Q&A - Questions and answers

Orders are completed on the website, secretgarden.ro, after logging in. It is the simplest and safest way to reserve your plants.

The site assistant is available 24/7: guides you, makes recommendations, and answers your questions about products and delivery.

We do not accept orders by phone, email, or social media. If you need someone from the team for something specific, you can reach us at comenzi@secretgarden.ro.

The shop does not impose a general minimum order value. For certain services, such as courier delivery, the total value of the products in the cart must exceed a threshold (for example, over 49 RON for courier delivery in Romania). For international deliveries, the usual threshold is approximately 100 RON / 20 EUR.

Yes, as long as the order has not already reached the packing stage.

Log in to your account or open the confirmation email, click on the order, and use Edit Order. From there, you can add plants or update the address.

Once the team moves the order to verification/packing, changes are automatically locked.

A quick tip: free shipping over 399 RON is calculated based on the value of the products in the order while editing is still possible.

Separate orders are not combined. If you want to add plants, do not place a new order: add them to the original order using Edit Order. When Edit Order is no longer available, the order has already reached the packing stage.

We usually prepare orders within 1-3 business days. During busy periods, this may increase to approximately 6 business days, depending on the season, temperatures, holidays, or the contents of the order.

Shipments are generally made from Monday to Thursday. After shipping, delivery time depends on the destination and the courier. More details: Delivery options.

Shipments cannot be scheduled for a future date, and plants cannot be reserved for more than a few days.

Please place your order when you want the plants and are able to receive them.

Plants available to order arrive at the greenhouse in approximately 7-10 days; the timeframe is always specified on the product page.

If your order includes such plants, all products will be shipped together once the ordered plants arrive.

We do not usually call you after each order - we let the process run smoothly.

You receive updates by email and/or SMS. Tracking details are sent upon dispatch, and the courier may contact you on the delivery day. The status is also visible in your account.

We usually contact you only if there is a stock discrepancy or if more information is needed.

GLS standard courier*

• RON 25
• free over RON 399 worth of products

Driver delivery (Bucharest and some areas of Ilfov)

• RON 35
• RON 19 over RON 399
• free from RON 800
• minimum order RON 100

Express Delivery (+25 RON) means priority order processing, not guaranteed delivery to your door within 24 hours.

* Shipping costs are calculated for parcels weighing up to 5 kg. For each kilogram over the 5 kg limit, the fee may be up to RON 1.5/kg.

Complete details on the delivery page: Delivery options.

No. Driver delivery is a local service, available in Bucharest and some areas of Ilfov.

• RON 35; RON 19 over RON 399; free from RON 800
• minimum order RON 100
• usually Monday-Friday, approximately 11:00-16:00

The plants travel without a box, in a temperature-controlled vehicle. The driver hands over the order at the vehicle. For cash on delivery, it is useful to have the exact amount ready.

We do not deliver directly to lockers because the temperature and conditions in lockers are not suitable for live plants.

After dispatch, the parcel may be redirected to a locker or pickup point, but at your own risk. Delivery details: Delivery options.

Yes. Express has different meanings depending on the destination:

Local (Romania)

• Express Delivery = priority order processing, for +25 RON
• does not mean guaranteed delivery to your door within 24 hours
• usually speeds up preparation to approximately 1-2 business days
• dispatch from Monday to Thursday
• the courier's transit time after handover of the parcel remains separate

International

• express = Express by Air, where the service is available
• transit after dispatch: usually 1-3 business days
• preparation and packing before dispatch are still necessary and are separate from air transit time
• if the parcel exceeds the size / volumetric weight limit (maximum volumetric weight of 3 kg), the order is shipped by road
• the price difference is refunded as store credit

The cost is calculated at checkout, depending on the country and parcel size. The final price is the one displayed at checkout.

