Mail Order & General Info

Toxic and/or Medicinal Plants Disclaimer:
Dancing Oaks Nursery and Gardens does not take responsibility for any adverse effects from the medicinal use of plants for any therapeutic purpose. Please consult a professional before using a plant medicinally. Additionally, not all poisonous plants are indicated as such on the Dancing Oaks website. We encourage you to do research where there might be cause for concern.

QUESTIONS:

Online Ordering & Payment

 

Digital Gift Cards

Buying Gift Cards

Using Gift Cards

Using the Website

 

Mail Order Shipping

 

Plants & Plant Care


Visiting the Nursery



ANSWERS:


Online ordering & Payment


What is your refund policy?

View the details of our refund policy here.

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Do you have a minimum order?

We have no minimum order, but we do have a minimum shipping and handling cost so we do suggest ordering more than one plant to defray shipping expenses. Plus, you don't want your new plant to be lonely on the journey to its new home!

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What credit cards to you accept and when will my account be charged?

Our website accepts all major credit cards and PayPal. (See the logos of all accepted payment methods in the footer at the bottom of this web page.) Please note the following:

  • Though “DANCING OAKS NURS” might show up on your credit card statement soon after you submit your purchase, that is initially a sign of authorization of the purchase. We do not actually capture the payment (charge your card) until after we confirm all that items in your order are in stock.
  • We have a maximum of 7 days from the time of your order to charge your card.
  • While we can charge your card for LESS than the amount of your original order, we cannot charge your card for MORE than the amount of your original order.
    In other words, if you approve adjustments to your order that decrease the total amount of your order, then we can collect that reduced amount without requiring your payment information to be re-entered. However, if you request additions to your order that increase the total amount of your order, then we’ll need to send you an additional email invoice which will require you to enter your payment information again.

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What is your policy on substitutions for existing online orders?

If we are sold out of an item, then we do not make substitutions of other plant types without your permission. If you agree to the substitutions, we will recalculate your order and send it out with available items. On rare occasions, if we are sold out of the size of plant you requested, we might substitute a larger size of that same plant for no additional charge to you.

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Can I make changes to my existing online order?

We will do our best to accommodate any changes you need to make to your existing online order. However, given the high number of orders we typically have in process, we require several days of lead time to do so.

Therefore:

  • Any change requests to an order that ships the coming Monday must be received before 12 pm PST on the previous Wednesday.
  • If you cancel your order after your plants have been collected, you will be charged a 10% restocking fee!

For the sake of accuracy and efficiency, we strongly encourage you to email (not call) us your order changes at orders@dancingoaks.com. Please include your order number in your email.

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Can I pre-order plants to pick up later at the nursery?

Yes, you can in certain circumstances. Please click here to review our policy.

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Digital Gift Cards


BUYING GIFT CARDS:


How do I order a gift card?

We offer digital gift cards via this page on our website. Choose the dollar amount you want, then click the "ADD TO CART" button. Complete the checkout process and submit payment. As soon as your order is processed, you will be sent an automated email with a link to the online gift card. 

If you don't see the email in your inbox, please check your "spam" folder and/or search for the phrase "Dancing Oaks Nursery" in your inbox.

The email you receive will look generally like this:

Dancing Oaks Nursery - Gift Card Email

To open the digital gift card, click the "View your gift card" button. The webpage that opens will look generally like this:

Dancing Oaks Nursery - Gift Card Webpage

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Can I have the digital gift card sent directly to the recipient?

No, our website platform does not allow this feature. Once you (the buyer) receive the email confirmation of the gift card purchase, you can forward it to the recipient. The recipient can either copy and paste the gift card code into the website for mail order purchases, or they can print out the gift card webpage and give it to the cashier at the nursery.

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 Why don't you sell "physical" gift cards instead of digital cards?

Currently, our website platform only allows us to offer digital gift cards to online shoppers.
However, if you can visit the nursery in person, then you can purchase a printed gift card for AT-NURSERY PURCHASES only (cannot be used for online shopping) at the cash register.

