Policy & Philosophy

Plants are living things and we understand that living things are sometimes unpredictable.  It is our mission to stock the best plant material and give you the best advice to increase your opportunity for success.  The most important thing to consider when purchasing plants is choosing the right plant for the right place.  We are here to help you choose the right plant for your conditions, dramatically reducing the chances of loss.  We will also assist you with water requirements, soil amendments, and proper planting practices.  For guaranteed success, use Van Wilgen’s Planting Mix along with either Van Wilgen’s JumpStart or Van Wilgen’s RootBoost when planting to get your plants established quickly.  We have worked with some of our most trusted providers to create custom formulations that we believe in, so much so, we put our name on them.  The results from these products are so trusted we are willing to extend your warranty with proof of purchase.  If you are purchasing trees, shrubs, perennials, or roses and have our Success Kit on your receipt we will warranty those purchases for 2 years.

Our intentions are 100% with your best interest in mind.  We know this sounds like a “would you like the protection plan?” kind of gimmick.  That’s the furthest from the truth, we know for a fact that your plants will benefit greatly from our Van Wilgen’s success kit.  We have created this chart to make it as easy as possible to determine the correct amount of amendments you should be using.

VW Planting Mix 

Small Shrubs and Perennials (1 gallon and 2 gallon) ¼ bag

Medium Shrubs and Roses (3 gallon to 7 gallon) ½ bag

Large Shrubs and Small trees (7 gallon to 25 gallon) 1 bag

XXL trees  3 bags

Root Boost (Same information on the back of the package)

Small Shrubs and Perennials (1gal and 2gal)  ¼ cup

Medium Shrubs and Roses ½ cup

Large Shrubs and Small Trees 1 cup

Trees 2 cups

JumpStart goes a long way.  Consult the back of the bottle for instructions.  There needs to be at least 1 bottle on receipt with the purchase of trees, shrubs, roses, or perennials along with the correct number of Planting Mix for the extended warranty program.

We will be glad to help you determine the correct amount of amendments you will need for your project so you can get your plants established quickly as well as take advantage of our extended warranty program.

Let us do it for you!  All plants installed by the Van Wilgen’s install team include the use of our Van Wilgen’s Planting Mix and starter fertilizer.  What does this mean?  Any plants installed by us are automatically guaranteed for 2 years.  You don’t have to lift a thing and we will deliver.  If for some reason your purchase does not survive, we will return to your property and replace your plant, all at no cost to you.   If we delivered your plant purchase and for some reason, your plant does not make it, Van Wilgen’s will deliver your replacement plant to your property at no charge to you.  Every one of our Install Team members carries a watering guide, if you did not pick one up in the store, let them know.

It is strongly encouraged for you to contact us at the first signs of distressed plants.  We look at pictures of plants every day!  Bring in pictures, show us on your smartphone/iPads or email us your pictures and we will help to diagnose or troubleshoot any issues you may be having.  We heavily encourage you to give us the opportunity to take a look at a photo before you remove a plant to bring in for replacement.  There are several varieties of plants that notoriously break dormancy late in spring.  Butterfly Bush and Hydrangeas for example are some of the last plants to come to life in spring; we would not want you to use your replacement on a plant that may not need replacing.  This is something to consider as we will not replace a replacement so it is important for us to work with you to determine what went wrong.

We will do our best to give you the exact replacement of the original plant you purchased, if this is not possible we will issue store credit in the amount you paid for the plant that you can redeem at any time.  While working on your replacement it is determined that another variety of plant would be more suitable, a credit in the amount you paid can be used towards the new plant.

Are you a garden club member?  If you are, we can easily look up your plant purchase history.  If you are not a garden club member we suggest you sign up to make your life much easier when looking up your purchase history.  You also receive points that can be used towards future purchases.  If you choose to provide us with your email, you will receive educational info as well as updates on sales and events.  Click on the garden club page to find out more details.

We are here to help.  Let us know if you’re having a problem with any plant and we would love to help.