Shipping Information

When should I expect my plants?

Some cold-hardy products begin shipping as early as February 11th. Tomatoes and other warm season plants begin shipping February 25th and continue weekly through May.

Since some plants are very cold-sensitive, we cannot guarantee that they will arrive safely any earlier than our recommended shipping dates.

When you give us your zip code, we can recommend shipping dates based on the average date of the last frost in your area. Keep in mind that this is the very earliest date - not the only date - you should plant. Our plants are seeded on a regular schedule throughout the season, so they are always the right size for you, no matter when you need to plant.

When is the right time for me to plant?

Many people wait up to two weeks past their last frost date to plant. If needed, you can hold our plants for up to two weeks after receiving them before you plant; but please give them full sun daily outdoors so they do not lose their hardened off stems. Read more about choosing the best planting time, or view our 2013 Shipping Schedule.

How do live plants get delivered to me safely?

Each plant comes in a 4.5" square nursery pot and is wrapped individually to retain its soil and moisture. Unlike our competition, we ship in these large pots to keep the stress of transport to a minimum. Our interior cartons are specially designed to fit our plants and utilize "green" recyclable cardboard that can even be used for mulch! Each year, we ship over 70,000 plants, so we know how to pack them so they arrive safely. We always hand-pack your plants, inspecting them at each stage of handling to ensure the highest quality plant is put into the shipping box for you. Our many years of experience in shipping plants gives us the knowledge and expertise to get them to you in good condition.

What is your minimum order?

You can order any quantity you want - we don't require you to order by the dozen! Keep in mind, however, that UPS and Fed Ex charge about the same to ship one plant as they do to ship six to eight plants, so the minimum order is really up to you.

How much is shipping?

Shipping typically costs $12.75 a box to ship six plants and goes up approximately $.50 per plant for additional plants. UPS and Fed-Ex apply a "residential delivery" surcharge, which can be up to 20% of shipping costs so shipping to a business address helps us keep prices low. We never add any additional charges to shipping costs, what we pay is what you pay. Other companies may offer "free" shipping however we believe it is best to show you those costs instead of hiding them in higher overall prices. Deliveries to Oregon and Washington require "3 Day Select" or "Express Saver" in order for plants to arrive within three days, which averages between $28 and $35 per box.

What size are your plants?

Our Herbs are shipped in extra large 4 1/2 inch pots. Our Tomato and Vegetable plants are in 4 1/2 inch pots and most are 6-12 inches tall, depending upon which type of vegetable they are.

Many of our competitors ship what they call tomato "plants" in pots that are considerably smaller than our pots. Sometimes these plants are actually "plugs" or tiny seedlings that still require a couple of weeks growth and hardening off before planting. We guarantee that plants from The Tasteful Garden will arrive safely and that they will be ready to plant when you receive them. We do, however, recommend a few days of "travel rest" to acclimate your plants to your backyard before you plant them.

What else do I need to know?

If you do not receive a confirmation email from us immediately after ordering, you may have mistyped your email address. Please call us as soon as possible. We use email exclusively to notify you of any delays or changes to your shipping date.

Click this link to read more about changing your order's shipping date or revising your order before it ships.

If you need to change your delivery address after a package has already shipped using UPS, you can visit UPS My Choice and sign up to be able to reroute packages and receive notifications when packages are delivered.  Not going to be home for a delivery?  You can always have your packages delivered to The UPS Store or Fed Ex store to be held for pickup.

For any other problems or questions, call us at 256-403-3413 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT Monday-Friday or email us anytime at sales@tastefulgarden.com.

How do you ship?

We offer shipping through both UPS and Fed-Ex, including Ground Service, 1-Day Air, 2-Day Air and 3-Day Select. In most cases, your plants can be sent by Ground Service as long as they will arrive before the weekend. We will recommend the fastest ground service for your zip code at checkout, if you prefer another service, just enter your request in the comments box. (Check the maps below for more accurate transit times.) We assure you that the above shipping costs accurately reflect the fees charged by UPS and Fed-Ex and that we never charge extra just to pad our profits.

Some lightweight non-plant items are able to ship using USPS; however, we never send live plants through the mail because the postal system is unable to guarantee delivery within three days and we are unable to track packages in transit.

What if I live outside the continental US?

U.S. Territories and Outlying Areas (Guam, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Alaska, Hawaii and Canada)

Live plants shipped to these areas require special inspection and certification by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the delay in transit time along with the costs of shipping to these areas makes it impossible for us to ship to them.