Comments regarding Gardener's Supply Company

Ordered over a hundred dollars worth of gardening supplies early May and have received no correspondence on shipping. It is now the end of May. There are many similar complaints on social media so it seems widespread. I'm not sure what is going on with their company but there has been zero communication regarding whether we will get our orders ever.

We ordered some garden stakes on April 18, 2024 and received confirmation of the order, but as of May 11, 2024, the website is showing that the order "is in process" and we have not received any notification of a shipment. Our email requests for an update have gone unanswered. When we try to call, the customer service number indicates wait times of an hour or 90 minutes. The website shows the (expensive) stakes as being in stock and available, yet we cannot find out when or whether we receive them. Very frustrating experience.

Ordered a kneeler from Gardener Supply as their About Us says their items are made in Vermont, USA ([HYPERLINK@www.gardeners.com]). Kneeler arrived in a box stamped Made in China. Nowhere on the website does it say it is made in China. Kneeler off-gassed horribly. Minor contact with the paint from wrangling it open produced a deep ache in my hands. I am shipping this back tomorrow.

Posted on November 1, 2000, updated May 4, 2021
I, too had problems contacting Gardeners Supply over the phone this spring. I called for 2 weeks at various times of the day and never got more than an answering machine. Since I do not casually give out my credit card information and in particular will not leave it on an "answering machine", I eventually called Wayside Gardens who had the same merchandise at the same price and placed my order with a live person who gave me an order number for reference. I do not know what the problem was with Gardeners Supply, as in the past I've ordered from them and had no problems. But if they are trying to keep down costs by eliminating the "human" factor, they will find out that they have eliminated this human being as a customer.

Ordered some raised beds from them earlier this year that I was happy with. Then ran into problems with one of the trellises I'd purchased from them. And spent an entire Saturday -- during the spring which is valuable gardening time -- including hours and hours on hold on 3 separate phone calls trying to resolve the issue.

It's still not resolved. The customer support is extremely understaffed and, while somewhat nice, completely inept.

They used to sell quality products that they backed. Evidently that's a thing of the past. I won't be back.

I'm not the only one who's dissatisfied. Go read their BBB reviews.

Posted on June 13, 2007, updated September 30, 2020
I have a backordered item with them. I have been informed every step of the way about the status of the order, both by e-mail & phone & given the option of changing the order based on this info. I have just finished a very negative rating of another garden company that has not followed up on an order placed months ago! That lousy experience really makes me appreciate a company such as this! I have ordered a lot of stuff from them over a number of years (the wonderful self watering planters are a favorite for myself & as gifts) and have really never had a problem. It's nice to know that when a glitch occurs (backorders happen!) there are people out there that address it properly! Oh, & when you call, the phone queue message makes a point of mentioning that you'll be speaking to a "live person"! In these "press #29..." days-it has to make you laugh! This is one of my favorite garden companies!

Ordered online. Registered for an account. Never received any email acknowledging my order or new account.But, of course, continue to receive sales email. And yes, Peter, I checked my spam folder. Can’t look up order status online as I don’t know my customer number. So I emailed for customer number and order status. Received email back stating they will check it out and get back to me in 24 hours. Again, 24 hours pass and no, nothing, nada, zip from Gardner’s Supply. So I have now called 3 times. Waste of time and money. Extremely disappointed with customer service. Save your time and money. Buy somewhere else.

Posted on January 4, 2020, updated January 8, 2020
My customer number at Gardner's Supply is #14247029. I went to the Gardner's Supply website on `12/31/19. I saw a pop-up that said sign-up for our newsletter and receive free freight on your 1st order so I signed up. Also...at the top of the web page there was a banner that said "Free Freight on Orders over $75.00 add this promo code a check-out. I forgot to add the "Free Freight" code. On 01/02/20 I called Gardner's Supply and discussed my order # 809913914 because I wanted to increase the number of items on the order.but the C-S agent I spoke with said he could not do that so he said he would place a second order (809954675) and told me there would be no freight charge. Both order invoices were sent via E-mail and I saw that I was charged freight. I called to get the freight issues corrected and spoke with a fellow who's name was Norm. He told me he would make an adjustment and give me the free freight on the second order but he played hardball about adjusting the freight charge on the 1st order saying the free freight code wasn't entered when order was placed even though there were plenty of opportunities for the free freight issue to be fixed.....just seems this company was looking for ways to "dodge" their free shipping promo......this is after spent about $500.00 at their website This was a negative 1st time customer experience with this company and the result is that I'm done with them. There are other on-line Gardening accessories and supply companies so I'll be buying elsewhere.

