With the UK lockdown keeping people indoors and supermarket shelves understocked, this could be the perfect opportunity to try your hand at gardening.
Whether you have access to a garden, a balcony, or just a windowsill, there are plenty of herbs and plants you can grow in your home.
Of course, due to lockdown rules, many garden centers and shops have been forced to close to walk-in customers, so getting the seeds and equipment you need could be tricky.
Here’s our guide to finding the plants and supplies you need.
Where can I buy plants?
With the lockdown affecting many businesses across the UK, some ‘non-essential’ businesses have been ordered by the government to close.
Garden centers and nurseries are included in this list of ‘non-essential’ businesses, meaning they will only be open once the lockdown is lifted.
However, there are many websites where you can buy plants online, whether you are looking to grow herbs, vegetables, fruits, plants, or even trees.
Binny Plants is an excellent online shop for all your plant needs, as well as the largest list of peonies available in Britain. Also available from Binny Plants are perennials, roses, ferns and even trees and shrubs.
The website states, “During the national crisis, we are still shipping plants by courier. Please order online as usual. Any other enquiries, please email [email protected] or 01506 858 931.”
There is no minimum order when purchasing your plants and the shipping costs are fixed depending on your place of residence:
– United Kingdom: £10 flat rate shipping – Highlands: £15 flat rate shipping – Scottish Islands: £12.50 flat rate shipping
Crocus has a 4.5-star rating on Trustpilot and a five-year guarantee on its plants.
The five-year plant warranty does not apply to houseplants, bulbs, vegetables and seeds, or any other plants with a short lifespan.
You can also buy pots on Crocus, from indoor pots to hanging baskets, from terracotta to plastic or wood.
In terms of shipping you are looking at a flat rate of £5.99 for the majority of orders, £3.99 for bulb only orders and £2.00 for seed only orders.
If you’d rather go for next day delivery, it’ll cost you £8.99 and you’ll need to place your order by 1pm the previous working day.
Fibrex Nurseries actually house the National Pelargonium Collection and the Hedera National Collection, so you know they know their stuff.
They have a wide variety of ferns to choose from, as well as other plants to browse.
They have tiered shipping, which means the more you order, the higher the shipping costs.
So between one and five purchases delivery will cost £4.96, between six and 35 purchases it will cost £8.75 and so on.
Seed orders cost less, with up to 30 purchases costing just £1.50 for shipping.
Where can I buy seeds and herbs?
If you’re more interested in seeds and herbs than plants and flowers, there are plenty of ways to get started.
Many supermarkets sell plant seeds for herbs like basil and coriander, but if you’re looking for something a little different you’ll need to go online.
Jekka’s is home to over 140 different herb seeds available to buy online.
If you’re not sure where to start in terms of herbs, you should consider purchasing one of Jekka’s herb kits, which you can choose from: one for herbs, one for veggies, one for seed sowing and more. .
Their UK shipping rates can vary depending on the items you’ve purchased and whether you want it standard or signed – there’s also a £10 minimum order.
The website states: “Due to unprecedented demand and a number of our isolated team members, your order may be delayed. We thank you for your support and apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
Nicky’s Nursery is a small, family run business and has a huge supply of seeds to choose from – if you’re looking to grow tomatoes, fruits, herbs or anything else you can find what you’re looking for on their website.
Due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak they have had to implement a daily ordering capability – each day they will only allow a limited number of orders until suspended for that day- there, reopening capacity for the next day.
In the UK you can enjoy free delivery on orders over £30, and for orders below this you will receive delivery via Royal Mail first class delivery for £1.98 per order.
Marshalls Garden has a huge selection of herbs, fruits, vegetables and more to help you start your gardening journey.
Due to the higher order volumes they are experiencing due to the coronavirus, there is a slight delay on outbound orders.
For those looking to order flowers, vegetables and fruit plants, you should allow up to two weeks for them to arrive.
If you are planning to buy potatoes, onions, shallots and garlic, you should allow up to three weeks for them to arrive, and finally for all orders for seeds and gardening equipment, these can also take up to three weeks to arrive.
For shipping it will cost £4.99 for UK mainland (some very large and heavy items may cost £7.99 for shipping) and for outside UK mainland such as Northern Ireland , Highlands and Islands shipping is also £4.99 plus £5.90 for trees and other bulky items.
Where can I buy gardening supplies?
You will need the right equipment to grow the best seeds and take care of your plants.
There are plenty of sites where you can buy supplies, whether you need something for the garden or tools to grow plants indoors.
If you are looking for material online, you should check out:
– Dobies, which has a huge selection of equipment, as well as plants and seeds to choose from – Homebase, which also has gardening tips on its website, including tips for first-time gardeners and how to properly care for them your plants – Argos, which offers tool sets, plant food and compost plus handy tips and tricks to keep your plants healthy