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USING GIFT CARDS:


Can a gift card be used more than once?

Yes, provided there is still a balance remaining on the card.

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Can more than one gift card be used towards a purchase?

Yes. You can redeem more than one gift card during checkout.
On the first checkout screen, enter one code into the "Gift card or discount code" field and click "Apply." Then enter the next code into the same field and click "Apply" again. Continue until all codes have been entered. All gift card balances will be applied and listed above the "Total".

How to apply more than one gift card during checkout

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Can a gift card be used to buy a gift card?

No, you can't use a gift card to buy another gift card.

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Can a gift card be used to pay for shipping and taxes?

Yes, gift cards are applied to the final order total which includes shipping and taxes.

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Can gift cards be used in conjunction with a discount code?

Yes, you can enter both gift card codes and discount codes for the same order. On the first checkout screen, enter the one code into the "Gift card or discount code" field and click "Apply." Then enter the next code into the same field and click "Apply" again. Both the gift card amount and discount will be applied.

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Can I check how much is left on my gift card?

The fastest way to check the balance on your gift card is to start the checkout process on the website--don't worry, you will not need to enter any payment information in order to get the gift card balance. Here's how:

  1. Put several plants into your online shopping cart, making sure the combined cost of those items is more than your gift card balance is likely to be.
  2. Next, choose an available ship date from the pop-up calendar, and click the "I have read the..." box. Then click the "Check out" button.
  3. On checkout page (see the image below), enter the code from your gift card into the "Gift card or discount code" field. Click "Apply". (If you have and additional card or cards, you can enter additional codes and click "Apply" each time.)
  4. The balance of your card or cards will be applied and the  amount or amounts will show as a "Gift Card" line item above the shopping cart total.
  5. To abort the order, click the "X" next to the gift card icon under the "Gift Card or discount code" field.
  6. Then click the "back" button on your browser and empty your shopping cart of items.
Can I check how much is left on my gift card?


Alternatively, if you'd prefer that we check balance of your gift card, please email us at info@dancingoaks.com. Please include the last 4 digits of your gift card code, and the name of the person who purchased the card. We can check the balance and respond with that information as soon as possible during weekday business hours.

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Using the Website


What are the terms of service for your website?

View the details of our terms of service here

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What is your privacy policy?

View the details of our privacy policy here.

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How do I find the plants I want on your site?

You can discover plants on our site using two different methods: Searching or Browsing.

SEARCHING

If you know the specific plant—or even the plant’s cultural needs or other traits—you are looking for, then the fastest way to navigate the site is to use the Search field. Look for the magnifying glass symbol at the top of every page on the site, click it, and then enter your search query into the field.

Suggested searches:

  • Common name (iris, daisy, manzanita, etc.)
  • Botanical name (Arctostaphylos, Lonicera, Prunella, etc.)
  • Leaf retention (evergreen or deciduous)
  • Colors (red, yellow, blue)

Note: partial names often give good results, so give it a try.

Once you enter in your search term, you have two options:

1) You can click on one of the plants in the dropdown menu of suggested plants:

 Search field: dropdown menu

2) OR you can hit your "Return" or "Enter" key to see a  "Search Results" page.

Search Results Page 

How to change your Search Results View

On the "Search Results" page, you can view the results two different ways, using the "Tile" view or the "List" view. To toggle between these two views, use the icons to the top right of the search results:

Search results: toggle between Tile and List view

Tile view:

Search results: Tile view

List view:

Search results: List view

How to FILTER your search results

You can filter these results using the "Product type" and "Tags" dropdown menus to the upper left of the search results. If you select one of the "Product Type" options and/or one of the "Tags" the page will ONLY show the plants that are in those categories.

The options in the "Product type" dropdown will depend on the mix of plants represented in your search results. For example, it could also include perennials and vines if you search for "Clematis."

