Shipping! Arrrgh!!
Mountain Mist is the smallest of small businesses. One of the biggest challenges for us is getting our shipping charges right. We don't trim our azaleas so that they look like they were manufactured on an assembly line. A one-gallon plant may be 10" tall, or it may be close to 30" tall depending on the variety. We do not ship bare root plants. Our customers get their plants the same way we field grow them, except that we remove the pot and bag the root ball with the soil it loves. We feel this reduces shock and give the plant a better start in your space.
That being said, shipping dirt is expensive because it is heavy. And if it rained a few days before shipping, it is even heavier, thus more expensive to ship. Now add the upcharge that FedEx and all shippers tack on because of the dimensional adjustments they make for our boxes. One recent example: We had a 24" x 6" x 6" box with one plant that weighed 3 pounds. We were charged for an 11-pound package and lost money.
All that verbiage aside, we could either stop shipping altogether or we could make a big change. Starting right now, our shipping rates are estimated shipping costs. They will start at $45. Once we box the order and create the FedEx label, we will go back and issue a partial refund for any overcharge so that you, our customer, only pay what we pay to get your plants to you. Example: You order a single one-gallon azalea and pay that $45 shipping fee. When we package it, and create the shipping label, it might total $36 from FedEx. We will then refund your card the $9 difference. If for some reason FedEx charges more than $45 for that shipment, we eat it. If we eat a lot of shipping, we will adjust the base estimated shipping fee until we don't lose money anymore!
What can you do to make the most of things? Buy at least two plants. The box for two or three azaleas is the same size as for one. That means only one dimensional upcharge. We both win. You get more beautiful plants, and we have a more efficient business. Win, win! Or, if you live within an hour or two of Asheville, make a day of it and order plants for local pick-up. You'll get a pretty drive, nice plants, and maybe a really delicious meal in the Asheville area. We're known for food around here.
We thank you for your understanding and the support we've received from our customers over the 25+ years that Mountain Mist Nursery has been around.
