Frequently Asked Questions

We ship most orders by FedEx 2nd Day. We prefer to ship most orders this way because there is a guaranteed delivery date, the package is insured, and it can be tracked online at www.fedex.com. Please note that a street address is required for FedEx delivery. Please feel free to add any special instructions in the comments box that may aid in FedEx delivering the package (ex. leave on covered porch, Green Lane is 0.5 miles N of 360 State Route 10 etc...) FedEx does require a delivery signature for packages valued over $499. They also may require a signature for packages delivered to multi-unit dwellings such as apartment or office buildings as well as businesses.

We still offer US Priority Mail as a secondary shipping option for those who simply prefer US Priority Mail shipping or wish to have their order shipped to a PO Box number. Please be sure to provide a delivery address where mail is delivered if selecting this option. Also, because most packages are insured, the US Postal Service requires a delivery signature for packages valued at over $200. Priority Mail with Delivery Confirmation has been quite reliable over the past few years with most packages arriving in 2-4 days although there is no guaranteed delivery period. However, the package cannot be tracked; only delivery can be confirmed online at www.usps.com. Please note that claims for damage can be filed immediately with the Postal Service while claims for lost orders do require a 21-day waiting period.

We have just received a discount with FedEx that makes their prices competative with the recently increased US Priority Mail rates. As a result, the shipping/handling costs are the same for either method of delivery and are less than last year's FedEx shipping/handling charges.

We ship most plants on Mondays and Tuesdays during the fall (Sept-Dec) and spring (Mar-June) via FedEx 2nd Day. If you have a specific ship date or time when you do or do not want your order to be shipped, please let us know. You may note these dates in the comments box when placing your order or e-mail us separately. Normally, we schedule shipments based on your location and requested ship dates as well as what is the best time for the plants.

Also, if you want your order shipped as soon as possible, please let us know. While we do our best to accomodate such requests, the weather, filled shipping schedules for the upcoming week, and plant availability may delay shipment.

Please note that we can ship orders paid by credit cards and money orders once payment is received. Unfortunately, we must wait to ship orders paid with checks until the check has actually cleared our bank.

We are also able to ship certain plants safely at other times of the year, depending on the particular plant as well as your location. Once again, please e-mail us if you would like to have an order shipped during the winter and summer months and we will advise you on the possibility of shipping your order at that time.

We do not substitute unless you request us to do so. Please include a list of substitutes either in the comments screen at the end of the order form (after the order is confirmed) or in a separate email. Refunds on out of stock items are sent with your order.

Most book orders are shipped within 2-3 business days via US Media Mail. However, please understand that the shipment may be delayed if we are out of the office during the holidays.

There is an additional charge for shipment via FedEx 2nd Day or US Priority Mail. Please inquire regarding extra costs.

We have a base shipping/handling charge for all orders plus an additional shipping charge per plant unit.

The base charge includes the shipment of 2 regular sized plants (2 plant units) which are usually in 3 1/4" to 3 1/2" square pots. Additional plants will be shipped at a rate based on the average cost to ship most of our plants (1 plant unit) to your location. However, not all of our plants are the same size. We have reduced the shipping on plants substantially smaller than average. Those that are substantially larger will count as 2 or 3 plant units for shipping purposes.

Some of our dwarf plants are shipped in smaller 2 1/2" square pot. As a result, many of these now count as 1/2 of a plant unit as noted in their descriptions. Four plants that count as 1/2 a plant unit would be included in the base shipping & handling charge.

A few oversized items, such as Arisaema sold in the spring, some Aspidistra, and Paeonia obovata, incur additional shipping charges. These will count as more than one plant unit as noted in their description. For example, Arisaema sikokianum shipped in the spring counts as 2 plant units for shipping purposes. Shipping one of these would be covered by the base charge for your zone.

Because most Arisaema shipped in the fall and winter are unpotted tubers, we have reduced their shipping/handling costs. Each dormant unpotted Arisaema tuber shipped in the fall or winter now counts as 1/4 of a plant unit. If you are only ordering dormant Arisaema tubers in the fall or winter, the base shipping and handling charge includes the shipment of 8 tubers. If your order includes ONLY unpotted dormant Arisaema, the base shipping charge will also be reduced by $5.00.

The website will use the following values to calculate shipping/handling costs. The cost is the same for shipment via FedEx 2nd Day and US Priority Mail.

• CT, RI, NY, NJ, PA, DE, MD, VA, DC, WV...$16 base charge, $1.40 per each additional plant unit.
• ME, NH, VT, MA, OH, IN, IL, MI, NC, SC, GA, TN, KY...$19 base charge, $2.25 per each additional plant unit.
• FL, AL, MS, AR, MO, IA, WI, MN...$22 base charge, $3.00 per each additional plant unit.
• LA, TX, OK, KS, NE, SD, ND, MT, WY, CO, NM, AZ, UT,
  ID, NV, WA, OR, CA...$25 base charge, $4.50 per each additional plant unit.
• AK, HI...$31 base charge, $4.50 per each additional plant unit.