Thomas Ostoich (Customer) San Clemente, Ca

I bought a few useful products from Gardener's Supply this year that I want to comment on. First, the tomato accelerator. Sounded like a bit of nonsense but when the first ones arrived and I installed them on the tomatoes, I ordered a few more. If nothing else, a protection from frost. They have been on 4 tomato plants for about 3 weeks now and the tomatoes in the first 4 accelerators are significantly bigger and much sturdier than those without the accelerators. It was a worthwhile purchase. Second, I bought tomato Halos. They were to take the place of the usual big collars I install around my tomatoes from cut off plastic coffee cans, which I used to protect against cutworms and to focus water and liquid fertilizer near the stem of the plant. The halos are easy to install and look good, and I think they'll do the job. They come in green or red. I ordered 3 boxes of green and by mistake, they shipped one box of red instead. Very good about sending a replacement box of green at no charge, and I didn't need to return the red ones. Third, I bought 2 of the 3-season plant protectors, 3 feet x 6 feet. They're like mini greenhouses and ideal for getting peppers, eggplants, or anything else off to an early start. Went together easily, appear to be of good quality, look good in the garden, and the occupants are thriving. Same fabric as the tomato accelerator. Seems like I spent a bunch of money this year, but don't feel like a single cent has been wasted. All good products. Only thing I bought from them that I don't like is the mason bee houses. They can't be taken apart to access the cocoons so if one is looking for a good source for mason bee houses, look elsewhere. Otherwise, lots of good things at Gardener's Supply and good customer service, as well.

I ordered the compostable bags and its funny to say this, but they've changed my life! Compost scraps can be sticky and messy but now I have my compostable bags and when its time, I just twist up the bag and throw the whole thing in the compost bin outside, no more gross bowls and sticky fingers! My sister saw these bags at my house and she was just as excited as I was because having a bowl out on the counter filled with scraps is not the most appealing thing...I ordered a lot of other items from this supplier and I'm happy with everything, but these bags really made an impression. Great invention, thank you!!

I have been purchasing from GS since the 1980s. my experience with them has been variable -- sometimes you do get a bad product, and not all of the customer service reps are easy to deal with -- but overall they have been a reliable company. When issues come up, they do make it right in the end. I am posting here for one specific item, though. I purchased several cedar-plank, raised beds (extra deep) in one of their late-season sales. With the free shipping offer and the sale discount, the planters ended up being cheaper than they would have been had I purchased the corner brackets and bought the wood locally (absurd, as the wood is California cedar!). The planks arrived in great condition (again, that would not be true had I purchased locally, since the lumber yards are rough with their stock), assembled in minutes, look beautifully tidy in the garden, and to top it off they are tall enough to keep the rabbits off my lettuce without fencing. Great product. I plan to buy more next time they go on sale.

(I did have problems with one of the GS vendors a while back, when a product failed and the vendor was giving me the runaround about replacing it. I felt that GS should have handled the issue rather than feeding their customer to the wolves, but I did get my money back in the end.)

Have ordered from this company before and always been happy with the product received and shipping. I would like to recommend their original garden kneeler which will probably allow me to continue gardening. Due to a knee problem I was having great difficulty kneeling to garden with a regular kneeling pad. This one is terrific and also provides the support to easily get back up again. Wish I had ordered it several seasons ago. It also folds easily to stow away very compactly.

