Buying On-line

After completely gutting my garden and laying a new lawn I now need to fill the borders with plants. Obviously it is not going to be a cheap experience and so I have been looking around for ideas. I have found a couple of websites which seem a lot cheaper than the garden centre. I know that half the fun is choosing them, but I have made a list of the plants I want and know what they look like and where they are going to go. Does anyone have any experience of buying plants on-line? Which website did you use and did they arrive as you expected? Was there any damage with stems falling off due to transportation? I would really appreciate any advice.

Thanks

 

Hi LCH,
I've got a lot off e-bay and been pleased, as long as you look at sellers feedback and choose accordingly. I've bought lots of small plants and 6ft trees, and all arrived well packaged and in good condition. Did lose 3 Stipa plug plants on transit in the heatwave, but the other 17 were tip-top so not a bad average
:rolleyes:

 

Hi LCH, I buy a lot of plants mail order. The only ones I have not been entirely plased with were plants from J.Parker.

Glenville nurseries sell small, well-rooted cuttings of a wide variety of shrubs etc very cheaply
http://www.glenvillenurseries.co.uk/
Duchy of Cornwall nurseries sell, as they say, more plants than you can ever imagine, including larger shrubs and trees
http://www.duchyofcornwallnursery.co.uk/
Thompson and Morgan have been reliable for me for bedding plants etc and seeds
http://plants.thompson-morgan.com/uk/en?er=googleuk;term=thompson+and+morgan+plants
Burncoose nurseries specialise in mail order and have a beautiful variety of acid loving plants
http://www.burncoose.co.uk/
And finally I bought some lovely hellebores and cyclamen from here
http://www.littlecreeknursery.co.uk/

 

Thanks Liz - I didn't realise the Duchy did plants as well as their other produce. Useful.

 

I've bought plants from places like Thompson and Morgan and they arrived in excellent condition. One special offer of 6 potted plants arrived in an enormous box with straps to keep the foliage under control. They were fantastic and grew away as soon as I got them planted out.

 

Sounds like you have had some good experiences so I think i will investigate more! Has anyone used www.crocus.co.uk ?

 

yes. not cheap, but generally reliable, and quite decent-sized plants

 

I bought a Fuchsia from Ebay ,turned out to be another ,i had'nt got it but i had to go elsewhere for the original

 

Hi LCH

I've brought from Crocus and they have not disappointed, I usually buy in their sale, for example, recently purchased two Clematis, Wedding Day and Romantika both for �£6.99, delivery was around �£5 I think? anyway always very well packaged, very please with purchases

Hope this helps!!

GA

[ 16. August 2006, 12:53 PM: Message edited by: GARDENANGEL ]

 

Hi LCH

Have you thought of growing plants from seed. I gutted my garden 4 years ago in the Autumn, and then sowed 22 packets of seed in the following spring. I concentrated on perennials, most of which flowered in the first year. They filled the garden and looked very good even in the first year. But they also gave me time to build up some of the plants that you cannot get from seed, such as names cultivars of Aster, Astrantia etc.