Looking to buy plants online? As spring is here, now is the prime time to tend to your garden and outdoor space, whether that's buying bedding plants for a colourful display or tomato plants to start your own vegetable patch.
Given the coronavirus (COVID-19) social distancing, isolation and lockdown rules currently in place by the government, being confined to our homes means those of us who have a garden may find ourselves spending more time in it.
If you're not embarking on painting and decorating projects, then you might be looking to spruce up your garden, especially with sowing, planting and weeding being key jobs in the garden for spring. With supermarket stockpiling, many of us are also keen to embrace the grow your own trend, specifically looking to buy vegetable seeds or herbs to start a kitchen garden. There's also a heightened interest in houseplants, as we bring the outside in and inject greenery into our living space, which is needed now more than ever.
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With the closure of non-essential stores, which unfortunately includes garden centres, we're unable to pop to a local centre or nursery near to us to buy plants*, so it's no surprise that there's been an exceptionally high demand in buying plants online for home delivery. But where are the best sites to buy seeds, bulbs, plants and other garden essentials? All sites are experiencing extremely high volumes but here we round up the best retailers, noting any restrictions or delays currently in place.
*Please check with your local garden centre to see if they are still able to sell plants either online or via telephone order given the restrictions in place.
Thompson & Morgan
A great all-rounder, you can buy lots of plants from Thompson & Morgan, and there is currently no queueing system in place. The site stocks a great range including garden plants, flower seeds, flower bulbs and tubers, vegetable seeds and houseplants. There are lots of special offers on the website too, and you can also pick up some plant pots and other gardening essentials while you're browsing.
Following the news that the horticultural industry is facing an economic crisis with £200 million worth of plants set to be 'binned', Thompson & Morgan has pledged to help. "We are working closely with nurseries and growers to ensure that millions of plants are not wasted. Our site features many of these offers and we will add more every day, passing on these amazing deals to our customers," it said in a statement on its website.
Buy plants at Thompson & Morgan
thompson & morgan Zinnia 'Zahara' Single-Flowered Mixed (Garden Ready)
Gardening Express
There's a good range of garden plants and flowers at Gardening Express, ideal for beds and borders, hanging baskets and patio containers. Plus fruit trees, hardy herbaceous perennials and shrubs and trees are all available too. There's no queueing system in place either.
Buy plants at Gardening Express
Wisteria frutescens ''Amethyst Falls'' - Dwarf Wisteria Trained on a Trellis
Gardening Direct
Gardening Direct sells a great range of bedding plants, shrubs, tubers, seeds, fruit and veg, and more. You can shop by plant type and season, too, to find the variety you need. It's still accepting, processing and despatching orders at the moment.
While there is an increase in demand, it said on its website: "A lot of plants have been pre-ordered and these orders take priority over new orders, this simply means new orders of some plants might be despatched towards the end of the individual plant's despatch window. We are well set up to despatch 1,000s of plants every day but we won't dispatch a plant until it's ready for you – we can't hurry mother nature! As we get through April a lot of our plants and vegetable plugs will be available for immediate despatch, this will be clearly visible on the website."
Buy plants at Gardening Direct
Suttons
Royal Warrant holder Suttons is still accepting orders online. Ideal for buying plants, vegetable and flower seeds, and much more, there is a queuing system in place, but you won't have to wait too long. We tried on a weekend morning and we only had to wait 10 minutes. The website has also undergone "essential maintenance" due to "online demand for gardening products being particularly high". Please note, orders are currently taking longer than usual to get processed and delivered.
Dobies
Whether you're looking for vegetable plants or seeds, flower bulbs, bedding plants, perennial plants or trees and shrubs, head to Dobies. When we had a browse we found a good range was still in stock. Please note, orders are currently taking longer than usual. If ordering seeds, they are generally being despatched in 7-10 days, while other goods are taking up to 28 days, however, the exception is live plants, which are being prioritised to get delivered as soon as possible.
Bloombox Club
If you're looking for houseplants, Bloombox Club should be your go-to destination. Created by doctor of psychology Katie Cooper, Bloombox focuses on indoor plants to help you breathe, restore and boost your mind. The online site also offers a great plant subscription service to help you create an indoor jungle. Please note, there are delays due to extra demand.