Posted on December 20, 2012, updated March 16, 2014
Posted on February 1, 2000, updated December 20, 2012
I have been ordering from Gardener's Supply Company for three years now (at least 15 different orders), and have been extremely satisfied with my interactions with them. Whether ordering on the telephone, via catalog or e-mail, my orders have always been handled promptly and with great courtesy. I understand that all of their order takers are gardeners, and many of them provide you with great tips that do not necessary point you toward the most expensive products.I would like to particularly mention the APS (accelerated propagations systems) which I used last year for the first time with incredible success. My germination rates exceeded 95%. In fact, in some cases the rate was in excess of 100% because I would germinate three tiny seeds in one cell (verbena bonariensis, for example) hoping to get one and get all three. The plants were so strong that when I transplanted them (44 in all) the survival rate was 100%. My attempt to get 8 Jacob's Ladder resulted in a bounty of 15. I would also like to recommend the Tomato Teepees, which are those season extending water filled gizmos which allow you to put out frost tender plants early (March, instead of May here in the midwest) and protect late plants at the end of the season. Better yet, one of mine sprang a slow leak and my husband zapped another with a weed wacker. When I called to request replacement of the defective one, they apologized for the problem and then promptly sent me two, with a note that the second was to replace the weed whacked one.

I have purchased many things from this company over the years, and I have always been happy with the quality and the speed of shipping. But this review is about the fantastic customer service I have recieved in the past several days. I wanted to download an article on best crops for small gardens, and could not. I had several back and forth emails with Valerie, trying various ways to get the download. I assured her that the problem was probably my elderly computer, but she kept trying. Finally, she phoned to say that she was snail-mailing me a hard copy of the article! This kind of customer service just doesn't happen in too many places any more. And it is exactly what will keep me coming back to this company forever.

Gardener's Supply is excellent for many basic garden needs. I have found customer service and response to inquiries excellent. If you shop smart you can actually save a lot. One thing you need to know about is the Gardener's Supply coupon page. Just Google it, and Bookmark it. You will always save at least a few dollars on every order. The raised bed corners and T's and the garden girds are among their best products.

This has been my go-to for garden supplies for the past six years. I've purchased corners for a number of raised beds, several VegTrugs, self-watering tomato success kits, a garden kneeler for myself and two as gifts and handy Tubtrugs in several sizes. Haven't been disappointed with any of my purchases or the great customer service. Several friends have placed orders with Gardener's Supply and have been equally pleased with their purchases and service.

I used to think of them as a quality company. I couldn't order much because they are so expensive, but now I won't order at all. I have requested removal from their email list because they are selling my email to their "partners", a bunch of junk companies like Springhill and Flower Power Fundraising. It bothers me a lot that they are using my information to make money and that I get emails from companies with which I never intend to do business.

I placed an order for a number of items and all were disappointing. Quality is on par with discount stores while the prices are as high as my local high-end garden center. The worst example was the 5-in-1 Weeder (Item # 40-474). When it arrived, I took it out of the box and got started on some weeds in an old flower bed. It wasn't as effective as I'd hoped, but I was initially satisfied. To my dismay, one of the tines caught on a small root and snapped right off. It did not bend. It simply snapped. The tool is not even made of real metal, but rather a cheap composite material. Total loss and will cost more to return than the product cost to begin with.

The Gardener's Supply Co. is my "go-to" store for all gardening supplies. Shipping is fast, selection is good and is run by people who are passionate about gardening & providing good customer service.

We just placed and received a rather large order with this company with no problems at all. Quick delivery and all products were as advertised. Will use again for future supplies.

Disappointing merchandise, not as advertised. This complaint seems to show up a lot on this board.
The company does not pay return shipping on returns unless strict conditions are met. Unfortunately, "this is a piece of junk" does not qualify.
We won't be doing any more business with this company, and we advise others to avoid them too.

Re: Order W02577506 dated 3-11-2012.

This order consisted of 2 17" rolling planters, 2 self watering Railing Planters, and 1 Hanging Art Basket for a total cost of $218.

All of these items looked very nice, arrived on time, but all were of poor quality. The platic sides on both types of planters were not of sufficient weight to keep the sides from bulging when full of soil.

The wheel broke off on one of the rolling planters, both railing planters fell off the deck railing during the summer months, and the artistic hanger was so poorly made that one of the metal attachments broke before I even used it.

Obviously, I am very disappointed, but have been so busy that did not have the time or energy to document this until now.

I have had only great relations with Gardener's Supply. I have dealt with this company for many years.The items I needed where in stock and delivered quickly. Sometimes the packaging was a bit crumpled in delivery, but that isn't the company's fault. On the rare occasion that I had a problem with something the customer service and support were more than helpful and pleasant. I am sorry for those who have had a lesser experience but, maybe some expect too much or are not patient.

