We know that sending plants in the mail might seem impossible, but with the proper preparation they make it to their destination safe and sound (most of the time). In the wintertime we start to get a lot of questions about our pack & ship process since plants are notoriously vulnerable to the cold, but there are risks associated with shipping living things all year long. Delays with the postal service, temperamental plants and packages being thrown around in transit are all factors we take into consideration when packing your order. Read through to get the full breakdown on what goes into getting your plants to your door with as little damage as possible
1. Thoroughly clean and prune the plant
We use a special (all-natural) blend to clean our plants and make sure they’re free of pests and residue before packing them up to ensure you have the most Instagram worthy unboxing ever! We also take the liberty of giving your plants a little haircut to get rid of any dying leaves or blemishes to make sure they look their best- first impressions are everything after all!
2. Pack in the soil with PolyFil and secure with tape
A lot of plant retailers, especially those overseas, ship their plant ‘bare-rooted’ or without any soil or a pot. Usually they’ll wrap the wet roots in plastic to prevent them drying out in transit, and then the customer is responsible for potting the plant and caring for it through a period of shock and adjustment. We prefer to ship plants in soil, which we pack in using a stuffing called ‘PolyFil’, that then gets taped down to secure it. This prevents a complete mess when unboxing your plants. This also means that while your new plants will definitely need some time to adjust to their new home, they’re far less likely to go into shock or die altogether. We know how disappointing it is when a new plant doesn’t make it, so we want to make sure that happens as little as possible!
3. Tightly wrap the plant in a paper bag to provide support and protection to the foliage
Next, we wrap our plants in a paper bag, tape the sides down tightly and tape them shut to support and protect the foliage during transit. Sometimes taller plants will need a second bag over the top to protect the very top of the plant
4. Label
All of the plants end up looking pretty much the same once they’re wrapped up, so we label them so you know what you’re unwrapping
BONUS
In the wintertime, all of our boxes are shipped with heat packs and extra paper stuffing free of charge to combat the cold. The heat packs are placed against the inside of the box and covered with about two inches of paper insulation which creates a nice warm bed for your plants. We use more paper insulation to ensure your plants won’t move around too much during transit, and if temperatures drop too far below freezing we use an additional layer of foil insulation to trap in more warmth. If your order appears to be damaged from the cold, please contact us with photos as soon as possible. Sometimes delays in shipping lead to the heat packs expiring before they reach their destination, but we will always find a way to fix the problem!
Even after all of that work and care, issues are still bound to arise from time to time. We’re always available via email and our social media platforms to answer questions or rectify any problems you have with your order. We pride ourselves on offering the highest quality healthy plants, and anything less is unacceptable!