Search results: Product Type
The options in the "Tags" dropdown menu will also depend on the properties and conditions represented in your search results.
Search results: sort by tags

In the view below, both a "Product Type" and "Tag" were selected; only one plant meets both criteria:

Search results: Product Type and Tag selected
To clear any filters, click the "X" next to "Product Type" or "Tags":
Search results: clear a filter

 

How to SORT your Search Results 

To change the order in which your plants display on the search results page, click the "Relevance" drop down menu:

Search results: sorting your plants

As shown in the view above, you can sort your plants by "Relevance*," price, alphabetically, or by how recently a plant has been added OR updated on the site.

* "Relevance" is determined by the website's search engine software. If you entered the word "Manzanita" then a plant entry that uses the word "Manzanita" several times will show in the results higher than a plant entry that only uses it once. Other factors such as how recently the entry was updated might also be taken in to account.

 

BROWSING

Main Catalog Page:
If you aren’t quite sure what you’re looking for, then the best place to start browsing is the Catalog page. Click the “CATALOG” link on the menu bar at the top of the page. Scroll through this page to see different "Collections" of plants available. These collections are grouped by plant type (shrub, perennial, etc.) and in-demand plant traits (native, drought-tolerant, etc). Click any of these Collection titles to open & view that group of plants.

Plant Collections:
Once you visit a Collection page, you’ll see two drop-down menus above the grid of plants.

• Use the “Filter by” drop-down to sort by a subcategory of that collection.
For example, in the Grasses collection, you can filter by ‘drought tolerant’ or ‘shade’ to find grasses that are adapted to those conditions
Collection page: filter results

• Use the “Sort by” drop-down to reorder all of the plants in a given Collection by price, date added, reverse alphabetical order, etc.
Collection page: sort results


Plant Properties/Conditions:
Once you visit an individual plant's profile page, under the plant description you’ll see a list entitled “Properties/conditions:”. That list includes terms or "tags" that pertain to the plant's cultural requirements and other general plant traits. Note: click on a tag to see all other plants on the site that share that property or conditional requirement.
Tags used on our site include (but are not limited to):
• deer-resistant
• drought-tolerant
• evenly moist
• fragrant
• ground cover
• intermittent water
• native
• part shade
• pollinator-friendly
• shade
• sun
• sun or part shade
• sun or shade
• wet

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How do I change my account password?

Visit this page for detailed instructions.

 


Mail Order Shipping


What shipper do you use to ship plants?

As of 4/29/21 we ship ONLY via United Parcel Service (UPS). We CANNOT ship to P.O. boxes using UPS. 

When we ship your plants, you will receive a tracking number via email to indicate which service we use. Please check your SPAM folder for this and other notifications you'll receive from us.

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How are shipping charges calculated?

There is a minimum rate for each of our shipping zones which applies to your first $80 of plants. In other words, whether you buy one plant for $18.50 or 3 plants for $78.50, the same minimum shipping rate applies. Above $80, the shipping rate increases incrementally.

Zone 1 - Oregon & Washington**
22% of pre-discount subtotal; with a minimum rate of $18.50.

**Zone 1a - Select Areas of the Puget Sound
30% of pre-discount subtotal; with a minimum rate of $22.50.

Zone 2 - CA, CO, ID, MT, NV, UT, WY
24% of pre-discount subtotal, with a minimum rate of $18.50.

Zone 3 - AZ, KS, NE, NM, ND, SD
26% of pre-discount subtotal; with a minimum rate of $22.00.

Zone 4 - AR, IL, IA, MN, MO, OK, WI
28% of pre-discount subtotal; with a minimum rate of $24.00.

Zone 5 - AL, CT, DE, DC, FL, GA, IN, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MS, NH, KY, NJ, NY, NC, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VT, VA, WV
32% of pre-discount subtotal; with a minimum rate of $25.00.

Yes, plants can be heavy and expensive to ship. We do our best to keep costs down for you. We would love for you to all come by the nursery, to purchase the plants and enjoy the gardens, but realizing that is not always possible, we must pay to ship.

PLEASE NOTE: Some over-sized plants may incur additional shipping fees because of their size. If this is the case, we will always contact you before shipping to confirm the total for your order.

