I am a frequent visitor to our local Lowes, Home Depot, and several nurseries. I love to visit and see what's new or on special. We have a flower garden and vegetable garden, so local nurseries and garden centers are at the top of my to-do list...monthly.
I love just looking around and getting ideas on decor or plants I didn't know about. I do the same online always searching gardening sites, reading articles on gardening, and watching videos. I recently came across a plant I absolutely loved. I went to my local stores and couldn't find it so when I returned home I researched and found it could be ordered by mail.
I was very skeptical. Don't get me wrong I have ordered seeds online, but something about ordering a live plant just seemed like a disaster waiting to happen. I read reviews and plenty of people said it worked for them so I said okay count me in (my mother would have said so if everyone starts jumping off bridges are you going to try that too).
I decided my online plant buying adventure would just be, an experiment of sorts. First, let me say One company did impress me with delivery and condition and I highly recommend them.
I was looking for hydrangeas. I wanted a kind different than my local nurseries had at the time. The first was the QuickFire hydrangea (proven winner). Some of the things I admired about this plant was the claims of
I was looking for hydrangeas. I wanted a kind different than my local nurseries had at the time. The first was the QuickFire hydrangea (proven winner). Some of the things I admired about this plant was the claims of
- Quickfire is the earliest of the hardy hydrangeas to bloom, setting out flowers a full month before older varieties of hydrangea paniculata
- If you are a flower arranger, a planting of these hydrangeas would keep you in beautiful, full bouquets all summer and fall
- Quickfire flowers open White but rapidly turn to their signature pink, darkening to a deep pink by fall. The pH of the soil doesn't affect the flower color
- mature height ( 6-8 feet ) -- mature width ( 6-8 feet ) -- exposure ( full sun to partial shade ) -- hardiness zones ( 3-9 )
One reason I choose this plant
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| Amazon plant is on the right, Home Depot plant is in the center Store purchase from Lowes on far left |
And this is what happened after I placed the order.
They cost 19.99 with free shipping for Prime members. I placed the order May 23 and received it May 29. Delivered by UPS. Below is how it arrived.
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| Amazon plant on the right and the box is from the Home Depot Shipment |
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| Amazon plant is on the right with red tag |
I was totally impressed by the delivery. I hope by next year it is blooming. The plant in the Southern Living container was a store purchase. As expected it has plenty of blooms developing. The only problem I had with the store purchase is there were select varieties.
The plant in the middle was a purchase from ParkSeed. I was also very impressed with their shipment. It arrived through USPS, which amazed me that the plants were in such good condition.
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| Shipment from Home Depot |
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| I was disappointed in the plant from Home Depot because it looked fine when I unpacked it, but the leaves began to fall off within hours, by the next day the leaves were shriveled and brown and only 3 remained by the end of the second day after receiving the shipment. If the plant had made it just a little sooner the plant from Home Depot would have been fine. |
