Gardening Express Reviews

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

1.2 Rating 1,711 Reviews

4 %

of reviewers recommend Gardening Express

Company Reviews

Questions

Metrics

1.2

Based on 1,711 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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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

“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 16 hours 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 day 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 2 days 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 week 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.”

Gardening Express 1 star review on 6th April 2025

Helpful Report

Posted 1 week 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 week 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”

Gardening Express 1 star review on 6th March 2025

Helpful Report

Posted 1 month 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.”

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Posted 1 month ago

“half the plants I ordered arrived dead. I got in touch with customer services who werent happy with the photos I sent and wanted more photos sending. I tried to send more photos and the email was "undeliverable". I had to then send them through their message service and heard nothing back. They completely ignored my messages and I'm left with dead plants that are only good for the bin. DONT buy from this company. The plants are just hanging on for dear life at best and their customer service is none existent”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 months ago

“I ordered five ivy plants but the quality of the plants was poor. I emailed their customer services but they’re unwilling now to assist as I wrote an online review about my experience. A copy worth avoiding as they’re not interested in customer satisfaction.”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 months ago

“Plant specimens inferior to pictures advertised. Rubbish company with appalling customer services with inferior overpriced products and NO chance of a refund from them.”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 months ago

“3 out of 4 roses arrived dead. Gardening Express refused to give a refund. Would not recommend will not be using again.”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 months ago

“Gardening Express is a disreputable company. I sent customer services some photos (below) of the appalling condition my plants arrived in. Sarah replied to ask me to re-send them. I sent them again and she said I would have to send a photo of each plant (all 18!). If only Gardening Express put half as much effort into carefully packaging orders instead of avoiding admitting their mistake and taking responsibility.”

Gardening Express 1 star review on 28th October 2024

Helpful Report

Posted 5 months ago

“Plants arrived dead - company refuses to refund my payment. They want the plants sending back at my expense. Do not use this company”

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Posted 5 months ago

“Just received 2 x Mahona nitens Caberet - Orange. Very disappointed. The plants bear no resemblence to the images on the website. They have a central 'leggy' stem with a few leaves at the top. They are definitely not shrubs and will not grow into them. Have bought from Gardening Express previously with no problem but the quality of these plants is so poor I will not use them again.”

Helpful Report

Posted 6 months ago

“The experience was the worst. We ordered a lot, and plants came all damaged, almost dead, some branches with few leaves - horrible. We emailed a support team sending images but got an answer that they are not going to replace anything saying it’s all fine. We had to buy from the other garden centre and paid twice at the end. Never order from them”

Helpful Report

Posted 6 months ago

“Sent me dead trees and refusing to give me a refund”

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Posted 7 months ago

“DONT BUY FROM THEM It would be a minus if I possibly could! I sent for four plants - two of which arrived in a really bad state, (the other two were ok - but not great). The Acer tree which was hardly alive - I immediately emailed customer service with photos and was told I should leave it a week or two - well that’s what I did and it died - I’ve contacted them again and apparently it’s my fault as I didn’t repot it!!! It did not need repotting and as I have a large collection of Acers I know what I’m talking about. They may just as well have said Hard Luck we don’t give a damn - I see there are no good reviews on here - I wish I’d check led the reviews before ordering.”

Helpful Report

Posted 7 months ago

“Plants did not arrive in the best condition. Completed the on line form to advise them. No acknowledgement, no response. Plants died few months later and cost of returning makes it nonsensical! Be wary of doing business with this company.”

Helpful Report

Posted 7 months ago

“I have bought a few sets of bare root trees this spring. Many of them arrived in poor conditions looking more like sticks with few twigs, no leaves and no or dry buds. The price promise and guarantees on their website, promised that the trees will awake and start to grow; and if not, the customer service will replace or refund them. A few months later, all the same - the trees did not start to grow. I contacted the customer service and sent them proofs, but I was told that because I bough trees as sets and their code started with DEAL..., they were not covered. Total scum as their website does not say that anywhere and the sets are still expensive, in my opinion. Be aware that "deals" may mean dead trees and no refund. I spent about £170 pounds and received mostly dry sticks that have not started to grow. I lot of money lost.”

Gardening Express 1 star review on 2nd September 2024

Helpful Report

Posted 7 months ago

Gardening Express is rated 1.2 based on 1,711 reviews