Beware of Sarah Raven

[Cr01ssant55]

They are sending out plants that aren’t those ordered without informing customers , they’re impossible to contact and don’t reply when you do. Lots of issues online with quality too.

Im actually really shocked with what they’re getting away with. I have two sets of plants that are absolutely not what I ordered and others I’m questioning. I complained re one set weeks ago and they haven’t replied. They’re impossible to contact. Went online and found loads of disgruntled customers with really poor plants pictured.

I ordered an expensive garden tool as a birthday present for a family member and it took six weeks to arrive—a month after the birthday itself. No warning when I placed the order or apology. I could have ordered the tool cheaper on Amazon, but wanted to support what I thought was a small business. Customer services and online tracking were both useless. Never again!

In the last week I’ve had 6 lavender plants from them and 3 marjoram, exactly as ordered and they arrived about 10 days after I ordered. All good.

The cultivars I wanted are not available in any local garden centre

I ordered Asiodontea 'El Rayo' and it wasn't correct. I did get a refund. Commenting on their FB ads seems to get the quickest response. Also ordered plug plants for a client which were late and shockingly bad. Need to find another supplier of small quantities of tall, single colour annuals for cutting. I raise most from seed but just don't have time and space to do all of them.

Have you emailed them? I have and always received a prompt response. Try the CEO, [email protected]
You have some very valuable feedback for them.

How weird! It was the reverse for me with FG - most bare roots were fine except for the eryngium and echinacea which just came to nothing. So disappointed as I’ve never grown these before.

Their dahlias have been beautiful though especially the cafe au lait royal and the Hapet Frambo, which go well with the deep purple salvia from Sarah Raven.

Overall, I’ve been fairly happy with my online purchases although disappointed when something doesn’t work out.

The thread has moved on, this was in response to @Pebblypusscat

Here’s some discount codes I found recently for lots of online garden shops. Some are only valid this month but I hope it helps someone, especially those of you who were burnt by Sarah Raven!

Codes

Big fan of Farmer Gracy. Here is a Dinnerplate Dahlia from them last year. It required twice weekly doses of tomato feed but oh boy was it worth it!! 🌸

Big fan of Farmer Gracy. Here is a Dinnerplate Dahlia from them last year. It required twice weekly doses of tomato feed but oh boy was it worth it!! 🌸

Thankyou, I’ll try that email.

That is stunning! 😮

I’ve unsubscribed from both SR and Farmer Gracy this year so I won’t get sucked back in by their tempting emails. Both have been bad for me for the last 2 years despite having used them regularly before that.

I've bought some of my plants online, often through Thompson and Morgan, or sometimes from fruit bush sellers on eBay. It meant that I could choose the exact varieties that I wanted (to fill the space that I had, and varieties of certain heights), and I couldn't find them in the local (tiny) independent garden centre. The supermarket often sells the same varieties as the garden centre, and they're a lot cheaper!

I've had great success with Suttons online delivery, and they usually have great offers. I bought a whole load of tiny lavender plants, and I mean tiny, and the only reason some didn't survive is because I didn't plant them up straight away and they dried up. Ditto with some peonies which I should have planted into pots so they could get growing before planting out.

@Yamadori It is a little bit short sighted to say you can't understand why people buy online and don't go to garden centres. There are all sorts of reasons, from disability to not having the transport or even having the garden centres nearby in the first place. The reason I prefer to order online is the availability of specific type, as I can't always find the plants I am looking for at our local GC. But, I love going to the GC just to look at all the wonderful plants.

I'm really surprised about the negative comments about SR plants. Last year and this year I ordered plants in their early summer sale with 40 to 60% off, ordered around 30 plants this year in 9 cm, 1 litre and 2 litre pots, lots of different perennials and shrubs, all came very well packaged, healthy plants, exactly the varieties I'd ordered, which have all thrived, I was as pleased with the quality of the plants as I have been with Crocus and RHS.
I find their bulbs expensive though, so I look at their website for colour and combination inspiration and then order from J Parker, I've had fabulous displays with their bulbs.

Some people have been ok with their orders, I’m one too but it seems there’s an increasing number of disgruntled customers.

Looks like ownership is changing

https://www.gardenforum.co.uk/news/company/sarah-raven-buys-back-sarahraven-com/

I’m really limited in choice where I live of garden centres so if I want something specific I have to order online. Im also limited in which on line retailers will deliver, rhs was fantastic but they have stopped delivering here. I’ve found Thompson and Morgan pretty reliable, though a friend has stopped ordering from them as she found them so unreliable. Sarah Raven is hit and miss, fantastic nicotania plug plants this year and then some herbs that were really poor.

I wonder if some of it is the peat free compost?

The article on SR above looks interesting but I can't read it. I'll try and locate the story elsewhere.

I think that peat free is causing a lot of problems, but rising costs for energy and staff are also a factor for British growers, and we are getting smaller weedier plants for the same, or higher, prices.

The Dutch growers are still using peat, but they are researching alternatives.

I have found peat free particularly challenging this dry summer, and have had so many failures I've completely given up my cutting garden this year.

thedirt.news/sarahraven-com-acquired-by-founder-sarah-raven/

interesting. I think this is the article linked to above.

Oh for crying out loud. For anyone who CAN, ie: most people, then it is far better to go to a garden centre than to order online as you can see what you are getting. Is that better?

Still think it’s shorted sighted to say that most people can. I have to drive 20 min each way to my nearest garden centre that’s decent.
Homebase was taken over by the Range and the one near me doesn’t have much of a range of plants.
First time this year buying bare root plants online and probably wouldn’t have got the things I wanted from the Range so generally satisfied with online.

And if I didn’t have a car there’s no public transport to the GC that’s 20 min away.