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Flowers & Foliage
Buying plants and flowers online saves the
time and trouble of running around to garden
centers and nurseries at a time of year when
they are likely to be crowded with customers.
Online sources also offer vastly more choices
than local centers, which may carry only
the most common plant varieties. Old fashion
types (heirlooms) may only be available online.
Seeds
This is the easiest way to purchase
plants
online. Seed companies publish
online catalogues
that offer descriptions of hundreds
of varieties
of flowers and vegetables. The
seed packets
are lightweight , can be shipped
inexpensively
at any time of the year, and
can be stored
in a cool, dry place for weeks
before being
germinated. However, buying seeds
requires
much more work on the part of
the buyer,
who must tend to the small seedlings
for
weeks before they can be planted
outside.
It may also require additional
equipment,
such as potting soil, starter
containers,
seed warming mats, and special
grow lights.
Bulbs
Tubers and corms can be bought as bulbs.
Small, lightweight bulbs are inexpensive
to ship making them easy to buy online. Usually
the bulbs are shipped at the time of year
they should be planted.
Live plants
Live plants offer instant results and have
a better survival rate. Live plants of all
sizes can be shipped, but the plants usually
must be planted within days of arrival, so
they are only available at the proper time
of year. Some live plants arrive in containers
with soil. Others come bare rooted and are
sometimes wrapped in special materials to
keep the roots moist. Growers do a wonderful
job of shipping live plants so that they
arrive undamaged, but all the packing means
that live plants cost more to ship.
Cut flowers
All kinds of cut flowers are
available online,
providing access to a far greater
variety
than are available through local
sources.
Packing quality and shipping
time are the
most important things to look
for, as cut
flowers are fairly fragile.
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