Ordering Plants by Post
If you are a plant enthusiast like myself then the most effective way to find the plant you are looking for is by searching the internet and having the plants delivered in the post.
You can get plants posted to you bare root and as plug plants which is the most cost effective way of receiving plants by post. These types of package are usually small enough to fit through the letterbox and as yet I haven't received any damaged plants through the post, most of which are delivered by Royal mail.
Larger plants and small trees are usually sent by courier as they come as larger packages and tend to require greater protection. Unlike smaller plants you will have to be in for these bigger deliveries which for many people means booking a day off work or paying extra for a weekend delivery.
Where to find Postal Plant Suppliers
I advocate where practicable buying your plant through the smaller specialist plant suppliers that often grow the plants themselves keeping many of the rarer plants in circulation that would otherwise disappear altogether.
The larger retailers and chain stores tend to only stock the same few plants that are supplied from industrial greenhouses in Holland and southern Europe for palms and similar plants.
Many plant seller and growers sell through the like of eBay and Amazon and the larger independants usually have their own mail order websites you can buy directly from.
I also manage the Plant Search Engine right here at Plant Post where the independent nurseries and plant sellers can list their own sites to be included.
Tips when Ordering Plants by Post
One of the biggest issues I have found when ordering online rather than looking at the plants in person is judging how big the plants are. You don't want to be caught out spending money on a plant only to find you are actually paying for a plug plant seedling rather than an established plant you can plant out straight away.
The good sellers will clearly state the size of the plant you are buying and have multiple images of the plant or a representation of the kind of sized plant you can expect to receive.
The other issue to watch out for is postage costs. Sometimes the seller does not clearly state if it is free postage or how much the cost will be unless you read through reams of text. I've often had to reach the last stage of the checkout before I find out how much delivery is going to cost.
