Lovelight FAQ
How do we choose which plants to sell?
For us, plants that have been used somewhere, at some time, by somebody, for some particular reason are considered. We may note in our descriptions how plants have traditionally been used; however, we make no claim as to the benefit or safety of such use. Please consult with a knowledgeable medicinal practitioner for serious conditions. We are not qualified to give medical advice.
Shipping Rates
Seeds
Free shipping by USPS First class mail with no tracking. Please let us know if you prefer another method or want tracking. There is a $3 charge to add tracking. Seeds can be shipped to all 50 states provided there are no agricultural restrictions.
Live Plants
Rates are subject to change. Because shipping can be so variable, we strive to make our rates fair to you and to us.
| Order Total | East of the Mississippi |
West of the Mississippi |
||
| From | To | |||
| $ 0 – | $ 19.99 | = | $ 20.00 | $ 15.00 |
| $ 20 – | $ 49.99 | = | $ 24.00 | $ 18.00 |
| $ 50 – | $ 74.99 | = | $ 28.00 | $ 20.00 |
| $ 75 – | $ 99.99 | = | $ 32.00 | $ 22.00 |
| $ 100 – | $ 199.99 | = | $ 40.00 | $ 30.00 |
| $ 200 – | $ 399.99 | = | $ 60.00 | $ 50.00 |
| $ 400 + | = | $ 75.00 | $ 65.00 | |
** At this time, we cannot ship potted plants outside of the 48 contiguous states.
Why are certain plants restricted in my state?
The Department of Agriculture determines that some plants may not be shipped to certain areas, for many reasons. When you see the following: “No AR, CA”, in the plant description, it means that the particular plant may not be shipped to the states listed. Due to the volume of our orders, there is no way for us to monitor these restrictions. If you order a plant that is restricted to your area, you forfeit any guarantee. There will be no refund/replacement either. The Department of Agriculture takes these violations seriously.
The following restrictions apply:
| Catnip | NE |
| Chives | AR |
| Chives, Garlic | AR |
| Daisy, Shasta | CO, MT, OH, WA, WY |
| Dock, Yellow | AR |
| Evening Primrose | KY, NE |
| Fennel | CA, WA |
| Mullein | CO, HI, SD |
| OR Grape (low) | MI |
| Plantain, Narrow leaf | AR, IA |
| Purslane | AZ |
| Sage, Clary | WA |
| St John’s Wort | AZ, CA, CO, MT, NV, SD, WA, WY |
| Sumac | UT |
| Teasel | CO, IA, MO, NM |
| Thistle, Milk | AR, TX, WA |
| Valerian | CT |
| Wormwood | CO, ND, SD, WA |
Our Seeds:
All of the seed we sell is harvested from our own plants. We guarantee all seed we sell to be true to name and viable. Please notify us immediately of any problems.
Herb seeds, because most of them are so small, are easily washed away and lost if sown directly in the ground. To compensate for this, most of our seed packets contain quantities far in excess of what the average gardener will need. Most packets contain 100-200 seeds. Tiny seeded Chamomile may contain 1000 or more, giant seeded Blackberry Lily contain 30-40. Our standard packets are filled by measure, not weight.
Seed is a live product which depends on many important related grower skills such as proper planting time, seed depth, type of soil, irrigation, proper use of fertilizers, weed controls, fungicides, insecticides, disease free soil, and reasonable weather conditions during the growing period. Germination is affected by such factors as temperature, moisture content, light intensity and contamination of planting media. These factors are totally out of our control and are your responsibility and risk. Consequently, we cannot guarantee seed to perform properly regardless of conditions or your methods or mistakes.
About Mail Order Plants:
- Our plants generally come in 3.5″ square herb pots. We sell well-rooted, ready-to-grow plants that are ready to go into the ground or a container. The size of the plants we ship has been selected to reduce the shock of transplanting. For some, this means a large, bareroot crown. Others cannot travel bareroot or transplant best if grown in containers. We must point out that many perennials will not bloom the first year after planting, but will the following year, amply rewarding your patience. Shrubs, Roses, vines, and other woody plants may be shipped bareroot or in pots.
- Inspect your plants upon arrival. If there are problems, please contact us within 48 hours of arrival. Include your Order Number, Date of Arrival, Description of Problem and Photos.
- Unpack them at once and water any which are dry. Place them in bright indirect light for a day or two so that they can recover from shipping. They will then be ready to step up into larger containers, or be planted out in the garden.
- Please notify us immediately of any damage incurred in shipping. Broken leaves and bent stems, while unsightly, generally are not cause for alarm. Remember, the plant has just been packed in a box, thrown on a truck, and driven across the country. A healthy happy plant will speedily recover from minor bumps and bruises.
- Please understand that we cannot be responsible for the results of extreme weather, neglect, ignoring our hardiness zone information and care instructions. There are too many factors outside of our control to guarantee long-term survival: your neighbor’s dog, poor soil, insect infestations or moles. It is your responsibility to find the right home for your plants, to provide enough water, sun and nutrients to keep them healthy, to protect them from extreme weather and to plant them in a timely manner. We cannot replace plants that arrived in poor condition unless we are notified within 48 hours of arrival. Additionally, we cannot replace plants that have been in the customer’s care for more than ten days after arrival.
- We reserve the right to request the return of damaged or unsatisfactory plants at our expense.