Seeds4garden.com
If you're looking for vegetable seeds, flower seeds or herb seeds, Seeds4garden.com stocks a great selection of low-priced seeds. There are of course some delays. A statement on its website reads: "All orders are sent out and delivered. As we are currently understaffed and under pressure, we are forced to set a minimum order amount to control the number of orders we receive." Delivery times are currently between 2-5 weeks.
Flowerbulbsinc.co.uk
Flowerbulbsinc.co.uk, part of the same company as Seeds4garden.com, is where you'll find a great range of spring and summer bulbs for your garden, from spring favourites such as hyacinth, amaryllis and tulips, to summer must-haves including dahlia, peony and lupins. Similarly there is a minimum order amount in place, and delivery can take between two and five weeks.
Buy flowers at Flowerbulbsinc.co.uk
Blooming Direct
Blooming Direct, a trading name of You Garden (see below), offers a great selection of plants including spring flowering bulbs, bedding plants, patio plants, shrub roses, perennials, pond plants and fruit, and vegetables and herbs. Due to extremely high demand, the website was temporarily closed for a period. However, it is now open again – although it notes that customers should allow up to 14 days for delivery due to continued high demand.
You Garden
Similarly to Blooming Direct, You Garden stocks a great range of garden plants and seeds. They also sell bulbs, trees and shrubs, fruit trees and essentials such as compost, lawncare, fertilisers, and pots and planters, plus garden furniture and tools. Customers should allow up to 14 days for delivery due to high demand.
Buy plants and seeds from You Garden
Primrose
Looking to grow your own vegetable patch? Head to Primrose where you can also buy ornamental plants, climbing plants, flower bulbs and more. Please note, if you're looking to buy furniture and hard goods, there is a backlog and they now expect all orders to be delivered within the next 2-4 weeks, excluding plants. As a result, it's only taking orders on "plants, garden furniture and awnings" to "enable our warehouse and suppliers to catch up on existing orders".
Waitrose Garden
Although it offers a good selection of garden plants and houseplants, Waitrose Garden has currently paused its website due to exceptional demand after reaching its daily threshold.
"We are sorry, but we've paused taking new orders for the day as we have reached our daily threshold. During this exceptionally busy time, we have temporarily limited orders to ensure a great level of customer service and focus on delivering existing orders to our customers," read a statement on the website. Check back tomorrow to place an order.
Browse plants at Waitrose Garden
Wilko
On Wilko there are some seeds and bulbs in stock, but this is quite limited online. We found a significant selection was not available.
B&Q
B&Q is selling a selection of seeds, with most available for home delivery. It also has flower bulbs and houseplants online, but we found a lot of these were not available to purchase for home delivery. Additionally, the retailer is offering new assorted plant bundles which include bedding plants, culinary herbs, herbaceous perennials and roses. Please note, there is a queuing system in place – expect lengthy wait times, in some cases more than an hour.
Homebase
Homebase is selling a range of plants including roses, trees and bedding plants, but there are some limitations in place. For example, we found we were unable to order shrubs, perennial plants, grow your own seeds and houseplants. However, it has a good selection of roses and seed bundles that you can order.
Patch
For a great selection of indoor plants, do take a look at leading online retailer Patch. There's a really good range of houseplants for every room of the home. However, if you're looking for outdoor plants, you'll find a smaller selection. Deliveries are still available as normal.
Dobbies Garden Centres
While Dobbies Garden Centres has had to close its doors, you can still buy plants online with a selection of bedding plants, bulbs and seeds. Not everything is in stock, however.
"Delivery times may be longer than expected, however we'll be doing all we can to keep any disruption to a minimum. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause you," said Dobbies.
Royal Horticultural Society (RHS)
The RHS Plants shop has temporarily paused taking new orders as it has reached the maximum number of orders that they can process daily. "If you have placed an order already, please be assured we’re working exceptionally hard to get orders out to our customers as quickly as possible. Please allow for a minimum of 3 weeks from the date of purchase for delivery," they said on the website.
