We've outlined everything you need to know below so you can place your order at the right time and get the most out of your shipping dollar.
All customers will receive a confirmation email with your courier tracking details when your order is dispatched rather than immediately so please check your emails for this so you can track your parcel's progress.

Home Parcel Delivery Zone

Firstly, to shop with PlantHouse, you must have a safe, sheltered, warm place to have your parcel delivered to because all parcels are sent on a non-signature courier service and will be left at your premises. Use the notes section at the checkout to make safe delivery easy on the courier as we will add this to the delivery label.  

Shipping Costs

We suggest adding multiple plants to your order to make the most of shipping costs & the volumes they allow. Particularly for those in Auckland or Northland and for Small grade plants.

Auckland & Northland
$13 for your first then +$5 Per each additional Small or Medium grade plant (sent combined together).
$25 - Per each Large grade plant (sent individually).

Rest of North Island - Waikato to Wellington
$13 for your first then +$5 Per each additional Small or Medium grade plant (sent combined together).
$40 Per each Large Plant (sent individually)

South Island

$20 for your first then +$11 Per each additional Small or Medium grade plant (sent combined together).
$75 Per each Large Plant (sent individually)

XL grade plants are available in Whangarei and Auckland only as they are too large to transport elsewhere.

Large Pots - Minimum $60 pot delivery charge or Auckland +10% or North Island +20%, whichever is higher

Dispatch Days & Order Processing Times

Orders are only sent on Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday each week to avoid parcels sitting in transit over the weekend and to spread the courier load. Most orders will likely be processed and dispatched with a short delay of a day or two from your time of purchase.

Monday orders dispatched Wednesday
Tuesday orders dispatched Wednesday

Wednesday orders dispatched Monday
Thursday orders dispatched Monday
Friday orders dispatched Monday

Saturday orders dispatched Tuesday
Sunday orders dispatched Tuesday

Arrival Estimates

These are approximations and are subject to change particularly during busy periods leading up to Christmas, during & immediately after COVID-19 lockdowns and following public holidays due to courier capacity being overloaded.

North Island
Urban areas 1-Day
Rural & Remote towns 2 Days

South Island
Urban areas 2-Days
Rural & Remote towns 3-Days

XL Plants & Garden Plants - Urban Auckland & Whangarei only
Expect 2 weeks turnaround time.

Pre-Christmas Orders
Add 1 extra day in transit to the above times.

Public Holiday Delays
Add 1 extra day for dispatch and add 1 extra day in transit to the above times if your order is being dispatched after a public holiday.
Example: It's Friday and you are sending to Wellington. Monday is Northland Anniversary Day for our Nursery so your order will be dispatched on Tuesday and may also arrive a day later that typical on Thursday but equally likely to arrive Wednesday.

How Long Can Plants Be In Their Cartons?

Your plants handle being in their carton for periods much longer than many people expect. 7-14 days in a delayed carton may not be ideal but is usually fine. Over 98% of plants arrive within 3 days so your plants will typically not be contained for as long.

Cool spring/autumn weather and mild winter periods when growth is not occurring at a rapid rate is when your plants can handle the longest journey. Soft tissue plants tend to be the least robust (but fastest to grow & bounce back) as they have the highest moisture requirement whereas thicker tissue plants & succulents tend to be the most robust after a long journey but often have the highest light requirements. Without light energy to photosynthesise, your plants don't need much moisture so the soil moisture they have when being sent suffices for the journey.

Aramex / Fastway Couriers

PlantHouse partners with Aramex NZ for all of our deliveries. We spend thousands each week on courier deliveries so, in return, your precious cargo receives Priority Care in transit. Combined with our custom-made Plant Cartons, we successfully deliver tens of thousands of plants NZ-wide with very few incidents - and in those rare instances, we look after you and Aramex looks after us.

Troubleshooting

Delays & Stalled Parcel Procedure

Short delays are not usually cause for concern but you will need to track your parcel's progress once it has left PlantHouse's nursery. If you have a delay and progress has stalled or it has been 7 days, time is of the essence so the fastest way to resolve any courier issue is for you to lodge a 60-second parcel query online directly with Aramex couriers by opening your shipping confirmation email, clicking your tracking information link near the bottom and following the enquiry link button. There will likely be further delays by the time PlantHouse receives your enquiry and makes one on your behalf but if your initial direct online enquiry does not lead to any progress, please contact us.

Parcel Missing But Shows As Delivered

When your tracking information shows as delivered but its not at your house, most of the time your parcel has been accidentally delivered to one of your neighbours. Please check nearby at your neighbours to see if they have your parcel. This is not ideal of course but is the fastest way for you to get your plant. 
This situation is particularly likely when being delivered to businesses in shared floors/buildings and for townhouses with multiple dwellings down a single driveway eg 8A, 8B, 8C.

Cold Weather Shipping

Seasonal frosty weather can be an issue, particularly for rural addresses and parts of the South Island & central plateau of the North Island. Our indoor plants are all frost-tender which means cold temperatures can cause plant cell damage or death.

Below are our 3 main tactics for avoiding frost damage: 

1 - Our greenhouses are partly exposed to the Northland elements so our plants are already much more robust and adapted to variable conditions than those in highly controlled environments. 

2 - The plants available over winter are usually our hardiest, toughest types anyway with late spring, summer & autumn being our peak season for more delicate types. 

3 - We may delay shipping based on weather forecasts to ensure your plants have the best chance of arriving in good condition. We prefer to take the side of caution rather than take a send-it-and-see approach as we want everything to arrive and look great for you.

Damages, Returns, Cancellations & Refunds

We'll look after you as best as we can according to our full Returns Policy.

Key Points:
- Cancellations/exchanges can only be made before your order is packed.
- Make written email contact within 7 days of receiving your plant to be considered for a return.
- Returns are not accepted for Changes of Mind or Errors of Scale (purchasing the wrong size/grade for your space)
- Plant Cartons must be retained for a return as this is a fundamental part of the returns process if your request is accepted.
- Send photographic evidence for our insurance and for ease of communication.
- Minor damage is not usually cause for concern or reason for return. Expect a small degree of transit stress or leaf damage from your plant's journey. The easier the plant is bruised or stressed, the easier it is to recover. We definitely replace or refund badly damaged plants but this is a rarity.
- Due to the perishable nature of plants, if you do not have a suitable safe place for your plants to be left upon delivery, PlantHouse cannot be held responsible for the condition of plants.
- PlantHouse is not responsible for additional time spent in transit or courier depots due to governmental actions or delays you make in collecting your undelivered plants from a courier depot so please be present for your delivery or be prompt with re-delivery.
- Stolen parcels from your property are not the responsibility of PlantHouse so you must have a safe place for delivery. This scenario has yet to happen for us and we'll work with you and the courier to get the facts for a police report, insurance claim and we'll do what we can to come to a solution.