The first things to check when buying plants on the Internet are the refund or substitution policies and how the plants are packed for shipment and how are they shipped. If you can be specific on a shipping date when you know you will be at your home to receive the plants,this would be good. The website should include information on bloom time,the plant requirements as far as care and the plant size when fully mature. It is nothing worse than when you grow a plant in a specific area and anticipating a 24 inch plant but get a six footer in the end!

It is possible for anyone with access to both a computer and a plant source to go in the business of selling on line. Just look up "How to sell plants on line" and you you will be amazed. This is not to say there are not legitimate individuals as well as companies that do a
good job but what it does say is investigate before putting your money in play.The last several years have resulted in buying plants on the Internet to soar into a major business.

The plants on the site,where you intend to purchase, should be in their latin names so you can determine the exact plant you are buying and pay special attention to the words "vigorous" or self-sower when actually what is meant here is invasive. The planting zones such as: grows well in zones 4-8 should be clearly visible. This fall when buying bulbs,check the age of the bulb which should be noted on the site as one-year,two-year etc. This can be very important come the
spring and you picture your plant looking just like the one on the website. Perennials are also sold by age or container size and shrubs described as bare root means they will arrive dormant.If you desire one with a ball I suggest you consult your local nursery. There is moe information on gardening at http://www.gardenersgardening.com

I have encountered some nightmare stories from what I thought were reputable places. I purchased pepper plants just thrown in the box like so much rubbish. I purchased some seed packets with specific types of flowers and when they burst through the soil and they became twice as tall and not the style flower that was printed on the packet. I bought some Kousa Dogwood for myself and friends and they never grew but seemed dead from the beginning.The company refused to replace them accusing me of doing something wrong.

These are just several instances of what can go wrong when procuring your plants on line. However this will not prevent me from buying plants on line. You must make a list of legitimate companies that stand behind their plant products,provide you with sufficient information to make an intelligent decision,and if you call them provide you with a good answer from shipping to horticulture.