I purchased a package of metal plant markers that are advertised as 1" x 2-1/2"....
I called first to make sure this was the correct size and they assured me they were.
When they arrived I found that they are 7/8" x 2-1/2......NOT the size I need....!!!
Sent them an email but no reply.....

Ordered an Urn Fountain in January. It arrived so fast I couldn't believe it! My husband installed it in mid-June. About 3 weeks later I cleaned it, and then plugged it back in. The pump started to pump then immediately died. We checked it out and determined that it was getting power but dead. I emailed them on a Saturday, and got an automated message that I would hear back within 4 business hours. On Sunday AM I got a message from a real live person offering me several options, including a credit or refund of $50.- if I wanted to keep the Fountain and locate a replacement pump (which I did). That's the BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE I've seen in a long time!

The customer service really is not good when dealing with delivery. When at the Store in Williston everyone was very helpful. Our delivery was scheduled for today 6/14/2012.

Was scheduled between 9 to 12. It is now 12:35. We called them and we were told they left 10 minutes ago. When we asked why no one called the person did apologize and said she hadn't done it. If it's 12:22 why wasn't anyone calling at 9am ?

We then asked what time they will be here. She said they would call the driver. We got a call back 5 minutes or less later and said the driver doesn't pick up the phone when in route.

So why tell us your calling the driver ? Also what's the point of having the phone if you have issues with delivery and customers are calling ?

So I called back and tried to talk to someone else who was in charge. She told me she was a manager but couldn't help and that the person I talked to was a manager also. Nothing they could do. Sounds like too many chiefs and not enough Indians.

I am very disappointed as taking a day off and not being here at the times we were told.

Not to mention sitting here not knowing when... and having to plant them today and they are 3 large trees.

I have about 10 more I need to buy and I will not be buying them from here.

Posted on June 6, 2012, updated June 7, 2012
I ordered a costly raised planting bed many weeks ago, which appeared to be in stock at the time I placed my order. After waiting a reasonable period of time to receive my order without seeing it, I phoned their customer service department to get the status of my order. I was told at that time that a delay had occurred, although I was never notified either by email or phone of a delay. I was told that it would be sent on a particular day, but it was not and again I experienced another lengthy delay. I phoned a second time and was told that there would be an additional delay in receiving this order. I explained that I was unhappy that I had to make two calls to them to find out the status of this order because they never contacted me. To compensate me for my trouble, the woman I spoke to said she would apply a fifty-dollar credit to my next purchase. Last week, I received a phone call from someone there who told me the raised bed had just gone out via FedEx and it would arrive in two cartons. Today FedEx delivered only one carton, so I phoned Gardeners Supply and spoke to a man in customer service. I explained that only one carton arrived, although I had not yet opened it. He told me that I definitely should have received two cartons and asked that I open it and describe what was inside. I opened the carton and discovered that what should have arrived in two cartons was placed in one. There were the wood panels, along with loose screws and hardware scattered all over the inside, some of which had rubbed against one wood section and gouged it. The metal corner pieces were also placed inside the carton without any wrapping around them. It appeared that whoever packed this product simply threw everything in together without trying to protect the wood. It was a very poor packing job. The man I was speaking to offered me another $10 toward the existing credit, along with a promise to send out a new panel to replace the damaged one. Because I no longer trust this company to do anything right, I told him that I want this product picked up and a full refund given to me, which he agreed to do. In the past, overall, I had been very pleased with Gardeners Supply, but this will absolutely be my last order with them.

Absolutely the worst customer service I've ever experienced! On April 6th 2012 I placed an order for a raised cedar bed for my husbands birthday. I received an email confirmation within 24hrs stating the item was in stock & would arrive in 10-12 business days. When it didn't arrive I emailed customer service and received no response. Then on April 19th I called to find out what happend and was told the item was back ordered 4wks & would arrive on May6th. On May 5th I received a call to let me know the item would be shipped within the next week. Three weeks later, May 25th, my credit card was charged. The item finally arrived on May26th. It doesn't end there: on June 5th they BILLED MY CREDIT CARD A SECOND TIME. When I called customer service to have it straightened out I was told my account had only be pre-authorized on May25th and therefore charged it again on June 5th. I have been told my account will be credited, we'll see. I was never compensated for my time and aggravsation & my husband had no present on his 60th birthday.