Crocus
Crocus offers over 4,000 plant varieties with a good range of plants, flower bulbs and houseplants. To keep up with demand, Crocus has introduced a daily limit on the number of orders its nursery and warehouse can process, so it pauses all orders once the threshold has been hit.
It is taking longer than normal for orders to be processed too. "The situation is changing all the time but we are currently shipping orders within 20 days," Crocus revealed.
Sarah Raven
You can still order plants and bulbs from Sarah Raven but seed and kit orders are temporarily suspended. "Due to unprecedented demand for seeds and gardening kit, we have taken the difficult decision to suspend orders for seeds and kit for a short period of time until we have caught up on our existing orders," said a statement on the website.
Mail order plants
Plant Heritage has supplied a list of its National Plant Collections supplying mail order plants. Please see a list here.
Garden furniture sets that are perfect for your outdoor space
House by John Lewis Salsa 4-Seat Round Garden Table & Chairs Set, Coral
A pop of colour is a must in the garden and we're obsessed with this coral design from John Lewis' garden furniture collection. As part of the retailer's Salsa range, the four-seater dining table and chairs set is both durable and weather-resistant, thanks to its steel and rattan construction, so you can even leave it outside throughout the year.
Tap into the rattan trend with this super stylish side table with 2 chairs. Perfect for small gardens and balconies, the chairs have a deep seat, which is ideal for relaxing.
Relax in style with this 6-piece dining set. With steel frames and a wave glass table top, this is strong and sturdy and the chairs can be folded for easy storage. It also comes with a parasol to shield you from the sun's glare.
We love this rustic, weathered grey solid wood garden furniture set. The bench-style table and accompanying seats are all foldable too, so they can be easily stowed away when not in use. Even better, it's FSC-certified.
White Stores Ruxley 6 Seat Dining Set and Round Firepit Table
A key feature of this dining set is the round dining table which boasts a large gas fire pit in the centre. It's great for using well into the evening, adding light and heat to your outside space.
Looking to elevate your garden and transform it into an alfresco dining hotspot? This bar table is a great place to start. Small enough to fit into even the most compact of spaces and crafted in weatherproof teak, we especially love the galvanised steel trough that can be filled with ice and drinks or small plants.
No other colour will bring a bigger smile to your face, so there's no better way to brighten up your garden than with a pop of yellow. This set is great for compact spaces as you can fold the table and chair.
Kit out your patio for all the family with this lovely outdoor set from Argos' garden furniture collection. With a glass table top and 4 chairs and 4 stools all neatly tucked under the table, it won't clutter your outdoor space either.
This design by MADE is incredibly sleek. With a minimalist, streamlined look, it's perfect for any contemporary garden.
Looking to kick back and relax in your garden? Argos is selling this hand-woven, rattan effect mini corner sofa set with a cushion-top table that doubles as a footrest. Plus, it's a bargain.
Boasting powder-coated aluminium frames with a bronze finish, this charmingly pretty bistro set is perfect for a courtyard or cottage garden. Bonus: the chairs are stackable.
With a round tempered glass top table and 2 PVC coated sunshine yellow polyester chairs, this compact bistro set has been designed for quick and easy assembly.
Garden furniture doesn't have to be fussy. If you're looking for a simple design, invest in this sofa set from Very. With 2 armchairs, a 2-seater bench and a coordinating coffee table, it's perfect for any modern garden.
If you've got space for a garden sofa set, invest in one like this. The curved design is the real selling point here and it's great for entertaining. Aside from the sofa segments, the set includes 1 coffee table, 5 back cushions, 5 seat cushions and 5 pillows.
Switch it up with this stylish bench set. This is great because it accommodates for more seating space, plus it reminds us of peak summertime – sandwiches, Pimms and sunshine!
The information in this story is accurate as of the publication date. While we are attempting to keep our content as up-to-date as possible, the situation surrounding the coronavirus pandemic continues to develop rapidly, so it's possible that some information and recommendations may have changed since publishing. For any concerns and latest advice, visit the World Health Organisation. If you're in the UK, the National Health Service can also provide useful information and support, while US users can contact the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
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