Frequently Asked Questions (& Answers!)

Can I pick up my plant from the Sweetlife Flora Inc. location?

At the moment, we are not offering a pick-up option as our location will be changing shortly.

Do you deliver?

Absolutely!  At checkout, there is a shipping option for "Local Delivery" within the Ottawa National Capital Region (NCR) or the Greater Moncton Area (GMA).  We charge a small fee ($10) that covers gas, vehicle wear-and-tear, etc. The good news is that your plant won’t need to go through the mail. 

For the NCR, we'll deliver as far as Orleans (east), Gatineau (north), Manotick (south), Carleton Place (south-west) and Renfrew (west). 

For the GMA, our service area encompasses the Kent Region (as far north as Bouctouche), the Westmorland and Albert Regions.

If you live within these bubbles, you're good-to-go! Make sure you identify your availability for delivery in the 'Special Instructions' at checkout.

Do you ship?

We offer 1-2 day, flat-rate, courier shipping by FedEx, Purolator or UPS where possible.  Some more rural locations will have a 3-4 day shipping time.  In these cases we will pack the plant accordingly.  Choose the shipping option based on the province where you reside at checkout. 

Do you ship to the USA?

No US shipping for now (sorry). Still working on figuring out the phytosanitary certification process in our new locale.

Do you guarantee my purchase?

Our plants are carefully screened, quarantined, and acclimatized when they arrive at our shop. We ship either bare root or potted in the appropriate soilless mix (plant dependent).  Depending on where you live, we can play with how we package and will try to reduce your shipping costs as much as reasonable (with plant health as the first priority).  

We guarantee that our plants will arrive to you alive. That being said, once the plants are in the hands of our shipping partner, we don't know what happens to them. Please contact us in the event of an unreasonable shipping delay, we will deal directly with the shipping partner. 

If your plants arrive and there is damage or no reasonable chance of revival, please send us a message or email with photos within 24 hours of receiving your purchase for further direction.  

Ultimately, we guarantee your satisfaction but have to set limits.  Please communicate any issues that you have with the product and we'll always do our best to help.  Please read the Shipping Policy (also in the footer menu).

Damage Form Here

Will my purchase look exactly like the images on the website?

We bring plants into our shop in batches.  Each plant of a specific species will be similar to the image depicted on the website.  The size may vary slightly.

Can you tell me more about how you package plants for courier shipping?

We select boxes that are reinforced and matched to fit the size of your purchase. This ensures your plant is secure to prevent damage.  We ship bare root or in a minimal amount of soilless mix to reduce shipping costs. This does expose the plant to a short period of 'non-optimal conditions'.  To counteract this, we wrap the root system based on the type of plant we are shipping (wet, damp, or dry) and protect the foliage from damage. We only ship by flat-rate courier service to ensure your plant gets to you in a timely manner. If the temperature during the expected shipping duration will be below 10 degC, a complimentary heat pack will be included. Please be mindful that some plants are more resilient than others, feel free to drop us a line if you have questions about shipping.  

In addition, we do not ship perishable items during the winter months (November – March). During winter, Local Pick-up and Sweetlife Flora delivery services will be available for plants within the service areas outlined above. 

What should I do when I receive my plant?

  1. Once you've carefully removed the plant from its packaging, check the condition of the roots. We acclimatize and transport the majority of our plants bare root or in a minimum amount of plant-specific soilless mix.  
  2. Always check the roots when you receive a new plant. Contact us immediately (with pictures) if there is a problem.
  3. We suggest that you keep your plant in quarantine for 2-3 weeks as it acclimates to your home environment.  We use beneficial insects so there may be nematodes or predatory mites in the substrate.  If this isn’t something you’re comfortable with, this quarantine period should be enough time for them to die off in the absence of their food of choice.
  4. Do not fertilize until it has been transitioned to its optimal environment for at least 6 weeks.
  5. Following shipping, the foliage may look limp, leaves may yellow, and in some cases, minor defoliation may occur. Aroids, hoya and other tropicals may require a higher humidity environment to recover. Using a vented plastic bag or an enclosed environment, such as a terrarium, around the foliage can increase humidity. Keep an eye on the temperature within, heat builds up quickly - give your plant a break from the enclosed environment, if required.
  6. If you have any other questions about lighting, temperature or just about what 'normal' is, please contact us.

What is the turn-around time on Sustainable Landscape or Permaculture Design services?

Following the initial consultation, it will take between 3-4 weeks for a draft design to be sent to the client.  For each revision (2 are included in the price of the design), 2 additional weeks will be required.  Worst case scenario, it will take 8 weeks to receive your final design drawing.

I ordered a DIY Living Wall Kit.  How long will it take to get here?

We don’t currently keep the living wall kits on hand.  Rather, we order your bespoke living wall directly from our factory outlet in the USA.  We have the living wall kits shipped to a Sweetlife Flora outpost first so that we can inspect all the parts and ensure nothing is warped, broken, or missing prior to sending it off to you.  The turn-around from the time of ordering will be between 3-5 weeks.