Here's a typical order as it is first pulled for processing. You'll see many different pot sizes: large 2 gallon peonies, 4-pak groundcovers, 'D2' grasses & perennials, 'D4' trees & shrubs, one gallon shrubs, bareroot blueberries and fresh herbs in 2.5 x 2.5 herb pots.

Plants that are in pots too heavy to ship are barerooted, washed of their soil. Here's Jim washing a shrub and a Peony.

Washed plants are then bagged and packed in sawdust.

Flowers and some top growth are cut off. Yes it's sad, but flowers and foliage ship very poorly and stress the plant unnecessarily. The important part of the plant is the roots and crown.

Here's the lovely Linda packing a wrapped shrub & herb.

Also, here is some 'Platts Black' New Zealand Brassbuttons in a Discount Groundcover 4-pack.

Perennials: With shipping costs always on the rise, we prefer to send bareroot, (soil washed off) #1 grade plants whenever possible to reduce shipping weight. These are typically multi-eyed, well-established plants that will flourish quickly in your garden.
Depending on the type of plant, the needs of their root system and how large the pot is, some will be washed and shipped in moist media, some will be shipped in their pot and some are an un-potted, wrapped rootball. Many perennials are in a 'D2' band pot, (3 x 3 x 5.5") which is narrower than, but about as deep as, a one gallon pot and promotes a strong, deep root system. Any plant currently in a one-gallon pot or larger, like the peonies, must be washed for shipping. Our priority is getting the largest possible plant, in the best possible condition, with the lowest shipping cost to complete a happy transition to your landscape.

Shrubs & Trees: We are offering some exceptional shrubs that are difficult to locate in many parts of the country. We ship them bare root whenever possible, or when size permits they’ll ship in a deep, bottomless ‘D2’ or ‘D4’ grower’s pot that promotes an excellent root system. We have larger sized shrubs and trees in a few varieties that can be picked up here at the nursery in beautiful, historic Black Diamond, Washington.

Herbs: The herbs are shipped with their soil in a 2.5 x 2.5 x 3.5”deep nursery pot. Many of the medicinal herbs are in a larger 4” pot and some of the medicinal shrubs and trees are shipped bareroot.

Lavender: All Lavender are shipped in ‘D1’ pots. They love these deep, bottomless growers pots, which are aprox. 2 ½ x 2 ½ x 5”.

Groundcovers that are sold by the ‘each’ are in a 4” pot. (3 11/16” x 3 11/16” x 3 ½”)

Discount Groundcover Program are plants in 2.5" x 2.5" x 3" pots that are sold in 4 packs. For example, an order of a $2.24 groundcover will get you four plants for $8.96.

Bulbs are all planted. We bare root some for shipping, others are shipped in their pot if their growing tips are at risk of damage like some trillium. We don't keep bulbs or plants in refrigeration. Therefore you may get tight bulbs or fully developed plants depending on how long they’ve been planted, time of year, etc. The majority of the shipping season it will be planted and growing rather than a tight bulb.

Pick-up Orders: We do not have different sized plants that are pulled for pick-up orders. They are the same plants that are pulled for shipping (see photos above) we just don’t wash and bag the pick up orders.
 

360-886-8133
www.BigDipperFarm.com