Gardening Express Reviews

Name: Gardening Express
Address: Gardening Express, Chelmsford, Essex
Rating: 1.16

1.2 Rating 1,723 Reviews

3 %

of reviewers recommend Gardening Express

Company Reviews

Questions

Metrics

1.2

Based on 1,723 reviews

Shipping & Delivery
Delivery Methods	Courier
Average Delivery Time	Over A Month
On-time Delivery	Greater than 16%
Accurate And Undamaged Orders	Greater than 31%
Customer Service
Communication Channels	Email, Live Chat, Telephone
Queries Resolved In	Over A Week
Customer Service	1.1 out of 5
Returns & Refunds
Refunds Process	Difficult
Returns Process	Could Be Better

Phone:

08448 044 253

Location:

Gardening Express, Chelmsford
Essex
CM1 4UA

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Gardening Express 1 star review on 24th May 2025

Mrs Jill CROSS

Gardening Express 1 star review on 6th April 2025

Anonymous

Gardening Express 1 star review on 6th March 2025

Anonymous

Gardening Express 1 star review on 28th October 2024

Mark Ramsden

Gardening Express 1 star review on 2nd September 2024

Olga

628

Anonymous

Anonymous // 01/01/2019

Sort by: Most Recent Most Recent Highest Rated Filter: None None 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Stars Helpful

“SHATTERED ELUSION! I have had my confidence in this company shattered. I’ve ordered, over a period of time, plants and shrubs where the quality has been good. However, my recent purchase of a special offer of three Acers at a discount price was a big mistake. One of the Acers was almost dead., it now is! The ‘deal’ cost me £40+ ( including postage)….I have contacted the company who have responded twice, one auto conversation and one direct with the company. I was asked to send photographs (which I did) and, now, nothing! I have tried, several times, to get a response, NOTHING! I shan’t deal with this company again. Actually, I’ve found plants, trees and shrubs cheaper at my local nursery and I can ‘see’ what I’m buying. Be aware!”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 days ago

“I ordered three bare root birch trees last autumn. It’s now May and still no sign of life. Completely dead. Sent photos and asked for refund in line with their ‘five year no quibble guarantee’. Told to check again to see if trees were alive. Then told to return at my expense. I have zero faith in actually getting my money back. I think Trading Standards need to investigate this company.”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 days ago

“Ordered 10 established and diverse garden plants on offer for £29 they state should have been £79 they arrived in a terrible state not established and not what I would consider diverse one of the plants they sell on there website for £1.00 3 of the plants are all the same I contacted there customer service I got a initial reply asking for photos of which I sent and then absolutely nothing I would not recommend anyone to use this company”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 days ago

“No delivery no refund and no response. I’ve logged it as fraud with my bank”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 days ago

“I order and paid for plants 1st May. They arrived 16th of May. Box crushed, plants damaged and some dead. Customer service very poor. Spend your money with a different online company. There was nothing express about my order. I sent photos but their only response was to ask for more. Still waiting for a reply.”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 days ago

“1 star – Unacceptable delay and poor communication I placed an order with Garden Express on the 5th of May and, as of today (over 16 working days later), I have still not received a clear update or my delivery. The tracking information has remained vague and unhelpful throughout, and I have no idea whether the order is even on its way. What’s most disappointing is the lack of proper customer support. Despite multiple follow-ups, I’ve received no meaningful response—just generic messages with no real resolution. For a company that deals in time-sensitive items like plants, this level of service is simply unacceptable. I’ve now had to demand either a full refund or a guaranteed delivery within 24 hours, and have asked for the matter to be escalated to a supervisor. This has been a frustrating and disappointing experience from start to finish. I would not recommend Garden Express to anyone”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 days ago

“I ordered two standard roses in February. It’s now nearly the end of May and they look very poor. No growth and some dead branches at the top. GE make it difficult to complain. I have sent bark test photos and photos of the roses but they keep sending the same message about sending photos. Really fed up as I gave them a great review not so long ago. I would like a credit note but don’t think it’s going to happen. They have taken themselves off Resolver which are usually so helpful but obviously are having lots of complaints”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 week ago

“Can only agree with all the poor reviews , the Acer I ordered was a spindly stick , refund if I I send it back at my expense and with original label , they are an absolute disgrace of a company , do not buy from them !!”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 weeks ago