Orders & Shipping:
Thank you for supporting a small family business! We appreciate you!
Our potted plant shipping season runs from April until the end of November, though we are happy to ship off-season if you contact us to make arrangements. We reserve the right to give the plants a break and not ship in the hottest part of Summer.
If you are near our Veneta, OR location, you can skip the shipping-fee by picking up your plant order on-site at the nursery. If you place your order on-line, just click the box for local pickup (on the shopping cart page), and our customer service staff will be in touch with a time and date when your order is ready for pick-up. If you place your plant order by phone, just ask about site pick-up. Our long time local customers like to place their orders in January to ensure their favorites are not sold out, and then drop by to pick up the plants they ordered months later in April or May when it is time to plant!
We ship orders by UPS and the US Post Office, depending on our assessment of the best way to get your orders to you in good shape. If you have a preference, please let us know. Large or heavy items are generally shipped via UPS. UPS can’t deliver to a P.O. Box, so please include a physical address. We ask that, when possible, you please provide an address where a daytime recipient is available.
We cannot be responsible for delivery problems due to incorrect addresses. Please check that you have typed in the correct address and ZIP code.
We cannot split-ship (ship at different times, or to different addresses) orders under $75 (exclusive of S&H charges). We ship plant orders as quickly as possible, but occasionally there will be delays for propagation of out-of-stock varieties. All other orders are shipped within a day or two of receiving them.
Some of our plants can ship nearly year round, while others require specific timing in order to achieve ideal growth. We will check your USDA Hardiness Zone, check the weather and ship when it is safe. Be sure to indicate any specific dates when you will NOT be available to receive your order. Email confirmations are sent after the order is entered into our order processing system. If you are not an email-friendly customer, we will be happy to send you a paper order acknowledgment via snail mail. If your ship date arrives and we see that potentially damaging weather is predicted, we will delay shipping until conditions improve. We want to be sure you are ready to receive your new adoptees.
Order Changes or Cancellation
We are happy to make changes to your existing plant order as long as the plants have not been pulled for shipment. Our orders are pulled on Thursdays and Fridays for shipment the following Monday or Tuesday. Once the plants have been pulled for shipping, it is impossible for us to locate your order and exchange your plants, or to keep it from being wrapped and packaged.
You must call or email us with changes to your shipping date or additions to your order by 4:00 p.m. on the Monday before your scheduled shipping week.
Once orders have been pulled, in order to prevent errors and keep our sanity, we are unable to reschedule orders for a later date.
In the very rare case where weather may prevent delivery of tender plants intended as gifts, we will send an announcement of your gift and then ship as soon as it is safe
Substitutes, Refunds, Credits:
Please list acceptable plant substitutes on your order form. While an item may sell steadily through the season, one customer, an insect, or disease can quickly wipe out those available plants. Because of the minimum shipping charge, it is to your advantage to list a few substitutes. We may need to contact you should there be a balance due on your order. When substitutes are not possible, indicate on your order form whether you prefer credit towards a future order, a refund, or a backorder (must have $20 minimum for backorder). All refunds under $5 will receive a credit voucher only. If no preference is listed on your order form or in the comments field on your web order, we will issue a customer credit or gift certificate to use on a future order. If you prefer a refund, please let us know.
Shipping cost is not refundable. We can ship a replacement with your next order.
Payments:
Payment by check, Visa, Mastercard, or PayPal (for web orders) must accompany your order. Make checks payable to: Lovelight Herb Farm. We also accept cash, but only for local pick up orders. Orders will be filled on a first-come, first-paid, first-served basis. All items in this catalog are currently available but quantities may be limited. Ordering early will greatly increase your chances of receiving all of your first choices. Your credit card will be charged when your order is placed, which reserves the plants you have chosen. In spite of our best efforts, a reserved plant may occasionally fall prey to disease, fail to break dormancy, or develop other concerns that do not meet our quality criteria. Should this be the case, you will receive a credit/refund as outlined under Substitutes, Refunds, Credits.
Back Orders
Potted plants and roots are seasonal items. They will be automatically back-ordered when you purchase them during the off-season. We ship plants April through June or July on a first-ordered, first shipped basis. All back-ordered items will be charged at time of order.
Returns and Exchanges
Due to the perishable nature of our products, we do not accept returns or exchanges. Please contact us if you have any issues with your order.
Wholesale
All Lovelight Herb Farm seed packets are available to commercial retailers at a trade discount of 30%. Minimum seed packet order: 10 packets per variety of 10 varieties, 100 packets total.
Potted plants are available to commercial retailers at a trade discount of 30%. Minimum potted plant order: 18 @3” (1 flat). Can be mixed varieties. Shipping and packing will be charged at cost. Specify preferred shipping method.
Unsold items may not be returned for refund or credit.
Wholesale orders should be placed by email to lovelightherbfarm@gmail.com.
Location & Visiting:
We are located close to Fern Ridge Lake in Veneta, Oregon. While we welcome visitors and love to share the beauty of the farm, it is a working nursery and farm with all the chores needing done all the time. There is rarely down time any day of the week. We do offer a Local Pickup option for orders and will leave your purchases next to the gate on a scheduled day and time. If you would like to request a shopping appointment, tour, or to bring students to see a working herb farm & nursery, please contact us. We’ll try our best to squeeze you into the schedule.