Gardening Express Reviews

Name: Gardening Express
Address: Gardening Express, Chelmsford, Essex
Rating: 1.17

1.2 Rating 1,715 Reviews

3 %

of reviewers recommend Gardening Express

Company Reviews

Questions

Metrics

1.2

Based on 1,715 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 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

627

Anonymous

Anonymous // 01/01/2019

Filter: Rated 1 None 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Stars Helpful

“I posted a month ago about dreadful experience with this company. 3 pots of orchids, already dead upon arrival, 1 amaryllis bulb that would not sprout after two months, two dead cyclamens that lasted less than a week, and a big pot of narcissus which looked good at first but whenever it started to blossom, the pods went brown and the flowers dried up, and i was careful about watering. Rest of the order were 30 tulip bulbs, 20 daffodils bulbs and 5 hyacinth bulbs. Just when I thought at least these had sprouted, looking forward to spring flowers, I noticed the tulips which i was growing indoors were covered all over with tulip aphids, the infestation was frightening. I had no choice but to throw out all the other bulbs that had sprouted as well. My existing house plants are very healthy, i never had problems for years until these arrived, now even those plants may be in danger. I didn't bother to complain since one has to complain within two weeks of plants being delivered. In summary, my entire order from this company were not only useless, they wasted a lot of my time, emailing the company getting rude replies, cleaning up the various messes, and endangered my existing plants; and Money I could have used on a nice meal out, plus possible losses of other plants. I only wish I had seen all the reviews on this website before ordering from them.”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

“WHAT DIDN'T GO WRONG? PACKAGING FELL APART DUE TO COURIER LEAVING OUT IN RAIN. PLANT WAS SO DISAPPOINTING, NOT THE SUPERB SPECIMEN PROMISED. CHAT LINE ABSOLUTELY USELESS, OBVIOUSLY TRAINED TO REPEL CUSTOMERS ASKED FOR PTOTO AND WERE APPALLED I DON'T DO PHOTOGRAPHY. SAID IT WAS MADE CLEAR AT POINT-OF-SALE; NOT SO. SUGGESTED I RETURN PLANT, BUT COULDN'T SUGGEST ANYWAY I COULD ACHIEVE THAT WITH NO PACKAGING. ADDING INSULT TO INJURY, CHAT LINE GIRL HOPED I WOULD HAVE "SUPER" DAY. FAT CHANCE. NEVER MET SUCH RUDE, UN-HELPFUL STAFF; SHALL TELL ALL MY GARDENING FRIENDS AT THE CLUB TO AVOID AT ALL COSTS”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

“Dreadful plants, terrible customer service. Save your money shop elsewhere. I ordered two Photinia standard topiary trees. The advert stated if bought as a pair they would choose closely matching specimens. After receiving 3 damaged/defective trees and having to endure dreadful customer service, this is what I have ended up with. How this pair will ever be closely matching is beyond me.”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

“Awful company. Delivered 2 bushes squashed into a box wide enough for one. Damaged, broken containers, dehydrated. Containers put on top of the box. Had to throw them into the bin. Even cello taped them together in plastic bags. Which damaged the branches and leaves. Yodel delivered the box upside down Rubbish customer service. Not answering or helping. Never mind, won’t be using again.”

Gardening Express 1 star review on 17th February 2022

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

“bought £90 worth of plants, complained about most of them. VERY poor condition. I contacted them about the Magnolia that was dying and they tried to tell me that it was because they had gotten water on the leaves !!! Rubbish the whole plant is now DEAD. They won't give you money back even though I furnished them with photos. DON'T BUY FROM THEM IT's A CON”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

“Ordered 2 standard photinia red robbin. As per picture, there were supposed to be standard plant with round ball on the top. They used some dying normal photinia, removed leaves from the lower part and sent us calling it standard. What a fraud. I tried to claim back and they rejected saying correct plants. Clearly they knew they are doing this fraud on purpose. HORRIBLE!!”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

“Bought 2 plants from these delivery servis very bad from yodel plants hanging out of card board packages they really should have sent them single instead of taped together 5ltr pots 6f plants driver stood at my front door with plants upside down .I pointed this out to him he said if I turn it other way it will fall out after he had gone I unpacked to find plant pots smashed soil all gone just two root balls tride to get in touch no joy won't answer emails in a que for phone for to long”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