Indicative:

• Bulgaria: approximately EUR 10; free over EUR 200
• Poland: approximately PLN 80
• Hungary: approximately HUF 4,100; free over HUF 61,600
• Austria, Czechia, Slovakia, Slovenia: approximately 12,90 EUR; free above 200 EUR
• France, Germany, Italy: approximately 17,95 EUR; reduced to 9,90 EUR above 150 EUR
• Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Croatia: approximately 19,95 EUR; reduced to 12 EUR above 150 EUR
• Denmark, Greece, Portugal, Spain: approximately 19,95 EUR
• Lithuania, Sweden, Estonia, Finland, Latvia: approximately 29,95 EUR
• Ireland by air: approximately 29,90 EUR
• Malta and Cyprus by air: approximately 35,95 EUR

We deliver to eligible destinations in the EU. The minimum product value is usually approximately 100 RON / 20 EUR. Details: International shipping.

We accept:

• online card and wallets (PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Shop Pay / local processors)
• bank transfer (RON and EUR)
• cash on delivery: Romania only, for eligible orders
• PayPo (buy now, pay within 30 days): Romania only
• Store Credit from your customer account, at checkout

International orders require advance payment. Cash on delivery and PayPo are not available outside Romania. More details: Payment options.

Usually, the invoice can be downloaded directly from the website: Your account → Orders → click on the order → Download invoice.

PayPo is available only in Romania: buy now and pay within 30 days, under the service's terms.

The initial limit for your first order is usually between 500 and 700 RON. After successful payments, the limit may be increased automatically. If the payment is not approved, you can choose another method or contact PayPo support.

Store Credit is store credit in your Secret Garden account. It does not expire and can be used as a payment method at checkout when signed in with the email address to which the credit was issued.

With some express checkouts (for example, PayPal or Shop Pay), it may not appear as an option.

The fastest option is the chat on the website — it is available 24/7, guides you, can make recommendations on the spot, and helps you add plants to your cart.

For an existing order, billing, or account details, write to us at comenzi@secretgarden.ro, with the order number. We respond within one business day. The team works Monday to Friday, 09:00-16:30.

We do not provide assistance for complaints or take orders by phone. All channels are listed on the Contact page.

For a post-delivery complaint, the only channel is email: sesizari@secretgarden.ro, within a maximum of 24 hours of receipt, with a few clear photos and a brief description. Not by phone, WhatsApp, or social media. We usually respond within 1-3 business days.

And one calm thought: plants are living things. A slightly affected leaf after transit is often normal and does not automatically warrant a complaint.

The Secret Garden digital gift voucher is valid for 2 years. It is sent exclusively by email, paid for in advance, and can be used for plants and accessories on secretgarden.ro.

Let the plant acclimate for a few days in diffused light, without repotting immediately and without temperature shocks. Watering depends on the species and the condition of the substrate.

Small signs after transit - for example, an affected leaf - are often normal for living plants and do not necessarily indicate a serious problem.

Repotting guide: repotting · Cold season: winter plant packing

Yes, the photos are real, but they represent the plant's general appearance.

Usually, an average specimen from the listed batch is photographed. Its appearance may vary over time and from one batch to another, especially with living plants. Also check the product description (size, stage, notes about flowers or buds, if applicable).

Plants are identified by the code (ID) provided by the producer. For plants without flowers, the variety cannot be verified visually until flowering.

Labeling errors may occasionally occur, especially with plants without flowers. If we discover a possible error, we investigate it and, if confirmed, update the information as soon as possible.

The labeling done by the producer is not under our control, so we cannot assume responsibility for their errors.

Ceramic pots are decorative cachepots, not growing pots. The plant remains in its growing pot, which is placed inside the cachepot.

We do not always have an exact date - plants arrive in waves, almost every week.

To avoid having to keep checking the website: add the plant to your Wishlist and activate the stock alert on its page. You will receive a notification when it is back in stock.

If you want, we can also suggest 1-2 similar alternatives from stock in the chat. There is no need to email us just to be notified when the item is restocked.

For plants imported from Asian countries, the growing system is different: the plants are grown and delivered in "nursery soft pots", with sphagnum.

