Gardening Express Reviews

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

1.2 Rating 1,790 Reviews

3 %

of reviewers recommend Gardening Express

Company Reviews

Questions

Metrics

1.2

Based on 1,790 reviews

Shipping & Delivery
Delivery Methods	Courier
Average Delivery Time	Over A Month
On-time Delivery	Greater than 16%
Accurate And Undamaged Orders	Greater than 30%
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 2nd September 2025

Varese

Gardening Express 1 star review on 24th July 2025

Anonymous

Gardening Express 1 star review on 27th June 2025

Anonymous

635

Anonymous

Anonymous // 01/01/2019

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

“July 2021 - My first order with Gardening Express I ordered 16 plants and when they arrived they were dreadful The plants are old plants pass their best with brown tips to the leaves, only a few flowers across all 16 plants and lots of dead flower heads - they are nothing like the description – “Supplied in approx 9cm pots covered in buds and blooms in season”. Their online reply suggested I "water the plants thoroughly (they were not dry – but I have done) and plant them out somewhere with adequate shelter and they should perk up with no problem". Also said "It is sometimes the case that plants turn up slightly dried out and with superficial damage, but this is a risk of sending plants through the post, as you can imagine I'm sure". This had got nothing to do with posting them - these are old plants that have been left to dry out in the past and should not have been supplied to a customer. They were all crammed into one box using 8 plastic carrier bags in total - not very environmentally friendly.”

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Posted 4 years ago

“Ordered 2 acer plants and a few other plants. They all looked lovely on the website but when the plants arrived both acers were dried out and leaves falling off. Eventually got through to customer services to be told give them a couple of weeks to revive! They never revived, I eventually sent them back for a refund, which I'm currently still waiting in”

Gardening Express 1 star review on 17th July 2021

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Posted 4 years ago

“Awful company, nightmare to contact and dispatch is weeks not days and if ask to not deliver while away , or cancel , will not help”

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Posted 4 years ago

“will never use Gardening Express for my plants shopping in the future. First experience was awful. I made two orders worth about 185 pounds plants. They sent the frail plants which were dying. Late delivery, poor customer service, not accepted to send the replacement of some plants which were in extremely poor condition. I would rather go to local garden centre and buy much cheaper and fresher plants. Very disappointed with Gardening Express.”

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Posted 4 years ago

“So disappointed with the plants I received from Gardening Express. Delivery took 2 weeks and I don't know how they have the nerve to send out plants in that condition. In fact I don't actually know how they get plants to look as bad as that in the middle of the growing season e.g. a couple of standard salix trees which were heavily hacked back but with bits of old growth as well, mis-shapen, curled up dead leaves etc. Just awful looking. Also bought a young conifer that had a big bare/dead patch. Other plants and shrubs were similar. Avoid like the plague. They have zero quality control and will send you any old rubbish.”

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Posted 4 years ago

“Terrible service. Have now been waiting for over two weeks and impossible to chase them as everyone else is in the same position”

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Posted 4 years ago

“Absolute con, rotten bulbs sent and they don't want to know. Customer service is well over an hours wait on live chat too, no phone number!”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“Poor Quality Plants, Non-Existent Customer Service & Worthless Guarantee I find it illuminating that Gardening Express feels the need to bolster their reputation, and refute the very many ‘negative’ reviews offered here (and elsewhere) by customers dissatisfied with their plant quality and poor customer service. In my experience, like that of many others who have taken the time to write of their experience, I found Gardening Express' offering best summed up as ‘Poor Quality Plants, Non-Existent Customer Service & Worthless Guarantee’. To claim that their net promoter score suggests that mine and other reviews are motivated by anything other than customer dissatisfaction is revealing in itself. Like others have said the plants I received today (only my second order with GE) arrived in an extremely poor condition, diseased, dead (or dying). Described on their website as 'in bud or blooming' is flagrantly misleading and false. The plants delivered can, in no way, be described as in bud and/or blooming. Thy are simply dead, dying or possibly diseased. To raise my concern via GE ‘chat’ function on their website resulted in a 20 minute wait and then as soon as I began ‘chatting and made clear my concerns’ the agent ended the chat… not just the once but twice. My recommendation is twofold… firstly do not waste you time nor money with Gardening Express as their product is inferior and customer service is inadequate. Secondly, do let your gardening friends know about your poor experience. It is only through customer pressure (and dwindling revenues) that companies like Gardening Express can learn from their customers. To justify the delays on Covid and blame the delays for the poor quality is unacceptable. In summary: poor customer service, poor quality products and lack of accountability and responsibility… a worthless guarantee too!”

