Dispatch
We are currently up to date with dispatch.
We normally aim to dispatch within 2 – 4 full working days, not counting weekend days or bank holidays as there is no postal or carrier service on those days. From November to mid February, we dispatch once a week on a Tuesday, orders received after 8 am Tuesday will be dispatched the following week. From mid February we dispatch twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays; from early March it will be Tues, Weds, Thurs. We mostly reserve Mon dispatch for larger trade orders. Exceptionally, we may extend our dispatch target if the queue becomes too long, (this is most likely to happen the week immediately before and after a Bank holiday weekend), and the details will be posted here. Currently we are up to date with dispatch.
If you don’t want us to send the plants straight away, please don’t place your order without contacting us first. Notes on the order regarding specific times or days when delivery can be accepted may not be noticed, please send a separate email before ordering. We cannot reserve plants for extended periods, and if you have unwisely ordered just before you are going away, please contact us to cancel and refund your order, then place your order after you return. PayPal payment processing fees, if applicable, will not be refunded for no fault cancellations; their policy, not mine. If you need your plants on a specific day, please give plenty of notice and ask first, we do what we can but can’t work miracles. It is not possible to organise a Monday delivery unless you are happy for us to dispatch on Friday and your box to wait over the weekend in the depot.
We cannot guarantee dispatch or delivery date, but we always email the day that we dispatch to let you know that your order is on its way.
Shortages or damage must be reported promptly please; mistakes do sometimes happen and we will do our very best to rectify these as soon as possible. Please send us a photo of any damage or unacceptable plants.
Please be aware that some parcels may be delayed. We always confirm dispatch on the day it happens so that you know when to expect delivery, but this is not a guarantee of next day delivery. APC parcels are on a next day service and can be tracked, but Royal Mail First Class cannot be tracked. The APC driver will not ring your mobile and wait for you to turn up if you are not there. The default is to leave safe. Our plants are packed to last at least a week without deterioration so please do not contact us about delays until this time has passed, there is nothing we can do about it once they have left anyway. If you cannot accept up to a week transit time then please do not order. We regret we can no longer send to Northern Ireland or Channel Islands.
No Quibble Guarantee
It is my earnest wish that you are more than satisfied with my plants and to this end I guarantee that if you are unhappy with any plant you may return it promptly for replacement or refund, not including original postage costs. If only one plant is affected, we will refund and not replace but if several items or the whole consignment is involved we will consult with you to establish your preference. If there is a problem, we will ask for a photo, taken as soon as the parcel arrives. I feel that if you receive a good sized healthy plant, then my part of the bargain is fulfilled; I cannot be expected to be responsible for failure of plants months after delivery. There is not a lifetime guarantee!
Postal Charges
We are simplifying carriage charges, which means that those ordering a reasonable number of plants will benefit from the postage and packing cap. I do not expect to make a profit from postage and packing charges; they simply reflect the actual cost of getting plants to you in first class condition. I actually bear a loss on postage and packing on most orders.
Orders valued under £85.00 to most UK destinations will have a single postage and packing charge of £8.50. Orders over £85.00 are carriage free. I do not send to non UK addresses due to the prohibitive cost and long transport times.Â
For some time now we have been paying excess charges on courier deliveries to the inner London ULEZ zones, but now that the estimable Mr Khan has extended the zone we can no longer absorb the extra costs, so all London postcodes will now be charged an additional £1.20, making the postal charge £9.70. Sorry about this; it doesn’t go in our pocket but straight to APC. It still costs us considerably more than what we charge for deliveries by APC.
Click and Collect is now available at no packing cost on weekdays only, you will need to contact us to arrange this at the time of placing your order. Orders must be collected within 5 days of placement of order, regrettably we can not hold such orders back. Select the Click and Collect postage option for zero charge.Â
Surcharges may be applied to orders sent to Highlands and Islands, some other Scottish postcodes and other offshore islands. These additional charges are made by APC, not me, so don’t ask me why! If this is necessary we will contact you regarding the additional payment and if you are unhappy about this we will cancel and refund your order. I regret that I am no longer able to send to Channel Islands and Northern Ireland as the paperwork and frequent delays make it unviable. If you are in one of the premium locations and your order weighs under 2kg so can go by Royal Mail, please contact me first as it will cost less. If you live in one of these locations it is most helpful if you contact me before ordering so that I can explain your options and the cost involved. Sometimes it is expedient to send multiple parcels by Royal Mail rather than a single large parcel by APC. If you have already paid the excess without noticing, don’t worry as I will refund excess carriage immediately upon notification of the error.
I am very happy to give a specific quote for larger orders (over £250.00 of plants, [not including soil, gravel, baskets or carriage]), where discounts may be available, please also see the Trade page for current discounts on full box quantities.