Gardening Express is a UK online garden centre growing shrubs, trees, hedging, bulbs and houseplants at its own nursery, with garden supplies alongside.
Delivery is a flat £6.99 to the UK mainland whatever the order size, and it only turns free on orders over £295, so big hedging or tree orders gain the most.
Gardening Express was started in the late 1990s by Chris Bonnett, who set it up as a teenager and built it up while studying horticulture at Writtle College, paying for it from part-time work. In 2005, after he graduated, the website was relaunched and the business moved into larger premises with its own nursery. The company describes itself as among the biggest independent garden centres selling online in the UK.
Beyond plants, the catalog covers pots and planters, raised beds, garden tools, furniture, lighting, irrigation, lawn care and wildlife products such as bird feeders and hedgehog houses. Shoppers can browse by growing situation, with sections for shade, wet soil, privacy or pollinators, and a Knowledge Hub offers plant care guides, a beginners' gardening course and a bulb calculator. Selected hardy plants are backed by a 5 year guarantee.
How long does Gardening Express shipping take?
A flat £6.99 to the UK mainland, free over £295; dispatch averages 5-10 working days and runs longer in peak season.
What is Gardening Express' return policy?
14 days from delivery for plants still in their original pots and not planted out; you pay the return postage.
Does Gardening Express price match?
Find the same plants cheaper at Blue Diamond, Dobbies, B&Q, Crocus or Thompson and Morgan within 7 days and get double the difference back.
More about shopping at Gardening Express
Where it delivers
UK mainland only, with no delivery to Northern Ireland, the Isle of Wight, the Scottish Highlands, offshore islands, BFPO or PO Boxes.
Non-returnable
Items marked '+' have a limited shelf life and can't come back, and damaged or wrong plants must be reported within 14 days.
Hardy plants
Selected hardy plants carry a 5 year promise from the nursery, so check the product page for it before you buy.
From Gardening Express's own pages, read Oct 31, 2026.
Discounts at Gardening Express carry a catch on refunds.
If you send part of a discounted order back, the refund is worked out on the revised order value and discount level, so you may get back less than the line price.
A code makes most sense on an order you plan to keep whole.
The Special Deals section marks plants and supplies down without any code, and the price promise runs separately after you've paid.
Plan larger orders around the £295 free delivery line, and remember that pallet loads arrive kerbside, with the courier calling to book a slot.
More ways to save at Gardening Express
The price promise pays back double the difference if one of the named rival garden centres sells the same plants for less within 7 days of your purchase.
Special Deals cuts prices on plants and supplies for a limited time.
Since delivery costs £6.99 per order whatever the size, grouping a season's planting into one order saves repeat charges, and reaching £295 removes delivery altogether.
A full-order return also gets the original delivery cost refunded, which a partial return doesn't.
Gardening Express questions, answered
How much is delivery from Gardening Express?
Standard delivery to the UK mainland costs £6.99 regardless of order size. Orders over £295 ship free to the UK mainland, which doesn't include Northern Ireland.
Does Gardening Express deliver to Northern Ireland or Ireland?
Delivery covers the UK mainland only, so Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland are out, along with the Isle of Wight and the Scottish Highlands.
How long do Gardening Express plants take to arrive?
Dispatch averages 5-10 working days, and it takes longer in peak season.
Can plants be returned to Gardening Express?
Plants can go back within 14 days of delivery if they're in original condition, not planted out and still in their pots. You pay the return postage, and items marked '+' can't be returned.
How does the Gardening Express price promise work?
If Blue Diamond, Dobbies, B&Q, Crocus or Thompson and Morgan sells the same plants cheaper within 7 days of purchase, the store refunds double the difference.
Can you phone Gardening Express?
Support runs through the website chat and your account's customer care, with no telephone line.