Greenhouse Co's Frequently Asked Questions
Want to know about our delivery areas, packaging system, potting technique or just what makes Greenhouse Co tick? Here are answers to our most frequently asked questions.
Placing an order
What happens after I place an order?
When you place an order, we receive a notification that makes us jump with joy and feel endless gratitude for our wonderful customers (no jokes, it’s an awesome feeling).
We then put your order together, selecting the best plants from our greenhouse and carefully package your order in our custom-made, sustainable and fully recyclable packaging.
From there, a shipping label is created with your delivery details. This will generate an email to you with your tracking number. Within 24 hours, your order will be collected and delivered to you safe n’ sound within a few days.
How can I be sure my plants will arrive fresh and healthy?
Our customised plant transport system (our super awesome packaging) has been designed by horticulturists who know what plants need to support them during transport (i.e. soil).
We also time our packing and dispatch so that plants minimise their time in their box. We encourage customers to be available on the day of delivery so that plants aren’t left in an unsuitable location or sent back to wait inside the post office.
What’s so special about the Greenhouse Co packaging?
Our packaging has been designed to allow us to send your beautiful ceramic pot along with your plant, fully potted, yep in soil, together in the same box. It's features include:
No plant stress
Your plant will not have to deal with the stress of being bare rooted for transport (how most plants are sent) and you won’t have to deal with the mess and fuss of potting up your new plant when you receive it.
No re-potting, your plant will fit your ceramic pot
Your plant will come in its plastic pot which we make sure fits perfectly in whichever ceramic pot you choose.
Stability support
The plastic pot will be wrapped in a calico bag to keep the soil in place, it will then be tied into a specially designed cardboard insert which will keep it stable and upright throughout its journey. The insert will be glued in place on top of your cardboard wrapped ceramic pot to hold it down and your plant up!
Fully recyclable
The thing that we’re most proud of is that our packaging is fully recyclable and re-useable, so you don’t have to feel bad about generating more packaging waste! In fact, you should feel awesome because ordering from us, online will generate way less emissions than if you were to drive to the nursery to buy a plant. The only plastic you get will be the plastic pot that your plant comes in and these can be re-used or recycled!
If I buy more than one plant, will they be shipped together?
Our packaging is designed to fit one ceramic pot and one plant or, if you buy only plants, we can usually fit two to a box. However, we only do this if they will fit without having to bend and break foliage to get them in. We package all our plants with the utmost care so if we have to add an extra box to fit your plants we will, but don’t worry our shipping is still the same.
Do I need to be at home to receive my plant?
Our awesome packaging has been designed to generally keep your plants safe from the elements. However, if you know that your packages are normally left gets bloody hot, super cold or windy (or if you think someone is likely to steal it) then it’s best if you can be around at the time of delivery.
This will ensure your plant spends as little time ‘in captivity’ as possible. Plants left on doorsteps for prolonged periods or returned to the post office for more than a few days can impact the freshness of the plant when you take it from its packaging.
How does AfterPay work?
AfterPay allows you to buy a plant now and pay later over 4 equal monthly repayments. AfterPay pays us up front and you pay your repayments to AfterPay.
Delivery
Where can you deliver plants to?
We can only deliver plants (inc. other products) to NSW, VIC, QLD, ACT and SA. Due to quarantine restrictions on plants and soil, we are unable to deliver plants to WA, NT and TAS. However we can deliver pots and accessories to all Australian states and territories.
For our Extra Large and Mature plants, we deliver these directly and can therefore only provide local delivery which is within approx. 80km of our Central Coast Nursery in NSW. This covers most of metropolitan Sydney and Newcastle.
What are your shipping rates?
Please note, due to quarantine restrictions on plants and soil, we are not able to deliver plants to WA, NT and TAS.
