I'm looking to put an order in but there are a lot of bad recent reviews saying people aren't getting their orders. Has anyone had any good/bad recent experience of ordering from here?
I’ve used Sarah Raven quite a bit over the years and it’s been mostly good but pricey, with a couple of wrong orders that were replaced promptly. You tend to get some kind of a discount if you place an order, either 10% off next order or free postage. Orders are taking longer and stock is low at times due to Covid restrictions and a surge of new gardeners during lockdown. She does tend to stock the more unusual varieties of plants as well as the more common ones so I only shop with her if I want something a bit unusual. The members on this forum have converted me to using other excellent plant websites that are more reasonably priced and are still good quality.
Life's tragedy is that we get old too soon and wise too late.
By the sound of it nothing has changed. I stopped using them a number of years ago because of the quality of the plants; three times I ordered and each time the quality was poor, so I gave up. They would blame the nursery from which they were delivered. It's a great pity because they have a wonderful selection of plants.
Plants that I've ordered from them have always been good. My last order (placed late Jan) seems to be coming one plant at a time, as they're ready for dispatch, which I'm not bothered about. I had an order come very very late last autumn, but it wasn't plants. And they did give me the option of a refund instead of waiting if I preferred, then after the order was eventually delivered they sent me a £10 voucher.
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
I use Dorset Perennials Beth Chatto The Plantsman’s Prefrence Macplants ( a recent discovery) Hardys cottage plants - a bit pricey but excellent plants and service Peter Nysens for bulbs Rose cottage plants - great for Dahlias, will get 3 tubers for the price of 1 from Sarah Raven Brookside nurseries great for bare root perennials and plug plants for summer bedding
Life's tragedy is that we get old too soon and wise too late.
To me they are expensive and there plants take a long time arriving,I once got a dahlia tuber from them which turned out nothing like there photo sent them a photo of mine got a reply but tough luck was there response .
I don’t buy from SR any more... the quality just isn’t good enough ... other online suppliers took a leaf out of her book, caught up and surpassed her and SR has just stayed the same.
I use those mentioned earlier, plus Burncoose and Woottens, and Taylors for clems.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Posts
Dorset Perennials
Beth Chatto
The Plantsman’s Prefrence
Macplants ( a recent discovery)
Hardys cottage plants - a bit pricey but excellent plants and service
Peter Nysens for bulbs
Rose cottage plants - great for Dahlias, will get 3 tubers for the price of 1 from Sarah Raven
Brookside nurseries great for bare root perennials and plug plants for summer bedding
https://www.sarahraven.com/dahlia-bishop-of-llandaff.htm?trackterm=dahlia+bishop+of+Llandaff
£3.95 per tuber
B&Q: 2 ( very good ) tubers for £3, or 3 packs for £7
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.