I ordered 2 mason bee houses from Gardener's Supply. Price was great, shipping was low as well. Originally I was told (via email and tracking) that my order would arrive tomorrow (April 28). Yesterday, that changed to April 30th. So I was quite pleasantly surprised to have it arrive today! I don't blame Gardener's Supply for that confusion - that's all USPS (and NORMAL, lol).

The mason bee houses, when they arrived, were in boxes labelled Made in China. From experience, that was a bit worrying. But the houses were well made, sturdy, and an excellent value! That'll teach me to make up my mind ahead of time.

All in all, great purchase. Great items for a reasonable price. Great communication - wonderful! I'll feel very comfortable ordering from Gardener's Supply in the future!

Have used them before and been quite happy.
Just spoke with a rep regarding an order as I had not received a confirmation email and they mentioned that the website was under reconstruction and the automatic confirmation emails were not going out.
Also found out that they are now shipping via "Smart Post" which is the amalgamation of FedEx and USPS which always puts you on the zero priority list. It takes a while to receive things. My order was shipped on 3/29 and they estimate it will arrive "sometime next week" which is ± two weeks in transit.
Make of that what you will.

I've ordered for years from Gardener's Supply and have been very happy with each order.

I love all they offer and look forward to seeing their new selection each year.

I was a little wary because the item I wanted was on back order, and I've had bad experiences with other companies when this happened - but it arrived at my house the very day they promised it would be back in stock, so I was delighted.

EXCELLENT! EXCELLENT! EXCELLENT! When I spoke with customer service they were WONDERFUL, helpful and polite. VERY fast shipping (3 days) of a well packaged product. All these kudos are for the 12 cork bathmats that I am using as Christmas gifts (early I know). Thank you Gardener's Supply!

I've placed orders in the past and was always pleased. Great products!

I have ordered many items from this company and im always happy. Never had a problem. I love the french watering can. The worms were in great condition I ordered. I just ordered some organic potatoes there all ready rooting after two days in the ground. AAAAAAAA+++ Company

I've ordered from this company once. A couple of weeks after ordering, I received notice that the product I had ordered was backordered. It took about 3 months for it to arrive.

I did want this product badly enough that I waited for it, and did not call to cancel. This was a specialized product I have not found elsewhere.


Shipping was on the high side, but I was willing to pay it for this hard to find item. However, a refund of the extra money that I paid for expedited shipping would have been nice given the situation.

Posted on August 25, 2010, updated March 28, 2011
I have only praise for this company. As a gardener on a small city lot, I have ordered a number of gardening supplies, walls-of-water, plant supports, seed starting supplies and more over many years. Not once have I had a bad experience, always getting what I ordered and in a timely fashion. Thank you, Gardener's Supply. Aileen 246

I have had nothing but a great experience with Gardener's Supply. A few weeks ago I decided to order a light garden cart to get my spring veggie seeds started. It's a higher priced item and I was very happy to see they were offering interest free monthly payments, which made it affordable for me on my fixed income. I also wanted to try some of the Cow Pots seed starting pots. I placed my order online with no problems using a free shipping coupon I'd found. They sent confirmation of my order, and tracking emails when the orders shipped. They had to be sent separately and the Cow Pots arrived first. I set them aside and waited for the light cart to arrive. It came very quickly and today I got the Cow Pots out to get started. The package said it was supposed to contain 12, but when I got them all out there were only 11. I called to let them know that they might want to check their stock before fulfilling any more orders just in case some of the others were short. Janet was wonderful and offered to send me a new order, no charge! Now that is true customer service!
They carry a wonderful array of products, many hard to find, and their prices I feel are great. They carry many unusual and hard to find items for the gardener as well.
Because of that, and their super customer service, I'll be a customer for life!

Posted on April 20, 2010, updated October 7, 2010
Posted on December 20, 2009, updated April 20, 2010
My first experience ordering here. I ordered the wire bin composter, and it came fast and works great. Thankyou GSC! I am just a beginner at composting (I mean REALLY beginner) and I wanted to try my hand at leaf composting first before venturing into more. I bought the single bin, but now I'm thinking I should have gotten a couple more! I may have to go back in springtime and buy another bin or two.
The price was really reasonable for the bin too.