Gardening Express
Experiences & Reviews
Gardening Express is an online UK retailer specialising in mail-order plants, trees and shrubs for home and garden use. The site offers product pages with descriptions and image galleries and ships orders by courier across the UK. Customers research plants, delivery options and return policies online before ordering. This summary is intended for people looking for aggregated review insights about Gardening Express.
Overview & Key Metrics
Our Analysis
Service quality
Delivery and order handling show a split picture: many customers report on-time delivery and careful packing, while many others cite missed dispatches, courier damage or delayed resolutions.
Value for money
A small number of reviewers explicitly mention value: some call specific trees and bamboo very good value, but these comments are limited in number.
User experience
Website navigation, ordering and packing are frequently described positively: reviewers often find the site easy to use and parcels well packed and protected.
Product quality
Many customers report healthy, well-sized plants on arrival; however a notable number report dead, damaged or incorrect specimens, indicating variable quality.
Communication
Numerous reviewers report little or no response to emails and complaints. A small set of reviewers, however, praise prompt customer communication.
Overall experience
Overall impressions are mixed: several repeat buyers report consistent good results, while many others report broken or dead plants and unresolved issues.
Our Independent Methodology
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Data Collection
We analyse public reviews from verified platforms like Google, Trustpilot, and Facebook.
AI Analysis
Our AI detects patterns in genuine customer experiences without modifying content.
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Featured Customer Experiences
Representative examples from 21 verified reviews (November 2021 – September 2025).
The climber plant was of a very high…
"The climber plant was of a very high quality and was exactly as described. It was delivered very quickly and was well..."
Lousy customer service and illegal trading
"This shabby company sent me a plant that was half-dead on arrival and failed to grow. I followed their refund process to the letter, but the guarantee..."
The website is easy to use and…
"The website is easy to use and tempting, the offers are varied. Thje plants arrived promptly and so securely packed I struggled to release them, In tr..."
Great plants, negligent couriers!
"The plants were packed and arrived in good, healthy condition. I have given 4 out of 5 stars as each cardboard box the plants were in wa..."
All Customer Reviews
Filtered, experience-based customer reviews from public sources; vague and duplicate submissions removed.
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All Customer Reviews
Sources: Trustpilot (20) · Collected.reviews (1) · Quotes shortened · As of: September 2025
Appalling customer service and received a dead plant
Appalling customer service. No communication at all about when my order would be delivered and when it arrived one plant which was d...
The website is easy to use and…
The website is easy to use and tempting, the offers are varied. Thje plants arrived promptly and so securely packed I struggled to release them, In tr...
The bamboo plants were incredibly good…
The bamboo plants were incredibly good value and actually much better than...
Great fruit tree
I received a strong tall young tree in great cond...
Very ready website to navigate and buy…
Very ready website to navigate and buy from. Delivery in timely manner a...
Good buy from a good company
Ordered a Peach Tree which arrived within schedule. The tree was well packaged and in top condition...
Beautiful plant
Beautiful plant, well packed and deli...
The climber plant was of a very high…
The climber plant was of a very high quality and was exactly as described. It was delivered very quickly and was well...
The plants were well wrapped
The plants were well wrapped. Turned up and was pleasantly surprised how tall they were. Will buy again from the...
Seven med., plants
Pleased they came on times stated They...
Avoid at all cost…
Well where to start… I have seen this company pop up on my searches but never bought from them before. I thought I’d give it a go. I offered two regul...
Would not use again
Did not dispatch timely; messed about by DHL. Did not...
I have been a regular customer of…
I have been a regular customer of Gardening Express and usually everything has been of high quality, but today 29 September the Juniperus Blue Arrow w...
Is there any customer service?
Delivery arrived a week ago. Plants aren't great and a large pot ord...
Great plants, negligent couriers!
The plants were packed and arrived in good, healthy condition. I have given 4 out of 5 stars as each cardboard box the plants were in wa...
Avoid - zero customer service
Has anyone actually had a reply from this company? A broken tree was delivered almost 1 month ago and I've still had no contact - never mind a refund/...
Great order from Gardening Express yet…
Great order from Gardening Express yet again. Always consistent with quality and ser...
Lousy customer service and illegal trading
This shabby company sent me a plant that was half-dead on arrival and failed to grow. I followed their refund process to the letter, but the guarantee...
No communication
No communication, No reply for any of the emails, as I have placed order for Leylandii-...
They sent me dead trees
They sent me dead trees. I bought 2 trees and a plant with flower and all arrived with dry leaves and just horrible. I spent like £70 that is a lot of...
Conclusion
Reviews show a clear pattern: many customers receive healthy, well-packed plants and find the website easy to use, but a substantial number report poor customer communication and problematic deliveries. Several reviewers describe dead or damaged specimens and difficulty obtaining refunds or replacements. If you shop here, keep delivery photos, order numbers and correspondence, and check the company’s stated claims/returns process before ordering. Those prioritising fast responses and reliable refunds may want to weigh these mixed reports when deciding.