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

Write Your review

Tell us how Gardening Express made you happy

Minimum 10 characters

Would you like to add a photos or videos?

Strengthen your review by uploading photos & videos.

Drag files here or browse

(Supported files: jpg, png, mpeg, ogg, mp4 & webm)

What's your name?

Leave this blank if you'd like to publish your review anonymously.

(Optional)

What's your email?

We need your email address to verify that your review is genuine

Please note that we may share your email with the company to verify your order.

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

“Similar to the other tales of dead and diseased plants and the same response. I spent around £250 on plants and all of them were rotting and small. I got my bank to return the money I paid and reported them as a scam, which from the amount of people they con, I believe they are. So get in touch with your bank and say you have been scammed and hopefully you will get your money back too.”

Helpful Report

Posted 9 months ago

“Truly appalled by the exceptionally… Truly appalled by the exceptionally poor service received. In 2023 I added some hydrangeas to a large border in my garden and this year decided to add more, 2 months ago I ordered exactly the same colour and variety and it arrived 2 weeks later and was subsequently planted. I decided 3 weeks ago to add 1 more- same colour and variety of hydrangea at a cost of £39.99, as well as ordering other items. The plant arrived yesterday, rather than being a dark ruby red it was pink, the leaves were also a different colour to my other hydrangeas, when I looked at the pot there was no label and the pot was different to the one my previous labelled hydrangea came in. I immediately contacted the company, sending photos of planted bed, last months order and yesterdays received order and both pots. Either the person in CS doesn't bother to read complaints or can't understand English. They have said there is nothing wrong as the pot photo shows the correct item....durrr... obviously not bothered to read, and they have sent me a form to fill in to return the plant at MY EXPENSE... This year alone I have seen around £600 with GE and only today noticed there is no telephone number to call to discuss Date of experience: 05 July 2024”

Helpful Report

Posted 9 months ago

“Plants arrived my clematis was broken and leaves dead on one side , my rose bush is completely dead , I emailed them told to do a bark test which shows its brown under so dead too , really not very happy these plants I will not be using them again and will go back to garden centers instead”

Helpful Report

Posted 9 months ago

“The plant they delivered was in poor shape and smaller than they advertised (even the label on it showed it was a smaller specimen) - apparently that label is for convenience and they are allowed +-20% on claimed sizes. I also ordered two bags of their famous compost on an offer, only one arrived and their fictitious customer service lady is refusing to reply to any of my chasing emails. They are at best incompetent but at worst its a con company selling plants that no good gardening centre would display. Never use them!!”

Gardening Express 1 star review on 3rd July 2024

Helpful Report

Posted 9 months ago

“Flamingo tree arrived dead and crushed. Other plants was all snapped and broken but also look like weeds. Rubbish customer service. Rude and dismissive when I contacted them. They blame post but clearly the tree was not healthy when posted. They send you rubbish via post and blame the post. I will Never recommend or buy from again. Be very careful ordering from this rubbish scam company.”

Helpful Report

Posted 9 months ago

“Awful customer service. I'm convinced they don't even have one”

Helpful Report

Posted 9 months ago

“I bought a walnut tree from you on the 23rd of May. I contacted you last week to say the tree is dead. It was dead on arrival by the look of it. It wasn’t delivered till the end of May so that makes it less than a month that I’ve had this tree, I’m told you can’t do anything for me. Basically you’re saying too bad we got your money and you’ve got it dead tree from us. I think it’s absolutely disgusting. Take peoples money. I’m sending them dead tree”

Helpful Report

Posted 9 months ago

“Sent out dead fruit trees. 1 out of 5 has shown any sign of life. Customer service don’t want to know even though their own bare root guarantee covers things like this. Proper rogue firm this one. Avoid!!!”

Helpful Report

Posted 9 months ago

“You sent a plant out that looks like it has been eaten by slugs. Sent you a photo. You replied it’s fine very bad customer service you don’t appear to care about a loyal customer. Just send out standard reply. Only complaint is about the plant placed on the paperwork”

Gardening Express 1 star review on 23rd June 2024

Helpful Report

Posted 9 months ago

“As per other reviews, I received tiny plants. See picture attached. It measures 15cm and is advertised as 50-70cm with plants in the pictures 3 times bigger. Their website shows big plans and good reviews only. I left my bad reviews as others did and they are now shown. That’s so sad. please don’t buy from them, you may be disappointed.”

