Online plants

[Theforest]

Can anyone recommend online nurseries? I was looking at gardening express but wondered how they fare?

I've read lots of bad reviews about Gardening Express - I think they were swamped last year and struggled to keep up with orders. The other thing to note is that some let you order and send the plants out at a future date when they are ready.

I've had good quality plants from J Parker's (also had a dud, but they replaced quickly), Crocus, Thompson and Morgan - but watch out for teeny tiny plants, Jacksons Nurseries in Stoke on Trent have been good but their delivery charge is quite high so best to order quite a few things at one. Sarah Raven is very good quality, but not cheap.

I had several bad experiences last year - mail order companies were swamped, post was slow and the plants were in terrible condition when they arrived. But I discovered some great, small nurseries, such as Bluebell Cottage Nursery.

Thompson and Morgan are very good. However their delivery dates change so be prepared for a wait! Plants are indeed tiny when they arrive, but out of 72 last year all but 2 survived and grew. I have ordered plants from them in Feb, will arrive next month and probably be in full bloom by July 😂. So probably a website to buy from if you don't need stuff immediately!

Gardening Express were awful last year. Plants arrived dead. Got my money back in the end, took about 4 months.

I always get my trees and plants from gardeners dream! Free delivery come really quickly and all have survived x

I bought a couple of pink cordyline plants from Garden Express, which took ages to arrive. They had some kind of weed in them too which eventually overtook the pots. I didn't get around to repotting them and they died over the winter,

This year I have used Chris Bowers for fruit trees and bushes and everything was really well packed and labelled, Farmer Gracy for summer bulbs/tubers (I've used them before as well and generally been impressed). I used Hayloft last year for a particular plant that I couldn't get anywhere else and that's doing well still though 1 died. I bought Begonias from Thompson & Morgan and they performed well but weren't packaged brilliantly. I've bought from Crocus in the past and found them expensive for what I wanted.

This year I'm trying to start things from seed so that opened up a whole other world to try.

You’re clearly a better grower than me, Motnight, because I find a huge proportion of T&M’s teeny weeny plug plants die.

@NineOClockOnASaturday

You’re clearly a better grower than me, Motnight, because I find a huge proportion of T&M’s teeny weeny plug plants die.

NineOclockOnASaturday - my friend has said the same as you, maybe I have just been lucky!

@Enb76

This year I have used Chris Bowers for fruit trees and bushes and everything was really well packed and labelled, Farmer Gracy for summer bulbs/tubers (I've used them before as well and generally been impressed). I used Hayloft last year for a particular plant that I couldn't get anywhere else and that's doing well still though 1 died. I bought Begonias from Thompson & Morgan and they performed well but weren't packaged brilliantly. I've bought from Crocus in the past and found them expensive for what I wanted.

This year I'm trying to start things from seed so that opened up a whole other world to try.

Seconded for Chris Bowers. I recently got crocosmia from Trecanna nursery in Cornwall - very happy with them. Newly potted on so they recommend leaving in the pot for a month to let the root system establish before putting in the garden. David Austin roses always good.

I've generally had good results with the 48 plug plants for 20p type offers - I'm happy with a 50-75% survival rate, but it's usually higher. The trick is potting on and nurturing to the optimum size for planting out. I don't always manage to get all of them out - especially If I've enthusiastically over ordered 🥴

I've just ordered from the RHS plant shop for the first time, hoping for good specimens.

I think I have been lucky I ordered a shade plant collection from gardening express and it arrived in good condition.
I use Sarah Raven quite a bit and the plants are always perfect condition from there.