Buying plants online can be just as simple and rewarding as other types of online shopping. However, there can also be greater risks involved. Here are some expert tips for buying plants online to help you get the best deals and the healthiest plants:
One of the first things to learn about a potential online plant purchase is where it'll be shipping from. While online shopping makes it easier for people in more remote areas or less favorable climates to buy plants, buying from a source that's too far away might pose issues for your shipment. The longer a plant is in transit, the more potential there is for damage.
It's also important to be mindful of the season when ordering plants online. Many online retailers won't ship during the winter, or will offer extra "winter insurance" for heated delivery. Even if a plant is coming to you from somewhere nearby, shipping in below-freezing temperatures can be lethal.
Each plant is unique, which is part of the fun of buying them. However, it also means you won't always get a plant exactly like an online photo. Many retailers are careful to include multiple shots of the same plant or many examples, but it's essential to know what you buy will not be perfectly identical to what's on a website.
However, it's reasonable to expect the seller to advertise truthfully. Familiarize yourself with their return policies and other customer service options in case you receive a badly damaged or significantly different plant than the one you ordered.
These are just some of the most important tips for ordering plants online. Keep an open mind but understand your options, and you'll have the best possible online shopping experience.
I'm John Mahan, Sales Associate with William Raveis Real Estate, Harwich Port Office.
Throughout his childhood, John Mahan spent summers on Cape Cod at his parents’ home in Dennis Port. His intro to the Cape was, as he puts it, when his parents “carried me down the stairs at Sea Street Beach when I was a week old.” With a lifelong connection to Cape Cod, it seemed only natural for John and his wife, Mary, to move to Harwich – where they still reside – with their two young children in 1996.
Prior to moving to Cape Cod, John lived in the Worcester-Auburn area where he worked for Mass Electric for 10 years and was a member of the International Brotherhood of Utility Workers. When John and his family moved to the Cape, he worked at NSTAR for six years.
John began his career in real estate in 2002 when he joined Team Waystack Realty in Harwich Port. He has been a consistent top producing realtor in the Harwich area for the past 20 years. John’s approachable demeanor, combined with an integral understanding of the Cape Cod residential real estate market, have allowed him to build trusting, long-term relationships with his clients – both sellers and buyers.
