Cowell's Garden Centre Reviews 

I will no longer be supporting Cowell's Garden Centre and express my disappointment regarding an upsetting experience I had during my recent visit to your garden centre. My partner and I are loyal customers. We visit at least twice a month, often more, and regularly spend a significant amount of money with your business. We’ve also attend your workshops and frequently recommend your garden centre to friends and family. Staff members such as Sandra at the checkouts can confirm how regularly we visit with our small white Maltipoo, and until now we have always felt welcomed and valued.

During my visit today, however, I encountered a situation that left me shocked and deeply disappointed. My dog had a small accident near a plant pot. Before I had the chance to properly address it, a member of your staff approached me and spoke in an extremely rude and inappropriate manner. I calmly let her know that her tone was unacceptable. Another colleague who witnessed the interaction later came over and apologised to me for her behaviour, which I appreciated.

Unfortunately, the situation escalated unnecessarily. The staff member who was rude went into the back to speak to the owner, who then came out and immediately demanded that I leave the premises. Despite me explaining that the incident was accidental and that I am a regular customer who supports the business, he refused to listen. He told me he “didn’t care about my custom” and pointed towards the exit, saying he only cared about “the couples at the front,” though I am still unsure who he was referring to.

As I attempted to comply and hand over the full basket of items I intended to purchase, he dismissed me again and stated that it was “not his job” to return the items. He continued pointing toward the exit while telling me to leave. I placed the basket on the floor and exited the premises.

I found the owner’s behaviour unprofessional, unnecessarily hostile, and completely disproportionate to the situation, especially considering your garden centre advertises itself as dog friendly. Accidents can happen even with well-behaved dogs, and I handled the situation responsibly and respectfully. Being spoken to and treated in such a manner was hurtful, embarrassing, and frankly shocking given the strong loyalty we have shown your business for years.

I hope you will take this feedback seriously. No customer, let alone a loyal one, should be treated with disrespect or made to feel unwelcome.

Ordered a set of lights , they came quickly however they wrote “tested” on the invoice and yes they were (never said they would do that when I bought them) , seal was broken on the box and the lead had a knot in it, I bought new lights therefore there should have been no testing involved which breaks the seal, this doesn’t seem very professional.

Nice looking plant, delivered well packaged and fast.

I was very impressed. I ordered on Thursday morning and the plants arrived on Friday afternoon. All were well packed and healthy.

This is now the only garden centre that I will place orders with. Delivery is very efficient and the plants are of excellent quality. So much choice too. So pleased with all my plants.

Plants received very quickly and in pristine condition. Very responsive customer service in replying to an email question I had.

I don't usually do reviews but I must say that this is the best garden center so far. I usually buy online (mosty hebe varieties) and have ordered about 10 times this year if not more. Been there physically twice from Sunderland. Orders are usually processed within 24 hours and I get my plants the next day or day after. Plants are healthy, well cared for and we'll packed.

Ruth Adebiyi

I do not tend to write many reviews. I was in two minds whether to order plants online as I have ordered from a few different suppliers in the past and they have either arrived damaged or tiny. Sometimes however to get the plant you are after you just have to bite the bullet and risk it. I ordered three grasses from Cowells, they were shipped out next day after placing the order and they arrived at my home address the following day. Great speed of delivery. They arrived in a large box which was reassuring. When I opened the box you could tell immediately that there had been care taken to package them. I removed the packaging and I could not have asked for better. The plants looked healthy and considering they were grasses there were no leaves even broken. The pots were not cracked or damaged and they were labeled on each pot with information labels also included. So all in all a great experience, I could not be happier. I would definetly order from Cowells online again. Well done Cowells for taking care of my purchase and not just crushing it in a box like some other suppliers seem to do.

A plant I ordered was out of stock. (Hardly surprising, as it was so competitively priced).
I immediately received a very nice email from Hollie, who gave me the choice of a refund or another very similar plant of the same species, which I gladly accepted.
The plant was dispatched quickly, beautifully packaged, and received in lovely condition.

Thank you Hollie, for your professional, friendly and efficient service. (0rder: **22 refers).

Stunning cercis eternal flame well packed & tip top condition

Picea glauca Rainbows end Conifers. I am very pleased with my plant. It arrived on time and was very well packaged. Very healthy looking plant. Would definitely recommend Cowells.

Superb service from their outdoor plant expert, who checked availability and phoned me back to say he had hand-picked 8 of my selected plants. Their packing department also deserves an award - I have never seen anything like it from an online plant order.
100% recommended.

I don’t usually write reviews - other things to do. However, credit where credit is due - and it certainly is due to Cowells.
I ordered three plants quite early on Saturday morning thinking that no one would look at the order until Monday; on Sunday I got a message to say the order was ready for dispatch and at 13.00 today ( Monday) the plants were delivered to me 200 miles from the nursery.
The plants were in prime condition; were superbly packed and boxed - probably better than any plants I’ve ever ordered on line. What’s more, they were 70% cheaper than similar plants at major well- known internet plant sellers.
I am seriously impressed- thank you Cowells!!

Rang in advance to check availability of a certain plant & lovely young man said he would put one aside for me. Once I arrived I was total amazed at the range of plants on offer & the quality. I bought my reserved plant plus 3 others with the assistance of a very helpful lady there. Not the closest garden centre to me but will be my main one from now on.

Ordered online on Sunday plants arrived on Tuesday morning so very fast delivery . All plants were packed and delivered in excellent condition . I will definitely be ordering from them again in the future and maybe give the shop itself a visit . Thank you cowell’s.

Easy to order online . Quick delivery. Excellent plants , nicely packed ,

Purchased a delphinium online, arrived very well packed and super fast delivery, a bit wilty due to the heat and travel but to be expected, it has soon perked up, its a very healthy looking plant with a flower head growing, look forward to seeing over summer. Will definitely order again glad I found this lovely company

I have bought a few house plants on line recently and it has been a very positive experience.
Plants have been in amazing condition, well packaged and very quick delivery.
The team are very helpful if you have any enquiries.
I would definitely recommend Cowells. Just wish I lived near them 😊

I had the absolute pleasure of being assisted by Glen during my recent visit to Cowell’s Garden Centre, and I can confidently say it was the best customer service experience I’ve ever had at any garden centre—local or otherwise.

Glen’s in-depth and thorough knowledge of plants was truly impressive. He took the time to understand exactly what I was looking for and guided me to the perfect selection with patience and clarity. Every question I had—no matter how small—was answered with confidence and detail, clearly coming from a wealth of expertise.

What really stood out to me was Glen’s kind, courteous, and highly professional manner throughout our interaction. He made the experience not only informative but genuinely enjoyable. I left feeling inspired and well-equipped to care for my new plants, all thanks to his exceptional guidance.

Given his outstanding service and plant knowledge, I’d be surprised if Glen weren’t a supervisor or senior member of staff—his professionalism and customer care are simply next level.

Thank you so much, Glen! 11/10 experience. I’ll definitely be returning, and recommending Cowell’s to friends and family, largely thanks to you.

This is the best online garden centre by far! I recently ordered again from them and their service is second to none. The plants were beautifully packaged, exactly as described and are thriving in my garden. Delivery was super quick too. But what sets them apart is how they dealt with a minor issue. 3 plants were missing from my order, so I contacted them via email. I got a lovely email in very quick time apologising and they sent the plants straight away. If you want a reputable online plant delivery service with excellent customer service and super products, look no further than Cowell's.