Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

Where can I learn more about Plant Delights Nursery

Click here to learn more about Plant Delights Nursery.

Where is Plant Delights located?

View Larger Map

Image of the entrance drive to Juniper Level Botanic Garden.

Can you give me directions to Plant Delights Nursery?

From North or West of Wake County, North Carolina

Take Interstate 40 east to highway 401 south (exit 298). Take highway 401 south to the intersection of Ten Ten Road at the stoplight (McDonald's). Turn left, go 4.0 miles, then turn right on Sauls Road. The nursery is 1.0 mile on the left.

From South Or East of Wake County, North Carolina

Take Interstate 40 West to exit 312 (highway 42). At the top of the exit, turn left and head west for 4.2 miles, then turn right on Sauls road at the bottom of the hill. The nursery is 3.0 miles on the right.

From Raleigh

Take Lake Wheeler Road, 6.5 miles past the Interstate 40 interchange to the intersection of Ten Ten Road. Turn left and travel 4.5 miles. Turn right on Sauls Road, and the nursery is 1.0 miles on the left.

From Virginia and Points North

Take Interstate 95 south to exit 116 (highway 42). At the bottom of the exit, turn right (west). Follow highway 42 west for approximately 45 minutes, then turn right on Sauls Road (4.2 miles past the Interstate 40 overpass). The nursery is 3.0 miles on the right.

What are your hours?

Since we are a retail mail order nursery, we don’t have regular walk-in hours. We are open to the public during our four open nursery and garden events throughout the year, but you can also arrange an appointment if you are traveling from out of town or if you live nearby and are having out-of-town visitors. Learn more about visiting here.

Do you have a printed catalog?

Yes, and we'd be delighted to send you one. Keep in mind that there are 1,000 additional plants on the website that aren't in the printed catalog. To get a catalog, all you need to do is request one.

How do I change my email for your newsletter?

Easy enough…just click the 'unsubscribe' link at the bottom of your latest e-newsletter, then go to the bottom of this page and 'subscribe' again with your new email address. If your email has been hijacked by email gremlins, you may contact our office and we’ll update your information. Note: the e-newsletter subscriber list is kept separate from our customer database, so if you are an existing customer, we’ll want to make the change in both places.

Orders, Shipping, and Pickup

Do you sell plants or seeds?

We only sell plants. Most of the plants we sell are clones that were selected for a special trait, and consequently, they do not come true from seed.

Do you ship plants?

Yes! Learn more about shipping here.

When do you ship plants?

Our shipping season runs from the first of March until the end of November. In other words, we don’t ship in December and January unless you’re having a severe horticultural emergency. Then, we’ll do our best to accommodate you, weather and staff permitting. Get more information about our shipping schedule here.

Do you ship to foreign countries?

Yes…as long as you don’t live in a country that’s recently pissed off the US government. Because most plants shipping to foreign countries must be bare-rooted with their roots washed, these are better sent in early spring or fall…unless you’re ordering something indestructible like hostas or agaves. Find out about international shipping here.

May I pick up an order?

Absolutely! Although we aren’t set up for drop in customers without an appointment, when placing your order online, click the button for site pickup. Our staff will contact you to set up a pickup time. In the bustle of spring, this may take a few days, but normally you’ll hear from us very quickly.

How do you ship plants?

In a box (large plants may be pruned to fit the box). Click here to see photos of our shipping process. Here is a link to the blog of one of our customers who wrote about receiving one of our boxes. And here is a plant unboxing video guide.

Why does it cost so much to ship your plants?

We ask the same question! Please understand that we do not make money on shipping but, unlike large companies like Amazon who lose hundreds of millions of dollars annually because of free shipping, we simply aren’t smart enough to figure out how to lose money and stay in business. There are plenty of other mail order nurseries who tried free and/or discounted shipping, and virtually all ended up in bankruptcy. Shipping costs are based on three factors; the cost of the carrier (i.e. Fed Ex), the cost of labor (and overhead) to pull plants, pack plants, and process orders and the price of boxes and shipping material, which would shock most folks who aren’t in the industry. We are continually looking for ways to reduce shipping costs and be as "green" as possible, while still delivering a top quality plant. 

When will my order ship?

Spring shipments will be shipped on your selected ship week, weather permitting. If you’ve not indicated a preferred date, we will assign a date based on your USDA Hardiness Zone. In fall, the same applies. If no ship date is selected, shipments will be sent within 10 days of receipt of your order again, weather permitting. Read more about shipping here.

If you are a registered customer on our website, you may login to see your order history and ship dates for any future orders, as well as update your address, wish list and password. Just click on 'Log In' at the top of any page.

Can I make changes to my order?

While we are happy to make changes to an existing order, you gotta help us help you! Read here for more about order changes.

Where are your plants grown?

We grow virtually all of our own plants on site in Raleigh, NC. Because of plant patents, we are required to purchase starter plants from licensees, then finish them on site. The same is true for plants that are only propagated by tissue culture. The occasion for us to purchase plants from another grower is extremely rare.

What is tissue culture?

Tissue culture is cloning. When you divide a perennial with a knife, you have just cloned your plant. The only difference between one and the other is the size of the knife, the size of the plant being divided, and the sterility of the mix in which the plants are growing.

How many bulbs are in a pot of (Lycoris, Zephyranthes, Glads, etc.)