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Where do you ship plants? Internationally?

Sorry, we do not ship internationally. We ship only within the contiguous United States (including Washington DC).

Sorry, we cannot ship to Hawaii, Alaska, or outlying territories.

We ship to the West Coast locations all year as weather permits.

We ship to other US locations from Spring until Fall, weather permitting.

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How do you pack your plants for safe shipping?

Once we receive your order, we pull the plants from our greenhouses into a holding area until it is time to ship them.

We are a small nursery with an enormously diverse inventory. We do not propagate our plants on a large scale, production line basis. Therefore, we cannot standardize our packing process with fancy, custom-made boxes. Instead, each plant in your order is individually wrapped by hand and, when necessary, staked to protect growing stems. Packing materials and methods are chosen based on the current growing stage, size, and type of plant.

We have been packing & shipping plants this way for over 10 years with great success.

A note about our packing materials: we believe in reducing-reusing-recycling! Therefore, we frequently re-use CLEAN paper and plastic packing materials to pack your plants. It is easier on the planet and saves us (and therefore you) money on shipping. Sometimes, when we are short on other materials, we use biodegradable, corn- or wheat-starch based packing peanuts. We will NEVER send you Styrofoam peanuts (at least not on purpose—we apologize if a peanut or two snuck into your box.)

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When will my plants be shipped?

During the checkout process on the website, you are required to choose from upcoming, available Monday ship dates as far as 3 months in advance. We can only ship a limited number of orders each week, and generally your plants will leave the nursery on your chosen Monday, but in some cases (see below) a bit before or after.

We cannot guarantee a specific arrival date or time at your doorstep.

We ship our plants from Monmouth, Oregon and you will receive an email with tracking information when we initiate the shipment, or in some cases once the package is received at the shipper. You can track the progress of your shipment by clicking the link in that email.

West Coast Shipping Addresses:
If your shipping address is on West coast it is likely your plants will arrive within 3 days of hand off to the shipping provider. Sometimes an extra day is required for rural areas of S. Oregon and N California.

East Coast Shipping Addresses:
Plants shipped to the East Coast on a Monday generally arrive by Thursday at the latest, but infrequently on a Friday. However, in the case of an upcoming Monday Holiday, or if an upcoming week has a high volume of orders, we will sometimes ship plants to East Coast addresses on the Friday or Saturday before the customer's chosen Monday ship date. In that case, their package will arrive at their destination earlier in the week of their chosen ship date.

All other Shipping Addresses:
We find that addresses in the middle parts of the country have varied arrival times, depending on how rural your state is overall, or how far from a major city your specific address is. Wednesday or Thursday are the most common arrival times for packages shipped from Monmouth, Oregon to addresses in the states between the East & West coasts.

Note: Submit your order by Wednesday at 5 pm to have plants shipped the following Monday (unless that Monday is already full/blocked out). After Wednesday evening, you will get bumped to the Monday after next at the earliest. For example: If you place your order on Wednesday, May 2 at 8 pm, then the earliest available shipping date will be Monday, May 13.

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Plants & Plant Care


What plants are available for mail order and what sizes are they?

The availability of mail order plants is a select portion of our stock that is practical for us to ship. We only ship plants in smaller-sized pots (generally 3 qt or smaller) and nothing taller than 36 inches. In some cases, it is appropriate for us to reduce (clip) the height of a plant to ship.

Approximate measurements of the pot sizes the plants are grown in:
• .42 qt is 2 inches square x 5 inches deep
• .5 qt is 3 inches square x 3 inches deep
• .67 qt is 3 inches square x 5 inches deep
• .75 qt. is 4 inches square x 4inches deep
• 1.16 qt is 4 inches square w x 6inches deep
• 1.5 qt. is 5.5 inches square  x 5.5inches deep
• 3 qt. is 6 inches round x 7.5 inches deep
We have numerous additional plants available at the nursery, many in larger sized containers.

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What do I need to know about the plants you send?

