Once you get the gardening bug, you have it for life. It becomes practically impossible to walk past a new plant without stopping and finding out what it is. If you really like it, the chances are you will end up seeing if you can buy it for your garden. In the not so distant past that meant visiting every garden center you passed. Today, you can buy practically any plant or tree online.
Companies like The Tree Center have made even quite rare plants and trees easily available to the general public. Nowadays, provided you have the budget, you really can create the garden of your dreams.
Plants are delicate
However, when shopping online for your garden there are a few things you need to bear in mind, especially when buying plants or trees. They are nowhere near as easy to safely transport as an inanimate object like a jumper is.
You know that, but sometimes I swear the courier company forgets this. Some are great. They take very good care of all of their packages. Others, not so much, some seem to ignore “this way up” and “fragile” labels.
Check out the returns process
Sadly, there is no way of knowing whether the courier is going to take good care of your plants or trees during the delivery process. Nurseries that sell online do their best to hire good firms. However, inevitably, every now and again, a delivery person will not follow protocol and will damage the trees or plants they are delivering. In that situation, you need to know that you can return the item or get some or all of your money back. Therefore, before you buy, check out the firm´s returns policy. They are usually excellent.
On delivery, try to video the unwrapping process. That way, if there is damage you will have proof that it was done in transit. You just need to prop your phone up on a table with the plant in-shot and hit record. Or, get one of the kids to do it.
Only buy from trusted sources
Before buying, see if there are any reviews about that firm´s service. If they are mostly bad, move on and buy your plants elsewhere.
Double-check the description
It is also worth checking the product description twice before you order. That way you will not end up buying a tree that you expect to be a meter high only to discover when it arrives, that it is just a few inches high. If details like the height or maturity of the plant are not included in the description ask via email or live chat. Keep the response and complain if the plants that arrive do not measure up.
Plenty of TLC
Even a plant that has been carefully packaged and taken care of during transit will be a little fragile. This means that you have to give it a little extra TLC for a couple of months. To do this, just follow the advice in this article.