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MAJOR CITY & TOWNS / METRO ZONES
Standard Rate Flat Rate - $9.95
Express Flat Rate - $19.95
FREE DELIVERY for orders over $150
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REMOTE/REGIONAL ZONES
If your address is serviceable, a live rate is provided by our delivery partner Shippit.
Unfortunately we cannot provide Free Delivery for these locations.
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LOCAL DELIVERY
This only applies to addresses within approx. 80km of our Central Coast Nursery in NSW, for orders that include Extra Large or Mature Plants (covers most of metropolitan Sydney and Newcastle).
Local Delivery Flat Rate - $49.95 (Free delivery does not apply).
How fast is your delivery?
PROCESSING & DESPATCH
We make sure your order is packed within 48 hours of receiving it, Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays).
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STANDARD & EXPRESS DELIVERY
Typically, Standard Delivery will take an additional 2 to 4 days* with Express Delivery being only 1 to 2 days*.
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DIRECT COURIER RATE
If you receive a direct Courier rate, delivery could take up to 5 days* depending on your location.
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LOCAL DELIVERY
We will call you to arrange a good day and time to deliver and position these large/heavy items.
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*Please note - Unfortunately since COVID all of the above estimates can vary until state borders open and lockdowns are no longer required.
What are your Christmas Delivery times?
We will announce our Christmas delivery deadlines in November 2022.
Plants & Pots
What is double potting?
Double potting is where your plant remains in the plastic pot and is placed inside a ceramic or decorative pot. There are a number of benefits to this practice.
What are the benefits of double potting?
It doesn’t take long to see the benefits of double potting:
1. No hassle - in re-potting your plant from the plastic pot to the ceramic pots.
2. It’s safer – there is no distress for your young plant during the re-potting process.
3. It’s easier to water - you can simply take the plastic pot outside to water if need be.
4. Mix and match your plants and pots – create a new look and avoiding re-potting each time.
5. Ceramic pots will last longer – by reducing movement of ceramic pots and re-potting, risk of breakage by you or the plant roots is lower.
6. Plastic pots make re-potting easier - Plant roots adhere to the walls of ceramic pots making it hard to get them out. With plastic posts, they can be squeezed to encourage the plant out when it’s time to upsize.
What are the downsides of double potting?
The biggest and only problem with double potting is finding a ceramic plant pot to perfectly fit your plastic pot. That’s where Greenhouse Co comes in. We’ve saved the one problem of double potting by standardising our plastic and ceramic pot sizes so you can be certain everything will fit seamlessly.
Do I have to order a ceramic pot with my plant?
No, however the reason we started Greenhouse Co was to solve
the problem plant lovers have with matching plastic pots with ceramic pots. It’s much easier and safer to leave your plant potted in the plastic pot and place it inside your ceramic pot. This also helps with watering, switching ceramic pots and avoiding the biggest risk to your new plant, re-potting.
So, if you do purchase a ceramic pot, we make sure your plastic pot will fit snugly inside. When your plant arrives all you need to do is find the perfect position for your new plant.
Returns
What if I change my mind, can I return the plant?
Yes, we offer a 14 day returns policy if you change your mind. Please note you will need to pay for the return delivery. Refunds are only issued once we receive the plant and have determined it is in a re-sellable condition.
For this reason, please do not repot your plant until youare certain you want to keep it. We cannot accept returns for plants removed from the plastic pot it arrived in. Thankfully, almost all our plants are immediately loved by their owners and we have had zero returns to date.
What if my plant arrives in poor condition?
Please contact us immediately either via phone or email. Take a picture of the plants condition as soon as you can so we can see for ourselves the condition of the plant on arrival. We will do our utmost to solve the situation positively. Plants almost always arrive fresh and healthy, due to our custom-made packaging.
I see a plant is out of stock, when you will get more stock?
We stock only the highest quality plants from reliable suppliers or what we grow ourselves. Due to seasonal availability, we may not always have all our products in stock. If our plants are marked out of stock, you can register your email address to get an automatic alert when the plant or pot comes back into stock which in most cases will only be a few days.
