Experienced gardeners buy plants online or shop for garden gear by mail order for three reasons:
-Greater selection of mail order plants, seeds, bulbs and garden products.-The convenience of armchair shopping.-Garden plants and goods shipped right to your door.
Better selection is really the best reason to buy plants online. Many mail order companies concentrate on particular plants and offer you much more choice.
For example, an online rose specialist will offer scores of varieties and types of roses, while your local garden center can only afford to stock perhaps a dozen or so.
Few garden centers are big enough to stock a fraction of what's available, so web suppliers or mail order catalogues help you find plants and garden products that may difficult to find locally.
Other advantages of shopping online
Many garden suppliers and growers have now have excellent websites to help you buy plants online and find general garden merchandise too.
But when you buy plants online, how do you tell who's legit and who's trying to pawn off miserable scraps of greenery on unwary gardeners?
If the deal is too good to be true, remember the old saying: You get what you pay for. If you see strident headlines promoting sweepstakes, you've got to wonder what they're really selling.
Buy plants online -Gardening stores on the web
Gardens Alive: Offers a variety of environmentally responsible products for your garden and lawn, from sprays and fertilizers to garden gear. Ships to US addresses, including Alaska, but not Hawaii.
Gardener's Supply Company: Offers a wealth of tools and supplies for gardeners, from seed-starting to watering, fertilizing and weeding, even garden furniture and sheds. Good garden tips too. Ships to US only.
Roses from Jackson & Perkins: Discover unusual and new roses. Also offers perennials, bulbs and garden gifts. Ships roses and perennials at the best time for planting in your area. US only, including Alaska and Hawaii.
Smith & Hawken: Offers stylish quality in garden tools, outdoor accents, garden decor, furnishing, indoor gardening goods, house plants and gifts. US only.
Gurney's - Save $20 off $40 Order: Seeds, plants and growing supplies. Ships to US, but not Alaska, Hawaii.
Richters Herbs: This Canadian company offers an excellent variety of culinary and other herb plants and seeds. They ship around the world and pride themselves on delivering herb plants to your door safely. I've often ordered plants from them and have been happy with their healthy green condition, even after shipping. Ships to Canada and US. All plant shipments to US are government inspected and come with a phytosanitary certificate free-of-charge.
Before you hit the send button, check your order
Bare-root daylilyready for planting
Be sure to order early to avoid "sold out" notices. Because seeds and planting stock are produced at least a season in advance, quantities are often limited, so it pays to order early.
If you don't want substitutions, state this clearly on your order form. Many mail-order companies will substitute a similar item for a sold-out product. Usually there's a box to check if you prefer no substitutions.
Read and understand the company's guarantee policy. Most suppliers have a date by which you must a notify them about problems or plant failures to get your money back.
Read the fine print. When shopping or buying plants online, check the size of plants shipped. It's discouraging to pay top dollar for something that comes in a tiny pot.
Keep a record of orders and shipping dates. You don't want to order same tulip bulbs twice because you misplaced the original order.
By Yvonne Cunnington
To read more great tips and to check out Ms. Cunningtons book;
http://www.flower-gardening-made-easy.com/index.html