Gardening Express 1 star review on 14th July 2021

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Posted 4 years ago

“Delivery very late. Both roses on their last legs and since died despite my using rootgrow and feeding them. Multiple attempts to complain, online 'chat' managed by robot with messages that do not help at all, wait for a human between 1 and 2 hours and they cancel the chat almost immediately. I emailed them, they ignored it, no response 10 days later. I left comments on their FB page, they deleted them and changed all their posts to share only. I sent 2 separate messages via messenger, both ignored. I started a complaint using resolver. So far I have had 3 automatic replies, all standard stock answers and all identical. I've left negative review on Trustpilot, where their only positive reviews are 'invited' which means 'bought'. In a nutshell; they are crooks, they are scamming people. They put lovely photos on their website but they bear no relation to the plants you will receive. They send dead plants and then ignore you, making it impossible to complain to a human being. Don't waste your money buying from this company, pay a little more and buy from a reputable company where you are likely to actually receive the live plants you ordered. Despite my saying they did not respond to my query for more than a week, in fact they have still not responded at all!! TERRIBLE COMPANY, NO CUSTOMER SUPPORT. AVOID!!!”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“Terrible service, misleading advert advising 5 day dispatch when knowing it is more likely 15 to 28 Working days, then does not accept cancelled orders, you have to pay to return your order with 14 days of receiving, that's if you ever get the refund, best to avoid the hassle,”

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Posted 4 years ago

“I had a bad experience with this company during the last lockdown, but decided to give them the benefit of the doubt and ordered again last month. Out of the four plants I ordered, two were very small and poor quality, one already shedding leaves. They were unable to fulfill one item due to “quality concerns”. The packaging was really bashed about and badly damaged on receipt which I wouldn’t expect with a £5 postage fee. I’d avoid this company like the plague and reading these reviews, can’t believe they’re still trading.”

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Posted 4 years ago

“Gardening Express is an absolutely appalling company. I paid £199.99 for a mature magnolia tree on 30th May and the money was taken from my bank account on 1st June. When I ordered the tree the website gave a 3-5 day delivery time but the tree wasn’t delivered until 21st June and was in a terrible condition. Gardening Express agreed that the tree was damaged in transit but are refusing to give me a refund unless I return the tree at my own cost. I have explained to them that they are contravening the Consumer Rights Act 2015 but they just don’t care. I shall be reporting them to Trading Standards and applying to the Small Claims Court to recover my cost. Gardening Express I would avoid them at all costs, please read all the online reviews before you buy”

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Posted 4 years ago

“I ordered two red Cordylines which not only took nearly three weeks to reach me but were the poorest, pathetic specimens I have ever seen! Half dead leaves (dried up and wizened) so they must have been despatched in that way. For £20 plus postage it’s a joke! Never again!”

Gardening Express 1 star review on 12th July 2021

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Posted 4 years ago

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Posted 4 years ago

“Absolute rubbish Poor quality nothing like what was advertised,can’t contact anyone to resolve this surprisingly Very bad for the price I paid they should be ashamed of themselves. £175 waisted 😥”

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Posted 4 years ago

“Just had the worst online experience with a company called GARDENINGEXPRESS. The eneacheas I purchased from them have been eaten by a big they delivered to my home in Cheltenham. I also had the same plants delivered to a friend Huddersfield. The same thing happened, the plants got eaten. The only way to can complain is on a chat line. I spent 2 hours yesterday and no one responded and an hour today. I sent photo graphs and they responded by saying they could see nothing detrimental to the plants. They then asked me to dig up the plants and return them. That’s when I blew my top. My advice is never do business with GARDENINGEXPRESS. £50 down the drain!!”

Gardening Express 1 star review on 10th July 2021

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Posted 4 years ago

“I bought a fairly expensive magnolia tulip tree from Gardening Express. When I received it, I soaked overnight, planted in good compost and watered regularly. No growth, no sign of buds opening. I contacted Gardening Express who advised that the tree was dormant when received since it had been in cold store. I waited for several weeks for the tree to come into bud as advised, but nothing happened. Contacted gardening express again but was now told the tree was dead, and I couldn’t claim under the warranty as that had to be done within two receipt of the tree. How am I expected to discern within 14 days that a bare root tree that is supposedly dormant is in fact dead? I gave the tree full TLC, planted it in good compost, checked it every day and watered regularly. The warranty is valueless. I shall not be purchasing any more plants from Gardening Express.”

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Posted 4 years ago

“Received a bare rooted tree which turned out to be a stick and remained a stick. They would do nothing about it. When you look at their reviews there are many saying exactly the same thing. Beginning to realise that they are a scam company”

Gardening Express 1 star review on 9th July 2021

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Posted 4 years ago

“Items turned up half dead and with about 2 years of moss/algae on top. Described as ‘Pair of Beautiful French Lavender Trees’ - strange business plan, I assume they don’t expect repeat business. Would never use again.”

Gardening Express 1 star review on 8th July 2021

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Posted 4 years ago

“I purchased a bare root quince tree for nearly £30 in May. The plant arrived bone dry and looking dead, but the advice sheet said that was normal. And that there was a guarantee as some plants fail. We planted and watered as per instructions, waited a few weeks- nothing. In early July I scraped back some bark as per the instructions and found it dead underneath. I contacted customer services to be told that this plant is exempt from their guarantee and I had had it for too long- BECAUSE WE WERE WAITING FOR IT TO ESTABLISH!!! DO NOT BUY UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. We will be applying for charge back via our credit card for faulty goods”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

Gardening Express is rated 1.2 based on 1,790 reviews