“Ordered a Daphne - left on door step in squashed box with leaves broken off and wilted leaves. Pathetic packaging and plant which looks unhealthy and dying. Definitely a complete waste of money!!!!”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

“I received an order with three dead orchids, a number of bulbs and two very unhealthy looking cyclamen. I complained about the 3 orchid as soon as i received them, and got a refund. I couldn't really tell if the bulbs are ok, until they sprout, so now after two and a half weeks the amaryllis which was quite expensive, still hasn't sprouted, i contacted them. i wasn't even asking for a refund, i wanted advice, and they dismissed me with a RHS link and told me to go away because its after the two weeks, so its no longer their problem. When I said how could they treat customers like that, especially as its a bulb, had i contacted them after a few days they would have told me to wait. They told me go ahead to report them to trading standards, Yes, that rude, but on their website, they promise a 5 year guarantee. I didn't even mention the dead cyclamens. This company blame all the dead plants on poor delivery service, ie courier, but they charge a lot for delivery, twice what I would have to pay for bigger and heavier boxes with another company like parcel force or royal mail. I mention this because even after they refunded me for the dead orchids, I have still wasted money on the delivery since the orchids were my main purchase, the bulbs were secondary, and my other main interest was amaryllis which is also dead, and the cyclamens were dead too, so i paid the delivery charge for nothing. Thankfully i only bought 1 amaryllis to test them, turns out Gardening Express really is to be avoided. The plants in my experience are extremely poor quality, they don't care about how they are delivered or if they are dead and unhealthy on arrival. And they do not look after their customers.”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

“I really don't understand how this company is still trading. I had the same experience 18 months ago! My advice to all is to call your bank and let them handle it, Barclays were great, they returned my money and contacted GE, who disputed my claim but the bank just resubmitted the complaint and we heard nothing more. Life is too short!”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

“PLEASE DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY. Received 4 orders in May 2021 - all damaged on arrival and in very poor condition / dead. Only available contact with customer services is through an online chat - sent numerous photos to them - received rude responses that we just need to 'plant them out'. Planted them all out - 7 months later 2 are completely dead and the others are nearly dead. Contacted customer services online again with new photos and response was the same 'have to leave them to grow.' Can't express how poor the service is - please don't waste your money on this terrible company.”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

“Already complained numerous times about unhealthy plant now dead of course. Too photos on arrival, planted up in hopes of fresh growth of Evergreen Winter Beauty to give them the benefit of the doubt. Miss the 14 day deadline and the 5 year deadline is meaningless. Would never use this company again. Spent over £35 on this dead plant. Customer service is appalling too. Have grown a stunning one before but that plant looked and was healthy. Avoid this company!”

Gardening Express 1 star review on 17th January 2022

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

“Unable to select 0 star for this company. Purchased Hyacinth bulbs late in the year expected them to have long shoots but not rotten. Unable to contact them, email on their web site bounced back. Do not deal with this company that's my advice.”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

“Items never delivered. There is no customer services so no chance of a refund. Please do not use these scammers I beg you. Putting money in criminals pockets.”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

“Dreadful, delivered diseased half dead plants which have now shrivelled up and have to go in the bin a week later. Cannot get through to customer services, live feed cuts you off and no other form of contact.”

Gardening Express 1 star review on 20th December 2021

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

“Christmas Trees advertised as freshly cut no more than 4 days before dispatch... I my case, this is clearly untrue. Netting removed and 4cm sawn off bottom of trunk on delivery, and put in a bucket of water in the garden for 10days, but it did not take up any water, and is now drooping and dropping needles despite being in a water resovouir stand and nowhere near a radiator. I feel that the advertising blurb is not true. There is NO WAY this tree was freshly cut and its very disappointing. The online Contact Us option is a nightmare to navigate too. I certainly won't buy again”

Gardening Express 1 star review on 18th December 2021

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

“Two weeks I ordered 3 poinsettias and clicked the option to include the pots for them. They arrived and looked nothing like what was advertised and all 3 plants were dead. I sent them photos and they said happened in transit but that just isn't possible. The soil wasn't dried out but all the red leaves just dead and fell off within a day. All now in the bin. I asked for a refund and they just refunded the plants and not the pots they arrived in nor the postage. They said I could return the pots and pay for the postage to return them and that they would not refund the original postage even if I returned the pots. So I have 3 pots that are tiny and I have no use for them other than the plants they came in and they want me to remove the plants from the pots and spend more money to post them back to get a refund for them. They want me to pay more money for the privilege of being sent dead plants. Worst customer service I have ever come across. I won't be buying anything from them again. There are much better online companies who deal with customers fairly when things go wrong. I have reported them to Trading Standards following Citizens Advice Bureau help and I suggest others do the same. When things go wrong I expect a Customer Service department to resolve the issue and not expect customers to be out of pocket for the arrival of dead plants that I have now replaced through another company. I even asked for replacements and was told they didn't have any left but they are still for sale on their website.”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

