Big thing with shipping is keeping the root-ball intact. Bare root is tedious as it gets bashed around & can get wounded.. I always ship them in the pot (pots are cheap) packing newspaper in the top then taping it all down.. Then taping the pot into the box. Fill the rest around the vine with peanuts.. And any shipper will do. I've found the 8" x 5" x 6" "flat rate box"es turned inside out (so it ships for less than the flat rate) work Awesome. Then 'course don't ship when it's Arctic & you'll be fine. Might be a bit tedious for the receiver to un-do all that tape, but worth it for an intact plant.

Since there doesn't seem to be any one sure way that will work for everyone, why not just create a Photobucket album (or someplace similar) and send the URL of it. I know some folks I send URLS to, find the links are not clickable. I've also been told that they were not able to copy and paste the URL either. One friend just totally doesn't know how to copy and paste and doesn't seem to want to learn...says it just makes her 'nervous' to try. I've just given up on sharing much via emails with those who are so computer challenged. Oh...the one who said she wasn't able to copy and paste a URL I sent, was a link to an item on Amazon. I'm thinking she just didn't know how to do it. Sue

Use packing peanuts. They act as an insulator & will keep stuff frozen in transit a bit longer. Crumbled newspaper also works as an insulator but not as well as the peanuts. Pack the cookies in tins, if possible, to hold shifting to a minimum. I also like to pack each type of cookie separately to avoid mingling of flavors. If you're sending decorated cut-out cookies wrap each cookie individually 'cause they break so easily. Bar cookies ship very well as do drop cookies. I wrap quick breads first in plastic wrap & then in foil. If you have a vac-packer, freeze the cookies & then vac-pack...same with the quick bread. /tricia

According to the U.S. Postal Service, padded envelopes, unpadded envelopes larger than 11 1/2' x 6 1/2', metered mail, and mail marked for hand canceling and sorting *should* avoid the ravages of automated postal machinery. It is, however, prudent to protect seeds with some sort of soft padding: folded paper towel, bubble wrap, etc. If you are sending out several packets of seeds, it is helpful to tape the packets down individually to an envelope-sized piece of cardboard before wrapping with padding so the packets don't shift on top of one another, making a bulkier envelope that is more easily damaged. Regular letter or legal size envelopes should be kept as flat as possible with minimal padding to avoid being torn in transit. Generally speaking, large, soft, and/or very fragile seeds require more careful packing and will probably travel safest in a padded mailer. You can save and reuse any padded mailers you receive to help lower expenses. International trades should be sent in padded mailers. The United States Postal Service requires a customs declaration form be filled out by the sender, identifying the contents and declaring a value: the simplest is to put 'flower seeds' and 'gift - no value' so no duty fees will be assessed. Seeds crossing international borders must be individually labeled with full Latin names. See the FAQ regarding rules and regulations of shipping plant materials for more information.