Our Unconditional, Money Back Guarantee All plants are guaranteed to arrive at your home in excellent condition and clearly labeled. We know you will love our large, high quality plants - so we guarantee it!
We also mean that they should perform well in your garden if you meet their cultivation needs -- appropriate moisture, sunlight and soil fertility -- and no act of nature, such as a severe winter or unusually hot weather, intervenes.
We ship well-rooted stock in the container size listed for each plant in our catalog. Occasionally we will cut a plant back to facilitate shipping, but hey -- we're gardeners, so we'll do a thoughtful job of it. We are very careful about not sending you weeds or pests! If your plants do not arrive in excellent condition, please contact us immediately via email or telephone. You can choose to have either a refund or credit on a future order. Shipping charges are not refundable.
Our goal is to make you happy, satisfied and glad you ordered from us!Acts of Nature/Lack of Proper Care
We can't guarantee survival of our plants in the event of an act of nature, such as pest damage, a storm, extreme summer heat or unexpectedly severe drought. Outside of these conditions, our plants should perform well if they receive appropriate moisture, sunlight and soil and if selected correctly based on USDA Hardiness Zones. Proper care also requires planting with sufficient time for roots to become well established before winter in light, moisture and soil conditions appropriate to each plant. If their needs aren't met (we trust you to judge this) or acts of nature harm them, we can't guarantee replacement or a refund/credit.
Winter DamageWe do not, under any circumstances, guarantee winter survival of plants. Too many factors are out of our control.
Plants listed as "Challenging"We can't unconditionally guarantee success with species that are challenging outside their native environment. For species we indicate as being challenging (information posted in the plant descriptions), we only guarantee safe arrival of healthy plants. We can't guarantee your success beyond this point for difficult species, as many are rigorous about their cultural requirements.
Our Plants
The descriptions about our plants and the other products that we sell are as accurate as we can make them be and are based on our personal experience. After all, we grow these plants in our own garden! And each plant listing contains a brief description of its appearance, cultural requirements and general uses. We cannot know your micro-climate or specific growing conditions, so please research the requirements of a plant before your purchase. Additionally, we can make no personal claims as to the effectiveness of medicinal plants.
Flower Color
The flower color of our plants in your garden may not always exactly match the colors in our photographs. This is due, in part, to the photographic process and varying lighting conditions during the day. What looks red-orange when photographed at noon may look different later in the day.
Color -- both of flowers and foliage -- may also vary based on the differences in growing conditions from one area to another. Variations in soil chemistry, including pH and fertility, can cause colors to shift. The day & night temperature, the intensity of the light, drought conditions, excessive rainfall, air pollution and stress from pests all affect plant pigmentation. These are factors that vary by location and from one season to another.
Nature is full of surprises. So please forgive us if a plant that we describe as being "clear pink" or "tomato red" appears somewhat different in your garden. Also, please keep in mind that two people viewing the same flower in the same place and under the same conditions may describe its color differently.
Substitutions and Backorders
We will not make any substitutions without your permission. If you wish to list acceptable substitutions, please use the Customer Notes box at the bottom of the Checkout page to tell us what to do. We do not backorder unavailable plants without your permission.
Shipping
Please read the details of our shipping system here.
It is the customer's responsibility to provide an appropriate shipping address. We do not ship to PO Boxes.
If you live behind a locked gate or in a restricted access situation, you need to communicate directly with UPS to arrange delivery.
No Item Changes
Our apologies upfront, but we can't make changes to orders. Once placed orders cannot be canceled. We grow and care for your plants specifically for you.
Seasonal Delivery
Unless you instruct otherwise, we will send your order on the next regular shipping day (Monday & Tuesday), in one shipment. If you would like us to hold your plants until your weather is appropriate for planting please tell us so in the Customer Notes section of your order.
Requests for Delayed Delivery
To delay receipt of an order due to sudden, difficult weather or another reason, please contact us immediately. If it isn't already shipped, we can generally place a hold for a few weeks.
Additions to Orders
Registered users can add plants to an order by placing an additional order and selecting "Combined shipping" when checking out. This method is explained in more detail here. This is the only method that can be used to combine orders. The shipping date may change when combining orders.
Payment Upon Order
FBTS charges for orders when we receive them. When you place an order, whether for this week or for a number of weeks in the future, we set aside plants for you that no one else may purchase. This policy allows you to make sure the plants you want are available when you need them.
Patented Plants
Unlicensed propagation of patented plants, and of plants that are in the patenting process and have been identified as PPAF is against the law when done for any purpose. This is true whether done for profit, for a nonprofit fundraiser, or for personal use -- such as for increasing the number of the plants in one's own garden. It can also hurt a plant developer's reputation if plants that are grown illegally are poorly reproduced.
When you purchase a patented or PPAF plant from FBTS, you are purchasing one plant with no provision for any propagation.
Refunds and Credits
If you order plants far in advance of your requested delivery date, please remember that we can't provide a refund on a credit card purchase more than 60 days after the order is placed. The same thing is true in the rare event that you experience a plant failure and report it beyond the 60-day limit. We can, however, credit your purchase by providing a gift certificate.
We are not responsible for any monetary value in excess of the amount of your order.
Once an order is placed it cannot be canceled. If you no longer wish to receive the plants you have ordered, we will refund the shipping charges but cannot do so for the cost of the plants.
We reserve the right to deny orders for any reason.
Last revision: June 2019