Question: Where is my order?
Answer: We ship according to USDA Planting Zones and hold your order until your Zone is warm enough for the plants to survive your current temperatures. Some plants, such as Tropical Waterlilies, are not usually available until beginning in late April. We hold the order until it is safe for all plants in your Zone; if you wish the order to be separated into multiple shipments please write your request in the comments section when ordering, and each shipment will incur a shipping charge. All orders are shipped Monday through Friday for arrival by Saturday to ensure that the plants arrive healthy.
Question: If my zone is still too cold for the plants, will you ship my plants ahead of schedule, if I request you to do so?
Answer: Yes, simply leave a note in the comment section, when checking out to "Ship Now" and we will be happy to send them out to you as soon as possible. You will be responsible for providing them with the temperatures they need, and there is no guarantee on plants shipped too early for their Zone.
Question: What size are the water lilies and how are they shipped?
Answer: The water lilies are usually shipped bare root with damp paper in a plastic bag; sometimes plants will be shipped in small starter pots. We ship mature, growing tubers/rhizomes, usually with a few of the newest leaves. We remove most of the foliage--a bare root plant cannot keep all the leaves alive so the older leaves will die anyway and stress the plant from trying to keep them alive, and would require a higher shipping charge for the extra leaves.
Question: What size are the shallow water and bog plants when shipped?
Answer: The size of the plant that we ship varies by variety. We ship plants that are well started or mature that are ready to grow quickly. They may be bare root or in small pots, depending on the variety, time of year, and available inventory. Bog plants are often cut back for shipping, and will regrow quickly.
Question: I ordered snails and they have not moved since I released them into the pond. Are they dead?
Answer: Snails are very shy when entering a new environment and the length of time before they come out and begin to wander around will vary. Depending on water temperatures, it could take up to a week for them to move around; naturally, they are much slower in cooler water. Occasionally, snails may float when you first receive them. This probably means that there is air trapped in their shells. As long as the trapdoor is still in place, let them float and the air will work its way out. It is better to release them into deeper water rather than shallow water, both for their protection and because cooler water will be easier for them to adjust to than warmer water.
Question: Do you guarantee live delivery of snails and tadpoles?
Answer: We ship live healthy snails and tadpoles, but because of the shock of shipping cannot guarantee the live delivery of every single snail or tadpole. When temperatures are hot across the United States we recommend waiting for cooler temperatures when ordering snails or tadpoles.