That depends on the multiplication rate of the plant in question. Some bulbs go from 1 to 25 in a season, while other bulbs take 7 years to produce a single offset. Keep in mind that not all bulbs are the size of King Alfred daffodils. Some flowering-sized bulbs of our more rare and esoteric plants are only the size of a sunflower seed. We try to have at least 2 bulbs minimum in each pot of rain lilies, while 1 bulb is normal for lycoris, and gladiolus.

What size are the plants you ship?

That’s a hard one, since plants are alive and growing every day. Some perennial plants can grow as much as one foot per week in the growing season, so there isn’t a good answer. Most perennials go dormant in winter, so the earlier and later in the season you order, the shorter the tops will be (or non-existent). Some plants in the nursery may be several feet tall, but most will need to be cut back to fit into a shipping box. Unlike buying trees and shrubs, when buying perennials, you should be most concerned with the root system…not what’s above ground. Click here for more information about what you will receive.

In your catalog, you use symbols like 12" and 12'. What do these mean?

Single quotes after a number are feet...12' is twelve feet. Double quotes after a number are inches...12" is twelve inches.

Can you keep my spouse from knowing that I ordered more plants?

Hmmm. Probably not…that seems a bit beyond our scope of expertise.

Do you sell wholesale or have discounts for landscapers or other nurseries?

No, we have one price for everyone, which is the lowest price at which we can sell the plants and stay in business. For landscapers who need large quantities of a plant we offer, we recommend buying an initial stock and giving them to a wholesale propagator, who can turn those into larger numbers at a lower cost.

Do you have a guarantee policy?

Absolutely. View our guarantee policy here.

How do I figure out my hardiness zone?

Check out our Plant Hardiness Information page for more on hardiness zones and to look up your zone by zip code.

Why do your hardiness zones differ from other websites?

There are a couple of reasons our zoning is often different. From a nursery’s point of view, every time you add a hardiness zone northward, your potential sales for a plant can double. Since nurseries have an interest in selling as many plants as possible, a few of the less scrupulous ones simply lie to increase sales.

Other erroneous winter hardiness zones simply come from ignorance. We’ve seen plants like Musa basjoo listed on-line as Zone 4-9, when in reality it is only hardy just below 0F (Zone 6b/7a). Just because a particular plant survives a couple of winters in an extremely cold climate, doesn’t make it winter hardy there. It’s quite common for a Zone 5 climate to experience a couple of mild Zone 7 winters, where the temperature doesn’t drop below 0 degrees F.

Plants also behave differently in different climates. Plants native to hot summer climates are more winter hardy in similar climates and less winter hardy in cool summer climates, where they never produce enough sugars (plant antifreeze). Conversely, plants from cool summer climates are less winter hardy in hot summer regions. Our hardiness zones are from our trials in the hot summer climate of Raleigh, NC. 

Plant Care Questions

I just received my order of plants. What should I do with them?

Here’s just what you were looking for - Care for your Plants

How do I care for my (palms, banana, canna, other tropical plants) for the winter?

Great question…we have care information for many plants on our articles page.

I bought a plant from you years ago and lost the label. Can you tell me what it is?

In most cases, yes. If you call or email our customer service department, we can look up your order history. If that fails, you can send us a digital photo of the plant in question. A third option is to look through our perennial encyclopedia, which lists every plant that we've ever offered.

My garden labels have faded…what kind of permanent markers do you use?

We use Deco-Color Paint Pens, Extra Fine. You can find them online or in a craft store. Unlike Sharpie pens, which are waterproof but not UV light proof, the Deco-Color pens do not fade in outdoor weather. Our labels are high quality Pylon labels, which last quite well in the garden.

Our most well-established plants are labeled with laser-engraved tags for the best longevity and appeal in the garden.

Questions About Visiting

What is Juniper Level?

Juniper Level is the name of the old rural community where the botanical gardens and nursery are located, in the now defunct town of Juniper, NC. Juniper Level is the flat area around Juniper Branch, where the "junipers" once grew. These junipers could have been either Juniperus virginiana (red cedar) or Chamaecyparis thyoides (eastern white cedar). The community of Juniper is a suburb of Panther Branch, which is a suburb of Garner, which is a suburb of Raleigh, North Carolina.

Where are the gardens on the PDN property?

Check out the garden map.

May I bring my kids to the garden?

Yes, if parents make their kids behave. Juniper Level Botanic Garden, however, is not a park for kids to run and play. Children are welcome if they want to learn about plants and gardening, but please keep in mind that running in the garden and straying from the pathways are prohibited. Please understand that one step off a path may kill an emerging plant, which could be the only one in the entire country.

Children caught running through the garden will be taken to a secluded area where they will be injected with high doses of caffeine and high-fructose sugar, ensuring hours of subsequent fun when they are returned to their parents, just prior to departure.

May I bring my pets to the garden?

No! The exception of course, would be guide dogs. Other pets are simply not allowed.

May I take photos at Juniper Level Botanic Garden and Plant Delights Nursery?

Visitors to Plant Delights Nursery and Juniper Level Botanic Garden are welcome to photograph and video the plants and gardens for non-commercial and personal use only. All other photography and videography, including professional, commercial, portrait, and group photography, is not permitted.

May I have a wedding in Juniper Level Botanic Garden?

Not at this time. Juniper Level Botanic Garden is an educational and research facility and, at this time, is also the owner's private garden.

What’s the name of the cat that followed us all around the garden during our recent visit?

Well, we have several, and you can see their photo gallery here.