Who to purchase from online?

I’m after recommendations for decent online plant suppliers for obvious reasons, all local nurseries are closed. I used Jacksons garden centre just now and tbh it’s been 2 weeks with no word or sign of plants and no correspondence to my email.

I appreciate current climes but their website made no reference to delayed deliveries etc. So yes I’m looking for another company as I need to order a few more.

Any recommendations welcome.

Scott

 

The only online plug plants I order are from Brookside. Used them for about 5 years withouta problem.

Brookside Nursery - UK Grown Bedding Plants, Plug Plants and Vegetable Plants - Brookside Nursery

 

As with @HarryS I've used Brookside but it was my first time, I used eBay too and have been happy with what was sent but obviously harder to recommend it as a whole compared to a individual supplier.​

 

@Scotty2088 At the moment quite a few online suppliers are not taking new accounts or orders and dispatch is delayed. Two factors social distancing for staff and large numbers of orders. Kings, Marshalls and Thompson and Morgan all have notices up on their websites. I expect others are the same. It depends what you want, but smaller independent nurseries might be better, if they offer mail order. I'll be placing an order with a specialist bulb company later, but they note that things are slower than normal there as it now just the owner doing it all.
Idea! Member on here has a nursery and I think does mail order @Cuttings might be worth a PM.

 

Hi @Scotty2088, these three have been the most reliable for me. There are others I could mention but I haven't ordered from them recently. Ballyrobert are usually pretty fast and a good friend of mine also bought plants from them and was really impressed, Beth Chatto say they're seeing "no significant disruption" and The Secret Gardening Club report a 4-5 day dispatch delay, which isn't too bad considering the circumstances.

Proven garden plants from an RHS partner garden

The Beth Chatto Gardens

Secret Gardening Club - UK garden plants for sale

Hope this helps,

Nick

 

At present we are temporary stopping ebay orders to catch up with the packing and posting, and planning to list again next week. At present I have no commercial agreement with this forum, so its against forum policy for me to sell on this site.
With regards to deliveries, Royal mail are currently restricting us to 300 packages a day, so imagine other sellers are having the same problem, and most ofvthe plant sellers I know, have just had too many lost or damaged parcels to use the couriers.

 

I would like to add, its for thr forum members protection (the commercial agreement), its in place to protect members from fraudsters, and gives an agreement of obligation.
I could offer you an unbelieveable deal on plants, take members money, and send you nothing, and leave the forum to mop up after a scam, which damages the reputation of the forum and the members.
I chose not to enter into a commercial agreement, because, I joined to chat about plants and Horticulture, and I did not want to become competition with any other member who does sell on this forum, I have enough work to do, and it may be an option in the future, but for now, I just wish to be another member, chatting and offering opinions.
But thank you for the thought @NigelJ

 

@Cuttings Apologies and to admin I didn't fully think it through. Certainly didn't mean to intrude.

 

No problems my good man, youbwere not to know

 

Well I've had orders come through from .....

Hayloft, Anglia bulbs ( excellent service - from ordering to me having them in my hand took just 40 hours ), Chrysanthemums Direct, Farmer Gracy, and Farmyard Nurseries.

Still waiting on T&M, You Garden, Dibleys and Woolmans.

 

Well I said earlier that I was going to place an order for some bulbs, ordered, paid, acknowledged and dispatched. Should have them planted by the weekend.

 

My local nursery (not one of the big Multiples) is delivering (but I don't know how you would know ... I drove past on the off chance and gate was closed and padlocked, but I knew they had some plants I wanted so I called them up "No problem Sir, we can deliver" - I was well chuffed . Definitely going to favour them, to my more local big Multiple, after the hiatus is over

 

So I used eBay in the end for a couple. Trial and error I guess in terms of quality.

 

Parkers are back up and running now

 

This is a good opportunity to reveiw to other members your experience.