Information & resources about plants & gardens for Brisbane & Qld

Buying plants online

and by mail order

The buying and selling of plants via mail order has been around a long time. In addition to helping remote gardeners without regular retail outlets nearby, this method of shopping is a way for everyone to obtain rare and unusual plants, high-quality tools or gardening books not usually available in such outlets.

A more recent development has been the online nursery, i.e. a nursery selling plants via an online store (versus a nursery with a regular website with information about the business).

CAUTIONARY NOTES:

Many regulations apply to the movement of plants and plant products for the sake of controlling weeds, pests and diseases. There are rules for the movement of plants within Australia as well as for importation from overseas. Buying plants over the internet does increase the risk of breaching such laws, especially if you buy from backyard hobbyists and anonymous traders.

Reputable nurseries should be aware of all the restrictions in place and fulfill whatever requirements there might be for permits, inspections, chemical treatments etc. Goods and services provided by advertisers on this site are their responsibibility of the respective merchants.

Finding online and mail order nurseries

Many traditional mail order nurseries advertise in gardening magazines. In particular, check the classifieds section at the back. Keep an eye out also at garden shows and expos because such businesses sometimes make an appearence at such events. If you're interested in buying more of an exhibitor's plants in the future, ask if they do mail order.

Obviously, for online stores, your favourite search engine is going to be a very useful tool. (It's probably how you found this page, after all.) However, some of the smaller and less search-engine friendly websites may be hard to find.

One of the purposes of this page is to present advertisers offering garden supplies via mail order or an online store. Unfortunately, there aren't many such businesses listed here yet. If you're such a supplier and you're interested in advertising here, go to Advertising information.

If you're just looking for plants and having trouble finding a supplier, the editor is still interested in hearing from you. Click here: Looking for a Supplier. Also, be sure to check the page on this site dealing with the particular plant category your interested in (e.g. Roses, Bulbs, Frangipani, etc. Complete menu here: Plants.

Other Information Online

You don't have to send off for a paper catalogue in advance of placing an order, while the nurseries don't have the costs of printing, handline and distribution. Plus, they can update the online catalogue (well, let's hope they do) as items go out of stock and new lines come in. In contrast, a printed publication which is issued, for example, once per season and would have to be finalised well in advance and availability may have changed even before it arrives in your hands.

Whether the catalogue is paper or electronic, this sales model allows niche businesses to offer unusual or rare plants because they can garner customers over a broad geographic area while operating from cheap locations with low overheads.

A potential downside of buying from a nursery located far away from where you live is the catalogue photos and descriptions might tempt you into purchasing plants unsuited to your local conditions. A problem here in SEQ is that plants described as liking heat and/or dry conditions might not necessarily cope with our summer humidity or cyclonic summer rainfall. A good local garden should (ideally) supply plants that will grow locally. A good nursery should be able to provide some guidance regarding the climatic requirements for their plants, but do your own research if you're not sure.

Of course, there are the same problems with any online purchases with respect to fulfilment of the order and timely delivery, except plants are especially susceptible to damage (and perhaps death) if shipped in poor condition or inadequately packed.

For ease of packing and to keep postage costs down, plants sent through the mail are likely to be smaller than you'd typically buy in a garden centre. Or, they come bare-rooted with a subsequent recovery period. So,they're not a first choice for landscaping in a hurry.

However, many metropolitan garden centres and landscape supply yards that have a regular "bricks and mortar" presence, now offer online ordering of goods for delivery to your door. This could be a convenient means or organising a lot of plants or materials for a big garden makeover, especially if you're short on time or transportation.

Online shopping is also improving the home gardener's access to bulk buys, tubestocks and advanced trees - all of which are difficult to obtain via retail garden centres and "big box" garden departments.

News

UK gardeners getting online
In 2009 The Horticultural Trades Association in the United Kingdom released a report on the use of the internet by British gardeners. "Gardeners Online" suggests that this has indeed been increasing. The HTA provide an overview here: New HTA Garden Industry Monitor reports on 'Gardeners Online' and 'Green Gardening'.

Other Information Resources

Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry including Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service

Queensland Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry