Do you order plants on line?

[DustyLee123]

I’m getting a bit fed up of going to garden centres and not finding the plants I’m looking for. I do like to choose my own plants usually, but I’m wondering if ordering on line is going to be best, to save my time and frustration?

I do. Mixed results, but I haven't got a car and the garden centre near me is small. Would say: check the plant size you're buying, as it's easy to imagine something large and bushy turning up when actually what you've ordered is tiny!

Also, check the delivery time. Often you can order things that won't be ready for a couple of months - usually just because of the time of year.

But anyway, gives you access to far more variety, and if anything turns up in a really sorry state, the company should replace it without quibbling - send a photo.

Yes because I'm house bound and can't go out to get them. Have had a variety of results from that - sometimes the packing of plants isn't sufficient and there'll be damaged plants inside which is frustrating. This happened once with Thompson & Morgan but they offered to replace the damaged plants with other (different) plants for free as the ones I'd had delivered were by then out of stock. I concur with the PP re sending a picture of any damage.

On the whole most deliveries are OK and I've had some lovely plants, from ferns to alpines, to flowering border plants and even some bareroot bushes.

Always read the blurb carefully re size, plant varieties, care, delivery, etc.

Yes. Mostly eBay to be truthful.

Ebay has been good for plug plants if you have time to grow them on. I tend to want very specific varieties and plugs tend to be quite accommodating if you get them into growing on pots quickly.

I’ve had some terrific big healthy plants from Grasslands Nursery.

I also have bought the odd plant through B&Q and was pleased to get half a dozen large branded Proven Winner hydrangeas from them for a sensible price.

Yup I buy seeds and plants online, I'm picky about varieties too. Sarah raven is my secret vice.

Seeds yes, plants themselves are variable IME but generally, as long as you can get them in the ground straight away, we have had good success.

I spent last weekend putting in 75 tiny perennials (some of which were just a section of root) and yes they are small but they are springing into action already. Next year they will look established and so its a cheaper way to do it if you're willing to play the long game.

In the early spring we planted dozens of bare root roses and they've come on enormously in a few months but roses are difficult to kill..

Same as @CrunchyCarrot I am housebound so have to shop online. Packaging is a real problem. I mostly buy via ebay and until recently would have said 90% were fine but have just had a run of several sellers with terrible packaging resulting in damaged plants and one seller who sent the wrong colour plant which I didn’t know until after it was planted and bloomed. Most sellers have been very reasonable about refunds or replacements after I sent photos but two have been really unpleasant to deal with.
I find Bedwen plants on ebay are the best so if they have what I want I buy from them.
Regarding online plant shops I avoid Crocus because they are incredibly slow and have useless customer service.

Quite a few times and mostly with success.

For the most part, if I've ever been disappointed I've found sellers more than happy to refund or replace the plant. I have also ordered plugs and even root cuttings from eBay and cannot remember any that have failed - often they have looked to be bigger or healthier than I would expect from a 'professional' seller.

It allows me to get specific varieties of something. The garden centres always seem disappointing unless you go not intending to buy any plants at all - and then suddenly everything they stock seems wonderful

Regarding online plant shops I avoid Crocus because they are incredibly slow

I ordered from them a couple of weeks ago and got my (very nice) plants in 3 days! So maybe not always slow, could depend on time of year?

I have found that if there is an issue you do need to chase Crocus a bit but they do replace the plant or refund with proof and once their plant experts have had a look at the photos.

I've been very impressed with Farmer Gracy when I have ordered from them. They have a wide variety of plants, and interesting cultivars. Everything I have received from them whether bulbs or plants have been very good and well packaged.

I use Dobies of Devon (nb: not the same as Dobbies). Very good plants & packaging and some great, cheap lucky dips of the extra perennials they've got at the end of the season. As PPs have said you sometimes need to pot on, nurture the littlest ones more than expected but that's the only slight drawback.

Yes! Never ordered garden plants online but I get most of my houseplants from Mint or Patch.

Yes, but Thompson and Morgan drove me mad with despatching every item from an order on seperate days, along with about 5 emails per item.

I get that things are available at different times, but surely you can consolidate a week at a time?

Yes I do.

I find some eBay sellers who are actually small garden centres sell the best plants. I have also brought seeds on eBay in the past.

I've ordered fruit trees online from specialist tree sellers.

I tried the bigger sellers but apart from their seeds the plants aren't that good.

I order quite a bit online because our local garden centre often doesn't have what I am looking for and a variety or colour I am not keen on.
Good experience with the quality of Sarah Raven's plants overall but delivery can be tricky. Last year's dahlias arrived crushed (courier's fault but sorted by Sarah Raven), this year I am still waiting for a response from customer service about what happened with salvias apparently despatched at the beginning of the month. Love their spring bulb combinations.
David Austin for roses. Fully sustainable packaging and all roses have taken beautifully. Bare roots roses are cheaper and no worries about crushed plants.
Also love https://www.organicbulbs.com/ for bulbs.
Small (and sometimes specialist) plant nurseries on Ebay - you can find beautiful and rare plants there very inexpensively.

Only with specific things I can’t get anywhere else. Mixed results really-some have been great, but they generally much smaller than you think they’ll be!

Order online.. but from smaller privately owned nurseries that grow their own stock.. and really know their stock.
A mine of information and they will answer any questions. It is not in their interest to sell you something substandard or that wont grow where you are.

I just took delivery of what was hopefully a nice sunflower plug plant (a quite large one by the description) but all I got today was a stalk with two leaves, one broken and hanging by a thread! So have complained and sent photos to Thompson & Morgan. The plant wasn't battered in the packaging so I can only conclude it was placed in there in that state!

Can anyone care to list their recommended eBay sellers, please? I've had not so good results with the ones I've had so far (mostly plug size, but not well packaged, and dried up en route). You can DM me if you prefer. Thanks.

I don’t use eBay, so any pointers for other good sellers would be welcome, as I’ve never ordered plants before.

Truthfully you want to look at reviews and make a judgement from there. My best plugs have been from hobby growers who have glowing reviews and to be honest, have more time (and motivation) than the average nursery worker to carefully soak and tape up plugs.

I've ordered mostly herbs:
Sarah Raven - took ages and small but were fine
Kitchen Garden Plant Centre - quick and well packaged in lots of protective cardboard
Random ebay person - fine and cheaper than elsewhere. Packaging was okay but only cos they came quick (they weren't in pots, instead they were wrapped in wet paper towel at the base).

I've found Roots Plants good for hedging and fruit trees- as the name suggests they've had really healthy root balls and taken very well.

I’ve used Roots plants for fruit trees and J Parker’s for bulbs and shrubs and been happy with both. I think one thing of about 15 from J Parker’s has died, but that might well happen from anywhere, it was a wet winter and my garden is on clay.