Gardening Websites

Morning all,

Forgive me if this has been posted before but I�ve done several searches on the older topics and I can�t find a specific example. :D

I was wondering if the combined brains of our gardening experts would care to compile a list of the best on-line gardening websites, naturally mainly for plants, but also any for landscaping/fencing/ponds etc?

There are a lot of good looking websites out there, but the real test is satisfied customers ââ?¬â?? anyone got any positives/negatives to report?

Cheers,

Dave

 

Here are four of my 'first call' sites for general queries:-

http://www.rhs.org.uk/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/
http://www.pfaf.org/
http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/

No negatives. Some good gardening forums out there too but not as good as this!
And now there's 'shoot' as well:-
http://www.shootgardening.co.uk

Perhaps we could have some links to sites that everyone likes?

 

Hi Liz,

Thanks for replying - although I previewed my post, I now realise missed the fundamental point of the website search completely from my text! I am looking for some advice on buying on-line from websites, I have never plucked up the nerve to place an order as I always think I'll end up with some shrivelled weeds in a pot!

Advice website links would be good idea though, but of course this site would take some beating! :D

Cheers,

Dave

 

Hi Dave IHG, I buy most of my plants mail order and have had no really bad experiences, although I did buy some plants last year from J. Parkers and wouldn't recommend them. Suttons and Bakker were better. I have bought larger plants, shrubs and trees from all over and never had a really sad plant. Most places take enormous care with their packing. This morning I received a pack of hellebores and cyclamen from a small nursery I've never tried before [Little Creek Nurseries] and the plants are in perfect condition- they all have flowers on as well.
Delivery charges can be high but if you're looking for a particular variety or rareity then it's worth it.

 

I had one bad experience years ago with Bakker, with a wisteria, and have never quite trusted them since - which is probably unfair. I liked J Parker, and have ordered lots from them, and been happy with all of it. I've also used T&M, Suttons, and Viv MArsh's Postal Plants, Plantazia, and various others - I have a large area to fill - and there's nothing but weeds as a starting point! If you can't find anyt of these that you find interesting, say so ,and I'll put up the link.
Cheers, F

 

Never bought any plants or gardening stuff on line. I like to see what I am getting. One of the places mentioned above is close to us and we went to visit when it was open to the public. It was the weediest, scruffiest set of plants I have ever seen and more expensive than our expensive local Garden Centre. It quite put us off from buying anywhere.
Frankly if I were you I would look in the local Yellow pages and Thompsons and enjoy a good nursery visit!

[ 02. March 2006, 04:04 PM: Message edited by: Palustris ]

 

Trouble is - not everywhere has a good garden centre! We did around St Albans, and in the Clyde Valley, which spoiled us! There isn't a lot here - you have to go to the outskirts of Ediburgh, or back over to the Clyde
Valley from here - and that's 30 ish miles each way.

 

Maybe so Nixon, but from where Dave is situated there are dozens of really good nurseries within easy reach. We go to one on a regular basis and that is a 60 mile round trip for us.

 

Good suggestion and if these links are taken up on this forum, may I also suggest that a star rating or similar is displayed against each website link to show both the average vote regarding both 'horticultural' and 'financial/administration' satisfaction.

My reason for this is that about this time last year I purchased plants from several websites at the same time, knowing that it would be a few months before the plants arrived. By chance I happened to be checking through a bank statement, and found to my surprise that one company had immediately charged to my account!
The others all had the decency to wait until the time of dispatch to make the charge. I think it was J. Parker but I am not sure. Surely this is something which we should all be guarded against?
What do others think?
PS. All my mailorder plants have been good so far.

 

They do vary on this one, I've found. Some charge at the point of ordering, and some at the point of dispatch. I have to say that I find it easier to keep my accounts in order with the first way - and I know when things are being paid for. So long as I keep things on file, I'm ok, and get no nasty surprises.

 

Dave. I have never bought any plants through the post. I like to visit garden centres and nurseries. I like to see the plants and chat to the staff. If you look on line at the Yellow Pages, you can find a list of all nurseries and garden centres in your area. In my area there is a huge number. I especially like the nurseries, as they are cheaper than the Garden Centres, and often have a greater range, with more knowledgeable staff.

If you are looking for something out of the ordinary in perennials, Cotswold Garden Nursery may be of interest. You can download their catalog on line. I like the descriptions, and Bob Brown's scoring system, where he rates plants on a score of 1 to 10. His encyclopedia is the largest I have found on the net - but only perennials.

http://www.cgf.net/

I cannot comment on the business efficiency, but he is a serious plantsman, winning medals at Chelsea, and his knowledge is 1000 times that of most garden centres.

 

I cant think why, unless your really after something unusual you need to buy online.
I have bought plants online and they have been reasonable plants, but why pay the postage, if its possible to go and look a see what you want and bring them home yourself.

 

I too like to visit garden centres but as I live on my own and am somewhat disabled I rarely do.
Also if I want a plant of an unusual variety, it's often impossible to get it at a garden centre. So it's either do without or buy by mailorder. There is so much competition that they cannot really afford to send out bad plants, the worst I've had is smaller than expected, or did not thrive, and when I ring up am always offered a replacement or refund. I have been sent a wrong variety [Spaldings, Actinidia Deliciosa instead of Kolomikta], they made me wait several years as they said it would show it's colour when more mature!
I like garden centres to look round but find that the plants are run of the mill [but good quality] and information from staff leaves much to be desired, whereas I have found online plant centres to be knowledgeable and helpful on the phone or by email.
Like nixonf23, I prefer to be charged when I order, as it is easier to keep track.

 

Wow - all great posts, and some great ideas. I have visited quite a few nurseries around where I am (and yes, Palustris, I'm lucky that there are dozens of really good nurseries within easy reach! ) but I don't always have the time at the weekends to visit all the places I would like to, so I thought I would venture into the online gardening world. For someone in Liz's situation, mail order is of course ideal so we should be glad that some nursuries have made the move onto the internet! :D

 

My favourite gardening website is:

www.plantagogo.co.uk for alpine/rockery plants.

for shear enthusiasm and helpfulness on the phone, with no hint of commercialisation, hard to find these days!

My next would be Bakker for quality and good general range of plants, but I feel, a very commercial approach (too many catalogues and free buckets of bulbs for me!)