Plants:
We do not guarantee our perennials, tropical plants, annuals, houseplants, herbs, or vegetable plants. We make sure that they are healthy under our care. We take pride in the growers we choose to do business with as well as our expertise in plants under our care. If a plant shows signs of stress or looks unhealthy, please bring it into the store and have one of our knowledgeable employees diagnose the problem and offer a solution.
Our Guarantee on Trees & Shrubs: At Valley View Farms, our goal is to constantly provide our valued customers with the best quality nursery plants available, dealing only with the finest growers. We are confident that these high-quality trees and shrubs are maintained diligently while in our care and, of course, our professional nursery staff is always available to answer your planting, section and care questions. If, however, a tree or shrub that you have purchased at Valley View Farms should die within the guarantee period, we will provide you with a full credit towards the purchase of replacement nursery stock. (Replacement nursery stock, however, is not covered under the guarantee.)
Due to the increased stress trees and shrubs planted in pots (terra cotta, plastic, etc) may endure, plants grown in pots (vs. planted in the ground) are not covered under the guarantee. While this can be accomplished successfully, it is important to follow certain guidelines to ensure success. Please consult with our staff for more information on this.This guarantee applies to trees and shrubs purchased in our Nursery Department; annuals, perennials, houseplants, tropicals, herbs and vegetables are not covered (see below).
NURSERY GUARANTEE:
Non-perishable Merchandise Returns: Any unused, undamaged merchandise purchased from Valley View Farms may be returned for a full refund within 30 days with a receipt. If a receipt is not provided, a store credit will be issued.If paid by cash, a cash refund will be issued for amounts less than $100.00, otherwise, a check will be issued.
If paid by credit card, a credit will be made back to the same credit card used for the original purchase(s)
Exceptions: All sale or marked-down items are FINAL; no refunds or credits will be issued.
Halloween items may not be returned after October 31st of the year purchased.
Christmas items may not be returned after December 25th of the year purchased.
At Valley View Farms, we love gardening. We understand the importance of pollinators like butterflies, bees and other insects to our beautiful flowers and food crops. Bees are involved in providing roughly every third bite we take from our plate. To that end, we encourage the planting of plants that draw pollinators. For years, we have provided a handout for attracting butterflies and hummingbirds. We are hosting seminars about growing pollinator friendly plants and we hope to provide a handout to encourage more bees in the garden. Why? Bees have been threatened by loss of habitat, climate change, invasive parasites, and problems with pesticide use, including improper use of insecticides.
One class of insecticides, called neonicotinoids, (“neonics”) has been under scientific scrutiny since the 1980’s to determine if and how they harm pollinators when used according to label instructions. These insecticides have been used by growers of ornamental plants because they are efficient killers of target insects and they are relatively safe for humans and pets. Over 200 studies have been conducted on neonicotinoids and a partial ban placed on them in Europe in 2012. As studies continue, we have decided to pull the items that contain neonicotinoids from our shelves.We will not apply neonicotinoid insecticides at our retail location on plants in pots or in the ground. We have discontinued sales of pesticides containing neonics to our customers awaiting further studies. Our sales associates will recommend other low-toxic but effective methods for insects that are feeding on plants.
Our own grower will continue to use Integrated Pest Management practices for growing annuals and vegetables, avoiding the use of neonicotinoids on plants grown in our own farm greenhouses.We will communicate with growers providing us with their plants. No neonics are currently used by our growers for any vegetable or herbs. Some of our growers are not using any insecticides containing neonicotinoids at all. We ask that all of our growers be transparent in their use of all pesticides.We will continue to work with Maryland’s Extension Service and others in the agricultural community to provide safe solutions in the garden.
We also pledge to help our customers with the proper use of pesticides for problems they may encounter with gardening. This includes not just insect control but weed and disease management as well.We will continue to have a diagnostic center in our garden shop to aid in the identification of pests and recommend the best solution. Please bring us samples when possible, of the actual insect or damaged plant specimen. We have a microscope and other diagnostic tools at our disposal as well as trained personnel to aid with questions.
ALWAYS follow label directions---It is the law for any pesticide application.Apply pesticides during evening hours when beneficial insects are less likely to be harmed.In addition to the policies listed above, we will be giving away four thousand packets of sunflower seed to school-aged children. This initiative, called The Great Sunflower Project is an educational program designed specifically to join the hunt for bees. To learn more, visit www.greatsunflower.org.