Giving a plant as a gift
Do you do gift cards?
Yes, we do gift cards! A plant is a great long-lasting (and environmentally sound!) gift idea. As we say, plant a gift on someone you love! A gift card will automatically be included with the purchaser’s name on it if we see that the billing address is different from the shipping address. If you don’t want this or if you would like a short, personalised message included please get in touch via email or text asap.
Do you do gift vouchers?
If you can’t decide what to get that special someone we also have ‘gift vouchers’ which allow the recipient to select a plant they like from our online store and redeem their gift voucher in the checkout. We will deliver it direct to their door….Hooray!
How does ‘Pre-order my Gift’ work?
We run a pre-order my gift policy for special events throughout the year, like Christmas and Valentine's Day. This means you can reserve your gift in advance and relax, knowing it's going to be cared for and beautifully packaged as close as possible to the moment you need to give the gift to a loved one.
Simply select the ‘Pre-order my Gift’ shipping option in the checkout, and we will hand select and care for your plant until the latest possible despatch date. In most cases, you or your gift recipient will receive the plant and/or pot within a few days before the event.
Rest assured the plants will remain perfectly healthy in our packaging for the few days until the gift giving moment. So if you are transporting the plant yourself, it is best to leave it in our packaging. Just make sure you store them indoors and away from the sun. You will also be able to check on them and give them a splash of water if they look like they need it.
New plant owners
How do I know what plant to buy?
Good question! That really depends on you, the look you’re trying to achieve, the type of plants that you like and the space you are working with. Some indoor plants provide a certain benefit like purifying the air, some flower, some fill certain spaces well and others are just must have plants that look good anywhere!
Location location, location!
Apart from what you like the look of, it a good idea to see if the plant is suited to where you want to put it. We have heaps of information on our plant care page about all the plants that we stock, so you can work out whether the plant that you love will be suitable for your space.
Let us just say this; if you love it buy it because…most homes are wonderfully variable places in terms on the microclimates they can provide, so unless you live in a cave you will almost certainly be able to find the perfect place for that special plant. For some further inspiration, follow us on Instagram where we share some amazing gardens and tips on new plants to consider.
How will I know how to care for my plant?
We supply a plant care guide for your plant including watering, position and managing growth along with fertiliser and repotting advice. These guides are also all available on our website for download. We also have a pet horticulturalist who can also help with any specific questions you have so feel free to shoot us a text or call.
Frequently asked question
Share details about your shipping policies, item returns, or customer service.
About Greenhouse Co
Who is Greenhouse Co?
What do you get when you combine a Horticulturalist with an engineer? As It turns out, you get Greenhouse Co! Josh Douglass is the horticulturist who has a passion for creating awesome green spaces and bringing the wilderness indoors. John is an engineer and project manager who brings a sense of order and design to our greenhouse setup and systems.
Plants are easier than you think and with a little bit of knowledge (which we are here to pass on) anyone can grow and care for plants in their home! We want to make it simple for people to enhance their life by being connected with plants.
What is Greenhouse Co all about?
Greenhouse Co stands for the following:
1. Sustainability - which is why we have designed fully recyclable, plastic free packaging.
2. Helping you transform
your space - with beautiful plants and ceramics.
3. Encouraging passion for plants - by helping you to care for and be successful with your plants. We don’t want you to buy more because you killed the last lot, we want you to buy more because you love them!
4. Collaborating with other small businesses!
Where is Greenhouse Co located?
We do not have a physical store, however our greenhouse is located in the Central Coast. We pack and send all our plants ourselves. We also ensure the plants are of the highest quality before being shipped.
Well-loved Plants
Lovingly reared plants by our qualified horticulturist.
Custom Packaging
A fully recyclable transport system designed especially for plants & pots.
Prepped for Travel
Well hydrated and packed no longer than they need to.
Efficient Delivery
2-4 day delivery to major metro locations in Australia.