“Plants ordered easily, they took roughly 2 weeks to arrive (as indicated). Unfortunately, the packaging was an oversized, ripped cardboard box with 2 plants inside. The box ripped in transit (we assume), and was clearly battered. The plants inside were on top of each other with broken stalks, and we do not believe that - even with proper care- they will survive. We contacted customer service for a resolution (we simply wanted the plants replaced by healthy plants). Levi responded and was pleasant and apologetic (except for insisting that the plants ought to survive with proper care, which was a little insulting to gardeners with more than half a century of experience), but entirely without any decision making ability beyond a £10 partial refund. This means that we are left with plants which are unlikely to bloom in future, and have paid handsomely for the privilege of nursing them to a fairly certain future (the rubbish bin). Several issues: -1. Packaging was not suitable. The box was far too big, and poorly constructed. We have regularly ordered from other sites (eg. Farmer Gracy) and have come to expect reasonably robust packaging. -2. The courier service (Yodel) clearly didn't take the necessary care of the package, and allowed the plants to be tossed around in the back of a van, possibly upside down, resulting in a completely torn box and broken plants. -3. The customer service agent needs to be empowered to replace plants like-for-like in events like this. We didn't want a refund. We wanted healthy plants. We would have accepted a full refund, but this was not forthcoming either. As it is, we have paid for shoddy products and service. Very, very poor.”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 weeks ago

“Absolute scam of a company. Sent dead plants to us. Sent an email asking for a refund. Returned email said I needed clearer photos. Sent clearer photos. Ignored for a few days. Another email send asking for a reply. Returned email gave a mumbo jumbo answer about the plants not being dead and expertly grown. Sent another email asking for a refund. Returned email stated that they needed 'proof' that it was dead. Still refusing to take the return. Sending emails to trading standards. Scam company. Do not buy from them!”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 weeks ago

“This is the third order I’ve had from gardening express unfortunately as I’ve booked it over a bank holiday it took a long time to come. It arrived today and most of the plants are so dry which needed water and some had been cut off at source because there was hardly anything left on the plant. Never again when I ever buy from this company absolute joke total waste of £60. I could’ve gone to Sainsbury’s and got the same amount of plants for £30. and got nectar points.”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 weeks ago

“Received damaged plants after a massive delay. Then they refused to replace or refund. Just leave me with damaged plants. When i insisted they sent me a return form but told me to pay for the return courier cost. Ridiculous company without any no form of responsibility”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 month ago

“Shocking service so far. I'm a commercial gardener and i thought id give this company a go. So far haven't dispatched my order nor given me any means of contacting them so i can know when my order will arrive.”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 month ago

“Very disappointed The plant they sent was not the one in the website photo and customer support just insisted it was a slightly different variety. I ordered a Photinia 'Volcano' Red Robin as per the photo with smooth leaves but they sent a Magical Volcano variety with serrated leaves and Customer Support just said If you were wanting the standard Red Robin with smooth leaves, I would suggest to order the standard red robin and not the Volcano variety. they would do nothing.”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 month ago

“£66 for an ugly diseased twig from their bargain bucket, that arrived after their latest estimate. No customer support contact number and would have to pay a third the money to return it. Absolute rip off but unfortunately this poor review will get lost with all the other poor reviews. Spent less money at a local garden centre for a decent replacement.”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 month ago

“Supposedly dark green Portuguese laurel hedging plants have turned up bright yellow!! Completely patronising customer services advise me they will turn dark green in time- somehow I doubt it. I will never use this company again and would advise others likewise.”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 month ago

“Bunch of cowboys. Supplied pillar fruit trees that they'd pruned the main trunk 18 inches from the ground causing them to bush! Customer service suggest they will grow into a pillar and their so called experts say the same. Obviously they have no idea how trees grow and blame me for not training the branches, to replace the main trunk they cut! Waste of money and this company is a waste of space.”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 month ago

“Don’t waste your time Ordered x6 pairs of bamboo and took an age to be delivered. Only x3 pairs arrived initially and some of these were in really poor condition. The same can be said of the remaining x3 pairs which did arrive a few days later but I think may have been left in a warehouse/van somewhere. Message customer services and had to send detailed pictures of every single plant to which their response was that they were fine and could be revived! They look absolutely nothing like the picture on website (miles off in fact!) and have yellow and crispy leaves. I certainly won’t be purchasing from them again and although local garden centre more expensive at least your supporting local business and the plants you get aren’t half dead.”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 month ago

“Extremely Disappointed with Gardening Express I had a terrible experience with Gardening Express. I ordered plants expecting them to arrive in good condition, but they were completely damaged upon delivery. When I reported the issue, it took them over two days to respond—an unacceptably slow customer service experience. Instead of offering a refund or replacement, they blamed the delivery process and told me to plant the damaged plants anyway. How could I plant something that was clearly unusable and could have potentially been asked to be returned? Their response was dismissive and completely unhelpful. Worst customer service I’ve ever experienced—no accountability, no proper resolution, just excuses. I will never buy from Gardening Express again, and I highly advise others to avoid this company. ORDER 700591718”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 months ago

“Plants arrived dead. Packaging terrible. They took 3 weeks to deliver. Bad customer service. Treat you like an idiot. No telephone number you can contact.”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 months ago

Gardening Express is rated 1.2 based on 1,723 reviews