looking at their reviews and ratings online, and making sure you buy from a reputable vendor.
If your plant arrives damaged or is missing leaves or flowers, be sure to take photographs of the packaging and the items that were sent so that you can get a refund or replacement. In addition to this, if the plants are in poor condition when they arrive, it is best to plant them right away and not wait for days because it might wither away before you have chance to plant it.
In order to make sure that your plants stay healthy and clean after buying them online, it is best to buy them from a reputable garden center so that it stays healthy even after being delivered. You can also place your plants outside for some hours before bringing them indoors to clean its leaves of dust and dirt because this will make it easier to take care of.
When you buy plants online, it is better to buy those which are already in a pot because they are in better condition when they arrive. It is also best to make sure you buy from a reputable vendor or website so that your plants stay healthy for a longer period of time even after being delivered. In addition to this, it is best to plant them immediately when you receive them and not wait for days before planting them because the plants might wither away before you have a chance to plant them.
Final word
Greenery has a tremendous impact on the aesthetics of homes and the health of household residents.
Shop online!