Plant Nursery
1. Where do you send your plants to?
Because we are sending live plants, it is obviously important that they spend as little time in transit as possible. That means we will only send plants to a UK address, where Royal Mail can deliver First Class Post the next day. We cannot send plants to any European destination, or wider worldwide, as we cannot guarantee that they will still be alive on arrival.
2. I didn't read the information on the Sales Basket and I have ordered plants even though I live outside the UK.
Don't worry, our dispatch team will pick this up and cancel your order, refunding your money in full.
3. What happens if my plants get delayed in the post and have died when they arrive?
Please contact us immediately you receive the plants, explain the situation and we will immediately replace them if we have additional stock or offer a full refund if we have sold out.
4. What happens if my plants die after I have planted them out?
The conditions when you plant the plants out, the care that you give them and the amount of water they receive are all outside our control, and so we cannot accept any responsibility for the plants once they have been planted
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5. Can I change my mind and return my plants?
Unfortunately you cannot change your mind once the plants have actually been dispatched. If you want to cancel your order before they have been sent then we are able to do that and refund your money, but once the plants leave the nursery you cannot cancel.
6. But I thought I was allowed to return goods sold over the Internet?
As a general rule you can, but certain items that will not survive two trips in the post, including live plants, are specifically excluded from the list of things you have the right to return.
7. How big will my plants be when they arrive?
We sell different sizes of plants, and they are listed in separate sections of the site, so you won't get confused.
Plug plants are sold as little seedlings in a root ball that measures approximately 1.5cm x 1.5cm x 2.5cm. The foliage will be anything from 2cm to 15cm depending on variety and time of sale.
9cm plants are produced in a 9cm diameter pot and the foliage will be anything from 4cm to 20cm.
Bigger plants will have specific sizes included in the listing.
8. Can I plant my plants outside immediately?
All our plants have been hardened off ready for planting out. During the summer growing season our plug plants can be planted in their final growing position if you are prepared to nurture them, otherwise we recommend that they are grown on in a pot until they have doubled in size. The pot can be kept outside though, unless of course it is a greenhouse plant that will always live indoors. The listing will specifically state if the plant is not successful outdoors. 9cm pot plants are OK in their final position immediately assuming the ground is not frozen and covered in snow!
9. Are your plants organic?
We are not registered as an Organic Grower, so no they are not. We do work however as closely as possible to organic standards on the nursery, particularly when it comes to pesticides and other chemicals
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10. How quickly do you dispatch plant orders?
We normally manage to dispatch all live plant orders within two working days, but we ask you to allow five working days at busy times before you check with us. Depending on where you live we might not dispatch your order on a Friday to avoid plants being caught in the postal system over the weekend.
11. Do I have to be in to accept delivery of my order?
Plug plants are dispatched in a unique form of packaging that will fit through almost any letterbox, so even if you are out the postman should still leave your package.
Larger plants will of course not fit through a letterbox. This might mean that your plants will be returned to your Local Delivery Office UNLESS you leave instructions with your postman to leave the plants somewhere safe. A simple note taped to your letterbox is normally sufficient with most postman. You must be available to collect them quickly from the Local Delivery Office if they are taken back there. If they are stuck there for a long time because you did not collect them, they will die and we will not accept responsibility under those circumstances.
Seed Store
1. Where do the seeds that you sell come from?
They come from all over the world and they are sourced from reputable seed suppliers who are growing just to produce seed.
2. You seem to sell some things that are not available elsewhere.
We try to source unusual varieties and we also sell many seeds that are usually only available to commercial growers.
3. Are your seeds organic?
None of the seeds we sell are organic.
4. Why do some packets have as few as 5 seeds in them?
Some varieties are very expensive and larger packets would be uneconomic. Many varieties we sell in smaller numbers simply because our customers have told us that they don't want 100 Tomato plants of the same variety for example.
5. How fresh are your seeds?
All of our seeds are packed in the current year and marked on the packet with the year. Older stock from previous years is never sold as seed. We either destroy it, or if it is still viable then we will sow it on our own nursery and sell the live plants instead.
6. I have changed my mind and I want to return my seeds.
Not a problem. Simply return them to us in the original packaging and we will issue a full refund, less the Postage and Packing fee which is non-refundable.
7. Why don't your seed packets come with pretty pictures and planting instructions?
We keep costs low by not having colour packaging with individual planting advice, and we pass that saving on to you. The pretty pictures are all on the website, which is where you want to see them before ordering. Cultivation instructions are widely available on the Internet and in thousands of books, and if you are still unsure then you can always email us and we will give advice where we can.
8. My seeds didn't germinate and I want a refund.
Once you plant the seeds then we cannot offer a refund. The sowing conditions, your environment and care, and the weather are all outside our control and we will not accept any liability beyond the point of sowing.
9. Can I order seeds from outside the UK?
We are happy to send seeds anywhere in the European Union.
10. I live in the USA or Australia, why can't you send seeds to me?
Outside the EU most countries require expensive laboratory certificates to accompany all seeds before they can be imported and it simply is not economic for us to obtain those certificates.
11. Can I keep seeds to sow next year?
Any seeds you do not use this year will probably be usable next year if you store them in the dark and at a steady low temperature of around 5C. Vegetable seeds tend to have longer life spans than flower seeds and will usually last for more than one year. If the seed has been treated in any way or has a coating to aid germination and sowing, then the seeds will not give good germination rates the following season. The listing will clearly state if the seed is treated in any way.