The perennial side of the nursery began in the fall of 2019. It wasn’t until the summer of 2022 that the website was completed. We’ve had a lot of time to think about the customer buying experience and how we wanted to sell plants. We wanted to ensure that you received good value for the money you spent, had the information that you needed in order to be successful with our plants and that your buying experience was enjoyable whether you purchased plants using our mailorder service or shopped onsite. We are not immune to the problem of getting knowledgeable people to work at the nursery. Like nearly every other business our staff is stretched thin and, it seems, there’s always something that should have been done a while ago that we’re just getting to now. With that in mind we’ve tried to develop a way would allow people can shop, learn about their plants and make an informed buying decision using technology.
Plants may be ordered online through the website and picked up in one to two days. The website has cultural information for each species we carry and, where possible, tips and observations we’ve made of that species. Pictures of most of the flowers are included as well. If you are local to the central Ohio area this option might be best for you.
You can order online through the website and we can ship your plants anywhere in the continental United States via USPS. In early 2021 we partnered with a packaging specialist who custom designed a boxing/shipping system that has worked wonderfully. The plants arrive safely and securely and the comments we routinely get refer to the great packaging and how secure the plants were. The box fits four (4) of our 35 sized pots and we’d ask that you purchase plants in multiples of four (4). This makes best use of our boxing system which is based on sending four (4) plants at once. You are welcome to purchase any number of plants you want and in any combination of species but in order for our box system to work as designed we will still need to send the boxes for four (4) plants even though you may have purchased 1, 2 or 3 plants. We feel confident that our plants will arrive at your door the same way they left the nursery.
Our plants are inspected by the Ohio Department of Agriculture on a regular basis in order to be mailed across the nation. Some states require that these inspection documents accompany the package while others do not. We include all the appropriate paperwork for the states that require it. Some western states require advance email notification that plants are being shipped and we contact them as well. There is nothing you need to do; we take care of all the documentation and notifications when needed. All you need to do is order and we’ll take care of the rest.
We do have onsite shopping! You are welcome to stop by during open shopping hours and walk around the grounds, shop our plants and hopefully take some plants home. Our onsite shopping hours and days are listed on our event calendar. Please check the event calendar THE DAY OF YOUR VISIT to be sure we’re open. Due to staffing issues, we are not open every day. Spring and fall are busy times, and we make tree and shrub deliveries frequently; at these times the nursery is closed. Please note that our nursery is a production nursery and not a garden center. We have perennials, shrubs and trees in rows. Lots and lots of perennials and shrubs and trees. The nursery is big place with greenhouses and growing areas spread over a 2- or 3-acre area.
In order to be efficient at shopping we’ve developed a way for you to see what we have available, provide the information necessary to be successful with them and get you connected to those plants in a large nursery. We think we have it figured out but it’s a bit unconventional. Please read the following carefully so as to make best use of your time and technology.
Our onsite shopping requires you to have a smartphone or wifi capable tablet in-hand so that you can access the riversidenativeperennials.com website while you are shopping. Using your smartphone or tablet, click on Products & Services at the top of the page, then on the availability/location page. There you’ll see a list of all the plants we currently have available and where they are located. At the top of that page we’ve created a map that will direct you to the different growing areas so you can find your plants quickly. The availability/information page includes the general area or greenhouse the plants are located and the bench they are growing on or row they are growing in. You can purchase those plants by clicking on the name of the plant which will bring you to the species page. Enter the quantity of plants you’re purchasing just like you would for an online sale.
Another way to shop would be to simply walk around, view the plants and if you see something you like scan the QR code on the sign which will take you directly to the species page and the shopping cart. While the signage will have information about the culture of the plants we’ve also provided this information and more on the species page. Scanning the QR code will bring you to the species page on the website where you’ll see the culture information, native range maps, pictures, and other information. Note that some species (especially 1 gallon stock) may be grown in more than one area. Location information is also included on the species/shopping cart page as well.
While we are happy to answer questions about the care and culture of your plants we are not staffed to assist in landscape planning. We can tell you if a plant will thrive in a certain location, but we’re not trained in landscape design.
When you have completed the transaction, both of us will receive an email confirmation of your purchase. Please call or locate us in the nursery and we’ll confirm the order and you’ll be on your way. Our goal with this shopping system is to allow you to take your time to shop, view the grounds and enjoy the birds in a relaxed rural setting.
If you’re unable to use the mechanisms above to purchase your plants, we can always do it the old-fashioned way…. with cash. Simply come out when we’re open, make your purchases and pay with cash.