Helpful Report

Posted 9 months ago

“Same as other folk, they show you a photograph of plants that look superb but what you get are scrawny specimens that would not sell at a quarter the price in a garden centre sell off.”

Helpful Report

Posted 10 months ago

“Terrible services!! Never received my order and money back !!”

Helpful Report

Posted 10 months ago

“I order two Large Salix Flamingo plans at £39.90 plus £6.99 delivery What I expected was 2 full tall plants of 90 to 1.2m high, which was described in garden express’s website However when it arrived there were two 20cm Salix branches sitting on top of two plans sticks instead This is so disappointed and missed leading, I am buying the full plans and not a grafting cut of 20cm Also there’s some small branches that were broken And to return this I have to pay for shipping. I certainly will not order anymore from Garden Express and warn people to be careful of what they are buying before paying for it.”

Helpful Report

Posted 10 months ago

“I contacted you about 2 plants with frost damage for which you refunded me! I had to contact you about 2 clematis Montana which looked dead I was told they needed to climatitize.!! They were planted out in fertile soil still dead no growth budding anything. Dont sell half dead plants these were not You would not replace or refund I will not be buying from you again or advising anyone else to either .”

Helpful Report

Posted 10 months ago

“As I was happy with my first order of Ilex Crenata, I ordered a further 25 of them to continue the hedging. However they looked like a different variety to my first order so I queried this with them. Despite photos and evidence that the two orders were different varieties (ie labels on some of the pots) they would not accept this and told me I could return them for a refund, although I would have to pay the postage. I’m not really able to package up 25 plants and don’t see why the onus should be on me to do so, as it is clearly their error. There is no phone number so you can’t discuss your queries with a person and the email responses are very automated and slow, perhaps AI generated as they don’t respond to specific questions. Hopefully the reviews will stop unsuspecting potential customers.”

Helpful Report

Posted 10 months ago

“Took longer than the estimated shipping time. One plant was definitely NOT as described. Made a complaint, sent photos and more photos when they requested, heard nothing else since then. Crappy and shoddy customer service from a company who wants your money but quite happy to illegally describe items (will be starting legal proceedings just to prove a point to them). End of the day, I'm an average Joe giving them my hard earned money and got taken for a fool. Try grasslands, crocus etc because it's worth giving genuine traders your money but these cowboys. No doubt they may reply to this review knowing I can't respond again, or ask for it to be removed but they won't rectify the issue!. Maybe they can take me to court for being liable although I've more evidence in my favor and then taking me to court will save me money.”

Helpful Report

Posted 10 months ago

“Raven zz plant arrived and looked okay but after a couple of weeks I noticed that the soil hadn't dried up at all, so I repotted it. When I did most of the roots had gone rotten, with a rotten rhizome too. I went to work sorting the roots out and reporting in fresh soil and got in touch with customer service who refused to do anything. Apparently because the two weeks had passed to return it, its rough. I've queried it but been told they recommend you repot the plants when they arrive (which plant parents know shouldn't be done) so they aren't going to do anything. Terrible customer service, avoid!!”

Helpful Report

Posted 10 months ago

“Delivered dead trees and apparently no guarantee so DO NOT BUY FROM THIS COMPANY”

Helpful Report

Posted 10 months ago

“Be prepared to be disappointed when the plants eventually arrive. I spent over £100 with Gardening express and when the plants eventually arrived 2 weeks later it was a guess as to what plant was what, no identification on the pots that were crushed and only a twig sticking out of the top. a few leaves sprouting out of the soil or broken stems, ferns were very poor quality as were the mixed collection of Heuchera's. that mostly seemed to be red lightening. The only plants that were in good condition but very dry was the trailing ivy. avoid gardening express they sell poor quality plants at premium prices. wish I'd read the reviews before I spent my money with them.”

Helpful Report

Posted 10 months ago

“Glad I read these reviews as I was about to spend circa £300 with this business. Definately not now.”

Helpful Report

Posted 10 months ago

Gardening Express is rated 1.2 based on 1,711 reviews