About Us

Browse below for information about us, who we are, and what we do here at W.W. Greenhouses, Inc. ::

Q. Why is W.W. Greenhouses different?

This is not a simple question to answer, and perhaps reading the rest of the Q’s and A’s below will give you more of an idea. Simply put, W.W. Greenhouses is a retail garden center focused on top-quality plants, top-quality service, and top-quality selection. Many others claim such things, but we believe W.W. Greenhouses delivers on all of these aspects.

Quality plants means that our customers can be sure they are purchasing a plant that we would plant in our own garden, plants that are disease and pest free, and plants that have been carefully grown by ourselves or painstakingly selected from other suppliers. Quality service means that we have a knowledgeable staff that can sufficiently assist our customers, and enough staff to make your visit as pleasurable and efficient as possible. (Of course, those busy May days are stressful!) Quality selection means that we have years and years of experience and knowledge to know what works, and what doesn’t. Although we carry most every perennial and annual you could ever wish for, we do not offer plants just so that we can say we have them. For us to offer a certain plant, it must have significant worth to the customer’s garden, and significant worth to us to supply them.

By all of this and much more, we are saying that our customers feel genuinely satisfied by shopping at W.W., and we urge everyone to come and see firsthand what we’re all about!

 

Q. How long has W.W. been in business?

Brothers Doug and Tom Walters established W.W. Greenhouses in 1985.

 

Q. Where is W.W. located?

Click HERE to see maps and directions to our store. (A new window/tab will appear, so you won’t lose this page.)

 

Q. What hours are we open?

Our garden center hours are always posted on our home page and on the left side of most of our other pages. They do change from month to month, so check often or feel free to contact us. Generally speaking...

• April M-F 9-8, Sat 9-5
• May M-F 9-9, Sat 9-8
• June-July M-F 9-8, Sat 9-5
• August-September M-F 9-6, Sat 9-4
• October M-F 9-6, Sat 9-3

 

Q. What do we sell and carry?

W.W. Greenhouses carries an extensive line of perennials, which has been our specialty from the beginning. In addition to perennials, we offer one of the largest selections of annual bedding plants and potted annuals, along with some of the most beautiful hanging planters and baskets you will ever see. Empty window boxes, containers, baskets, general-purpose fertilizer, bagged dirt and bark, vegetables, herbs, small potted shrubs, roses, pre-filled combination planters, and the list goes on and on!

 

Q. Why don't you carry the perennial "_______"?

We strive to offer as many perennials as we can throughout the entire season. W.W. has always been known as a leader in quality perennials with an incredible selection. However, there are a few reasons why you may not be able to find EVERYTHING at W.W.. Here's why...

• Out of season : plants may simply not be available until suitable growing conditions exists
• Sold out : certain plants may be in high demand and at times there is a limited supply
• Lack of quality : we would rather not offer a plant at all than to sell a plant that does not meet our quality standards
• Not worthwhile : there are some plants that simply are a waste of space in our store, or may not be requested enough to offer, or perhaps there are nicer and better performing substitutes for that plant.

The above also applies to our extensive offering of annual plants.

 

Q. Does W.W. accept credit cards?

Yes, we accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and any debit card based on these.

 

Q. Does W.W. accept TRIP or VIP tuition assistance certificates?

Yes, we honor TRIP gift cards at a 10% discount rate from the schools participating in Eastern Ottawa Schools tuition program, AND we also honor VIP certificates at a 5% discount rate for most schools and many businesses in the Western Michigan area. See your school for more details on how to purchase W.W. TRIP cards or VIP certificates... and if W.W. is not offered at your school, contact us and we'll try to get your school on board! With TRIP and VIP, we can still help those with tuition needs while staying competitive in the marketplace.

 

Q. Does W.W. offer gift certificates or gift cards?

Yes, we offer gift cards in any amount you desire. To order, contact us or go online to order and have them sent to you.

 

Q. Does W.W. sell plants online?

Yes. In 2005 we began a small online offering of selected perennials. Our goal was to provide a simple, easy, and secure way to purchase the plants our customers have grown to appreciate, along with expert online assistance and service. The selection of plants online is not nearly as extensive as our local garden center, but we always expanding and changing the varieties offered. We hope it continues to be a convenient extension of our existing garden center and website. You can check it out including all the details by clicking HERE.

 

Q. Does W.W. carry nursery stock like trees or shrubs?

Due to lack of space and flooded markets, we do not currently carry trees. However, we do offer many varieties of the more popular shrubs like Hydrangea, Azalea, Rhododendron, and others, mostly during the months of May and June.

 

Q. Why doesn’t W.W. have more "sales," especially later in the season when everyone else is having "sales?"

This is a loaded question, with many different aspects.

First, we do indeed offer promotions and sales on quality items from time to time. We continue to offer a storewide 10% discount during our opening weekend in the spring, and countless other specials are run throughout the season. We are not opposed to putting things "on sale" if there is sufficient reason to do so.

Second, we feel that lowering prices only because it is later in the season is poor business, and it hurts the entire industry. The plants we sell later in the season, for the most part, are just as good as those we sell earlier in the year. We have just as much time, expenses, and effort into the later plants as the earlier plants, if not more. We are also constantly getting fresh material in weekly throughout the season where the price we set on them is justified. The bottom line is, we set prices for what we feel our plants are worth. We feel discounts are mainly for items that are not worth the original price we set on them, or if we have an abundant supply in which we can pass some savings on to our customers. We do not discount our material solely for the sake of competing with other establishments, or for the misconception that plants must be reduced in price just because they are sold later in the season.

Third, we urge our customers to make honest comparisons. Sometimes we aren’t the lowest in price, and that is ok. We do not feel cheated if our customers shop elsewhere and find what they are looking for at a lower price. We are only disappointed when we are informed that another establishment is offering the same plant for less, and later discover after seeing it firsthand that it is not the same plant or in the same condition. Price shouldn’t be the only thing that matters to a customer, in our industry or any other. Again, we set prices for what we feel our plants are worth, but if our customers find lower prices for the same quality plants elsewhere, it’s a win-win situation for the customer. All we ask is that our customers compare "apples to apples." There are many variables in the horticultural world, and many things to watch for when shopping for good plant material. In the end, competition is good for business, and the customer comes out on top.

Fourth, we discard many plants that do not make our grade, instead of putting them "on sale." Instead of having a huge sale at the same time every year on the plants that look extraordinarily sub-par, we propagate them or discard them if necessary. We could certainly sell that sort of stock at very cheap prices, but we would rather not hurt the industry or display such plants on our benches. We might fall short and sell some poor plants from time to time, but it is never intentional and we appreciate any feedback from our customers if this has happened.

 

Q. Is there any guarantee on your plants?

We offer a 100% guarantee on all of our perennials purchased in our Hudsonville garden center for the duration of the season in which the plants were purchased. (We cannot be responsible for problems associated with over-wintering.) Just bring in your problem plant with your receipt, and we’ll take care of you. As for our other plants, we try to be as accommodating as possible when problems arise. We do not feel responsible for customer neglect, accidents like hanging baskets falling, frost, or other problems out of our control. However, we make every effort to keep our customers satisfied with what they have purchased, and we will continue to offer assistance in dealing with problems that might occur.

For plants purchased on our online store, if you are not satisfied with the plant product you receive, simply inform us of the problem within 14 days of receiving your order, and we will replace your plants or refund your money; no questions asked! If you do not contact us within 14 days of receiving your order, we will assume you are satisfied with your purchase and that you have received plants in good health. We can then no longer be held responsible for the survival of your plants.