We want you to be happy with the plants you receive and successful growing them, so please review the following to ensure your order concludes well:

  • Research your plants thoroughly before you buy.
    Make sure the plants you select are suitable for your growing zone and your particular garden, and that you are ordering them to arrive at the best time of year.
  • Expect a little wear & tear during shipping.
    While we take GREAT care to wrap and pack every plant we ship, getting sent through the mail can be hard on a plant. Do not panic if leaves or even stems are a little bruised or bent. Our priority is to send each plant with a strong, viable root system that will thrive once it is planted properly.
  • Remember that different plant types grow differently.
    Evergreen vs deciduous, bulbs vs tubers, trees vs vines... if you have a mix of plant types in your order, remember that they will likely arrive in different stages of growth. One plant might still be dormant when you receive it, others might be entering dormancy, while still another might already have substantial growth. That is perfectly normal.

A general plant care sheet is included with your order—we do not provide individual planting instructions for each plant type.

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What do I do once my plants arrive?

Please click this link to the "Care of Plants" sheet for this information. This document is included with all of our shipments. 

 

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Some of the plants I received in my order look dead. What's going on and what should I do?

If you receive plants with no top-growth (ie, missing or brown stems and leaves) then never fear: this is normal, healthy plant dormancy. Plants go dormant in order to conserve their energy during challenging seasonal conditions. If you check (gently!) below the soil surface, these dormant plants have a still thriving, functioning root system.
(If you don't find any sign of healthy roots, then please snap digital photos and contact us immediately!)
While most people are aware of winter dormancy due to cold temperatures and short daylight hours, some plants (such as some bulbs) go dormant during summer due to hot temperatures and lack of water.
In most cases, the best thing to do is plant dormant plants out in your garden as soon as your local conditions allow. This will give the roots the best opportunity to integrate with your native soil during dormancy, and then "spring" from the ground when the appropriate season for that plant arrives.

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Are the natives you offer wild collected?

No. All of our native plants are from seed, cutting or divisions grown here at the nursery or from other reputable growers.

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Do you use bee-toxic pesticides on your plants?

We do not. Our pesticide policy is outlined here.

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What do the 'minimum temperature' for plants mean?

This is the lowest temperature the plant is likely to survive during unprotected exposure. We refer to the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map and note the 'minimum temperature' the USDA has assigned that zone. The temperatures given in our descriptions are the lowest hardiness zone for the plant both from references and our experience in the Northwest Oregon climate. However, some plants require a cool dormant period to thrive and therefore are not suited to warmer winter climates. Heat and humidity can also be the blessing or the curse of some plants. Be aware of the minimum and maximum temperature requirements of the plants you purchase. Consult any pertinent publication by the American Horticulture Society and/or gardening resources for your region.

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Do you sell toxic and/or medicinal plants?

Dancing Oaks Nursery and Gardens does not take responsibility for any adverse effects from the medicinal use of plants for any therapeutic purpose or for toxicity if ingested by humans or animals. Please consult a professional before using a plant medicinally. Additionally, not all poisonous plants are indicated as such on the Dancing Oaks website. We encourage you to do research where there might be cause for concern.

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Are your plants inspected for pests and disease?

We are inspected by Oregon Department of Agriculture and participate in USDA programs to prevent the spread of Sudden Oak Death (SOD).

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Visiting the Nursery



Where are you located?

Check our hours before you come.

Our address is:
17900 Priem Road
Monmouth, OR 97361
The most reliable directions to the nursery are via Google Maps

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Do you rent the nursery for events?

Dancing Oaks Nursery and Gardens no longer rents facilities for private events. For other possible venues in the area, we recommend that you check the Travel Salem list of Meeting & Event facilities

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Do you welcome groups?

Yes, we do! We regularly welcome small to large (tour bus-sized, even!) groups here at the nursery. We do ask that you let us know in advance when you are coming and how large your group will be. If your group is larger than 10 people and you'd like a garden tour, please let us know that in advance as well. We will accommodate you if at all possible.

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