“Got a mixed bag of plants when I ordered two small cyclamens, a miniature Christmas tree, and two poinsettias - prices seemed to be reasonable and the photos and descriptions on the website were glowing. Unfortunately, due to shipping constraints at the moment, they arrived slightly late, but within the time I needed them (Christmas) so this was not too much of an issue. However, when they arrived all of the plants were significantly undersized, the cyclamens were non-flowering, the poinsettias had signs of fungal infection with some frost scorching, and the top third of the miniature Christmas tree was withered, brown, and shrunken. I was a little disappointed but was hopeful that customer service would resolve the issue. I was asked to provide detailed photos (which I did), they then said that they were "glad to see that my plants had arrived safely and in good condition". I was then informed that if I still had issues I could return my plants with no promise of replacement or refund; to be assessed in person at my expense. If you do choose to buy from Gardening Express, please be cautious - you will likely not receive a refund regardless of the quality of your plants, and that their online descriptions may be totally inaccurate. (though from other reviews I seem to be lucky to have received the plants I ordered) So, if you are self-isolating and want some fancy plants to cheer up your Christmas, look elsewhere. Merry Christmas.”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

“Only half the order was delivered. Impossible to find out from the company when, or if the non-delivered items will be sent. No prospect of a refund.”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

“Received 6 @ £1 red soggy wet poinsettias, didn’t expect much, for £1 but expected them to have red flowers. As they were for the graves at cemetery and crematorium. I could imagine what they say to me if I’d put them on their resting places. Also I paid £18.00 for Luxury pink poinsettia, but more rotten wet soggy leaves, 5 flowers on it, but one stem was broken, another stem stuck in pot no roots on it so presumed broken off and just stuck back into the dirt, so down to 3 flowers, of which all had rotten decaying leaves, looked liked they had been squashed to get it into the packing, so luxury poinsettia was no good. Also got 5 tea berry bushes, yea, wet rotted leaves again berries on all five were either on the bottom of box or rotted on bush, with exception of two which I could use, if I turned rotten part to wall. So after 4 days of trying to get someone to answer on their auto Bot, I managed to send Autumn photos of what I received, along with how they look now. Then Had a reply from Tia - nothing wrong with plants, they were dry and thirsty from their delivery! Did she not read Soggy Wet rotten leaves, they were too wet! They will pick up after a few days! I’d already Sent photos from arrival and the days after! But they are poinsettias this is their season, so I have to wait for them to get better and pick up! I wanted them for Christmas not Easter!!! But if I post them back within 14 days at my expense ( it’s took me 5 days to get through to a person, or was it a person?) So if they think I’m going to pay return postage to get plants back to them, for them to say, they are living plants so will revive given time. So you cannot have a Refund - I’m not a gardener, hence why I bought flowering plants from them! I’m not going to waste more good money on anything else from this company. But it could probably an automated message again, about plants and no refund, otherwise why would anyone with any amount of common sense tell me the plants were dry and thirsty from the packing and delivery journey, when I’d said all the way thru, the plants were wet soggy rotten/rotted leaves and flowers. Yes they may pick up, and have some resemblance of a plant, but not in time for Christmas. So I’m advising all my friends and family to never shop with GardeningExpress. I’d rather give my money to charity. As for their customer support, it was. Auto Bot, who then put you thru to next available assistant, but then it seemed to go to auto again after sending photos. My actual questions I was asking didn’t get answered, when I said Autumn are you there? Have you got the photos? So I think the service person is there but as soon as you start loading photos they go to someone else get them to auto input photos, I signed off it after wait 16 minutes with no reply from anyone. After trying to get thru again I notice a red circle with a number on it by the chat purple button. That’s when I got message from Tia saying plants alive no refund, if I don’t like answer I can send them back at my expense etc. so still not actually spoke to a person who answered a direct question. Straight back to me.”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

Gardening Express is rated 1.2 based on 1,715 reviews