A 2.5-inch pot is actually 2.5 inches in size, but the plant is of a similar age and size to a specimen grown in Europe with bark, in a 9 cm pot. A 1.7-inch pot is similar to a specimen in a 6 cm pot.

That is why, on the product page, the size may appear in the form (2.5-inch pot ~ 9 cm). The system is efficient both for growing and for transport.

Secret Garden closed its physical store in May 2026. We now work in the greenhouse, among the plants, focusing on a richer selection and more attentive customer support.

Orders are placed online at secretgarden.ro. Delivery is handled by courier or, in Bucharest and part of Ilfov, by driver.

We do not have a showroom and do not offer pickup from our location. The greenhouse is a space for cultivating and growing plants and does not host visits or events. If you need help choosing a plant, write to us in the website chat or at comenzi@secretgarden.ro, including the product link.

Yes. For orders of EUR 500-1000, you can use the voucher #discount5 (5%). Over EUR 1000: #discount10 (10%).

The terms apply to resellers, companies, and groups from Romania and the EU. Orders are placed on the website. Packing is free, and for resellers/group orders we can cover extra shipping costs above 5 kg. VAT exemption applies to companies registered in another EU member state with a valid VIES number.

Full details: Wholesale - bulk and group orders.

Yes. Companies can receive a dedicated discount code for employees, digital gift vouchers, and a special discount on company orders, from office plants to corporate gifts, delivered to their headquarters or those of their partners. Active communities (enthusiast groups, clubs, associations, online communities) can receive a dedicated discount code for their members.

There is no minimum number of employees or members, and we establish each partnership together. Details and form: Partnerships.

Yes, we ship plants to eligible destinations in the European Union.

Unfortunately, we cannot deliver outside the EU (for example, Bosnia and Herzegovina), to the Canary Islands, or to areas with special phytosanitary restrictions.

Rates and details by country are available here: International shipping.

International parcels sent by air freight depart on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday.

It’s simple, directly on the website:

• on mobile — the language / currency / country selector is at the bottom, in the menu
• on desktop — top right

Choose the language that suits you and you’re done. You don’t need to request a translation in chat.

Prices vary from one country to another depending on each country’s VAT rate, currency conversion costs, and other costs associated with that country, such as tax reporting costs.

The correct price for your destination appears after you select the country and currency on the website.

Our greenhouse runs on solar energy from our own photovoltaic panels, with storage batteries, and on collected rainwater. We control pests naturally, using beneficial insects.

We work with GLOBALG.A.P.- and MPS-certified growers from the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, and Denmark, and with certified greenhouses in Taiwan and Thailand. Protected plants come with CITES certificates: they are cultivated, not collected from the wild.

All the details are on the Sustainability and circular economy page.

The boxes are made from recycled cardboard, chosen to fit the contents, and the plants are wrapped in kraft paper. Both are recyclable and biodegradable.

Plastic is used only for the adhesive tape and winter insulation film, both made from recycled plastic. We turn leftover cardboard from the greenhouse into corrugated protective cardboard, and reuse boxes received from suppliers whenever possible.

The box and kraft paper can go in paper and cardboard recycling or, torn into small pieces, in the compost. The tape and winter insulation film go in plastic recycling, while the used heat pack goes in general waste.

The growing pot is worth keeping: you can use it for cuttings or your next planting.

SG Mix substrates for orchids and epiphytes are based on pine bark, coconut fiber, and sustainably harvested sphagnum from New Zealand, plus pumice and perlite.

Where peat is used, it is RPP-certified (Responsibly Produced Peat), sourced from areas that are restored after extraction.

At Secret Garden, we value respectful and constructive communication.

Aggressive, threatening, or offensive behavior — including unfounded accusations or messages such as “If you don’t give me what I want…”, “Even if I’m wrong, I’ll make sure I’m right…” or “I’ll leave you a negative review…” — may lead to permanent exclusion from services and support. In such situations, subsequent communications may be ignored or blocked.

The team is not obliged to continue conversations that create a hostile environment or affect staff well-being.