Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How do I get an account set up with MG?
To establish a business account, please submit a fully completed Customer Number Application. Establishing an account does not guarantee terms or credit. Credit applications are available as a separate request.

Q. What information is needed to place an order?
The information we need to place an order is your customer number, job name or PO (if applicable), your preferred logistics (delivery or pick up), date needed, and botanical plant names and quantities.

Q: Who do I send my quotes/order requests to?
Our sales team can help fulfill your order/quote requests via the following methods:
Email: mgsales@midwestgroundcovers.com
Phone: 847-742-1790
Fax: 847-742-2655
Online: 24/7 through the customer portal

Q: What is a customer number & where can I find it?
A customer number is a unique number assigned to your account. This can be found on any quote, order, or invoice you receive from us. If you don’t have any of those documents available, feel free to give our sales team a call.

Q: Why is my order dated/scheduled for the first of the month?
If you haven’t requested your order to be shipped or picked up on the first of the month, then this could mean that your order is a Will Call order. This holds the quantity of the plants requested but does not begin the order fulfillment process. This is an internal way we can track open orders and know what quantities are reserved for that month.

Q: Can I pick my order up the same day I place it?
If the plant quantities are in the St. Charles nursery, then yes, however, it is not recommended. Orders placed 24 hours in advance receive top priority. Same day pick-up may result in a longer wait to receive your plants.

Q: What if I can’t pick up my order on the date I specified?
To ensure the highest plant quality, all orders must be picked up within five (5) business days of the scheduled pick-up date. Orders not taken within this time frame will be charged a 25% restocking fee.

Q: Can I have Midwest Groundcovers & Midwest Trading products shipped to me at the same time?
Unfortunately, we are not able to accommodate this currently. Midwest Groundcovers & Midwest Trading operate as two separate companies based out of two separate distribution centers.

Q: Can I order online?
Yes! All you need to do is log in.

Q: How does XX crop look right now? Can you send me a picture?
Logging in to our website gives you the option to request current crop photos from our nursery by clicking on the camera icon.  We’ll upload a real-time photo within 24 hours and you will receive an email with the picture of the crop.

Q: How do I know what size the crop is?
Shrub measurements are listed on our website on our Availability page. Perennials and Groundcovers do not list sizes due to how fast they grow in a season.

Q: Can you let me know when XX becomes available?
Yes! You can sign up for Availability Alerts from the Customer Portal. Simply log in to the website, select “Alert Preferences” and choose to receive alerts via text and/or email. You can then click on the bell icon on the Availability page to receive an alert when those plants move from “Grow Crop” to “Available”. Additionally, from the Customer Portal you can click on “Availability Requests” to view the alerts you have signed up for.

Q: How do I log into the website?
You will need your Customer Number and the email address we have in our Customer Records to register. Click here.

Q: I forgot my password for the website – can you help?
Yes, click here to have a password reset email sent to. Be sure to check your Spam folder if you don’t see it come through.

Q: How can I see pricing on the website?
Simply log in and look on the Availability page or individual plants within the Plant Library. The pricing will also show your EVD price (if applicable).

Q: Can I order online?
Yes! All Midwest Groundcovers customers can order online. All you need to do is log in.

Q. How do I place an order online?
Details about ordering online are available in our Online Ordering Guide.

Q: What are Availability Alerts?
You can sign up for Availability Alerts from the Customer Portal. Simply log in to the website, select “Alert Preferences” and choose to receive alerts via text and/or email. You can then click on the bell icon on the Availability page to receive an alert when those plants move from “Grow Crop” to “Available”. Additionally, from the Customer Portal you can click on “Availability Requests” to view the alerts you have signed up for.

Q: When can my order be shipped to me?
Please click here for our daily delivery schedules.

Q: How much is freight?
You can find our shipping rates based on your area here.

Q: I’ve made order minimum, why am I being charged freight?
Our plant prices do not include the costs involved with shipping. Midwest Groundcovers continually reviews other shipping vendors to make sure we are charging a fair fee to cover the costs of our fleet.

Q: Why is there a fuel surcharge?
Due to the ever-changing cost of diesel, at times MG does charge a fuel surcharge. Fuel surcharges are calculated as % of the freight fees and adjusted on a weekly basis. Midwest Groundcovers LLC uses the U.S. Energy Information Administration Midwest average price for a gallon of diesel fuel as the basis for calculating fuel surcharges. Refer to their website for full information: www.eia.gov/oog/info/wohdp/diesel.asp

Q: Why do I have freight on multiple orders? It’s all going on the same truck.
Our shipping fees are calculated as a percentage of the order total. If all orders were to be combined, the shipping fee would stay the same.

Q: Can you send plants via UPS?
We only ship our NGN plugs and NGN pints via UPS.

Q: How do I sign up to get weekly emails/newsletters?
You can sign up for them here.

Q: What events do you have coming up?
Click on news and events on the banner to view our upcoming events.

Q: What is U-PICK?
The U-PICK Yard is stocked with larger inventories of our most requested plants. Customers can conveniently hand pick from a wide selection of our best sellers without having to wait for their order to be pulled! Learn More.

Q: How do you label the plants?
Every single pot will have a product identifier sticker label. This new feature will eliminate any order confusion when purchasing different varieties of the same plant. Flats, such as the 10 Flat, 12 Flat, 24 Flat and 38 Flat will have 1 sticker per flat unless combined with the Custom Color Label Program.

These sticker labels have a barcode and are both water and weather proof – we tested them through the spring season last year and love them!

Q: What’s available in U-PICK?
We have a convenient filter to list only what is currently available in the U-PICK Yard. You can find that here. This is updated every half hour to give you the most up-to-date inventory levels.

Q: Can I buy plants for my home?
No, Midwest Groundcovers has always been a Wholesale Nursery. Due to industry changes, starting in 2020, we are no longer able to provide sales and services directly to the retail consumer. Click here to view a list of Garden Centers that carry our plants.

Q: Can I use photos from your website on my website and in my marketing materials?
Yes, customers of Midwest Groundcovers are permitted to use photos from our website to help sell and promote plants they purchase from Midwest Groundcovers. If possible please credit “Photo courtesy of Midwest Groundcovers”.