You have been staring out the window for months.
You have a vision. Maybe it’s a sleek slate patio, a privacy fence to block out the nosey neighbors, or an orchard of fruit trees. But then you look at the calendar. The seasons change fast in the UK. One minute it’s prime planting weather, and the next the ground is frozen solid.
If you are scrambling to get your outdoor space sorted before the weather turns, you have likely stumbled across One Garden.
They are a significant player in the online garden retail space, offering everything from aggregate bulk bags to ornamental trees. But buying garden supplies online is heavy work—literally. Shipping tons of gravel or fragile fencing panels is not the same as ordering a book from Amazon.
Is One Garden reliable? Do the plants arrive alive? And how do you get the best deal? Here is the unvarnished truth about sourcing your landscaping materials online.
Why the Rush? (The Seasonal Strategy)
The original draft of your plan might be to wait until spring. That is a rookie mistake.
Late winter and early spring are the critical windows. If you are planting, specifically the fruit trees mentioned later in this guide, getting them in the ground while they are dormant (or just waking up) is vital. If you are doing hardscaping (fences, sheds), doing it now means your garden is actually usable when the first ray of sunshine hits in June.
Don’t wait. The mud is annoying now, but the regret of a wasted summer is worse.
What Does One Garden Actually Sell?
One Garden isn’t just a plant nursery. They are closer to a digital builders’ merchant for your backyard.
1. Hard Landscaping (The Heavy Stuff)
This is where the site shines.
- Fencing: From standard lap panels to decorative trellis work.
- Aggregates: Bulk bags of slate, gravel, and sand.
- Structures: Greenhouses, sheds, and arbours.
Why buy online? If you don’t own a van, getting six fence panels home from a local center is a logistical nightmare. One Garden delivers these bulky items to your curb.
2. Soft Landscaping (The Living Stuff)
The draft mentioned fruit trees, and for good reason. One Garden stocks a robust range of “Grow Your Own” stock.
- Fruit Trees: Pear and Plum are the standouts here. They are hardy, tolerate the British climate well, and establish quickly.
- Ornamentals: Evergreens and hedging for privacy.
The “Garden Cleanse”: Start Here
Before you add a single item to your basket, you need to purge.
Gardens accumulate junk. Rusty barbecues, cracked pots, and piles of “useful” wood that are now just rotting mush.
- The Skip Strategy: If you have serious debris, hire a skip.
- The Tip Run: If it fits in the car, get it gone.
You cannot visualize the space until the clutter is gone. Once the ground is clear, you can actually measure for that fence or see where the sunlight hits for that plum tree.
Planting for the Future: The Fruit Tree Investment
Why focus on Pear and Plum trees?
- Hardiness: Unlike peaches or apricots which can be fussy in the UK, pears and plums are tanks. They survive frost.
- Speed: You don’t have to wait a decade for fruit. On semi-dwarfing rootstocks, you can see a harvest in 2-3 years.
- Structure: They provide height. A flat garden looks boring. A tree draws the eye up.
Expert Tip: If you want winter cover, mix these deciduous trees with evergreens. It prevents the garden from looking like a skeleton in January.
Logistics: The “Curbside” Reality
This is the most important section of this review. Read it twice.
When you order a shed or a pallet of gravel from One Garden (or any similar retailer), it is usually a Curbside Delivery.
- What this means: A truck pulls up. The driver uses a pallet truck to lower the goods onto the nearest hard surface (the curb or your driveway).
- What this DOES NOT mean: The driver will not carry the fence panels into your back garden. They will not lift the gravel bag over your hedge. They will not unpack the shed.
Action Plan:
- Clear your driveway.
- Be home.
- Have a friend ready to help you move the goods immediately, especially if it looks like rain.
Pros and Cons of One Garden
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Range: It is a massive catalogue. You can buy the fence, the postcrete, the gravel, and the plants in one transaction. | Delivery Fees: Heavy items cost money to move. Shipping is rarely free on bulk aggregates. |
| Convenience: Saves you renting a van or dirtying your car interior. | Lead Times: During peak season (Spring/Early Summer), delivery slots can push out by weeks. |
| Quality: Generally stocks reputable brands for structures (like Forest Garden or Shire). | Plant Sizes: “2-litre pot” can look small when it arrives. You are buying young plants, not instant maturity. |
| Information: Good technical specs on dimensions and care. | Curbside Limits: As mentioned above, if you live in a flat or have difficult access, delivery can be tricky. |
How to Save Money at One Garden
Landscaping is a budget black hole. Here is how to stop the bleeding.
1. Buy in Bulk
Aggregates (gravel, bark) are almost always cheaper if you buy multiple bags. The delivery cost is often a flat rate for the pallet, so filling the pallet is more economical than buying one bag.
2. The Seasonal Sales
Garden retail is highly seasonal.
- End of Season (September/October): This is when you buy garden furniture and sometimes plants.
- Winter Sales (January/February): Often the best time to buy “hard” items like sheds or fencing before the spring price hikes kick in.
3. Newsletter Discounts
Sign up. It’s a cliché, but it works. You often get a welcome code, or alerts about “Free Delivery” weekends on specific categories.
4. Check the “Clearance” Tab
Damaged packaging or end-of-line paving slabs often end up here. If you are handy and don’t mind a ripped bag of compost, the savings are real.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
1. Under-ordering Gravel
You calculate the square footage. You order the bags. You spread it out. It looks thin and patchy.
- ** The Fix:** Always order 10% more than the calculator says. You need a depth of at least 3-4cm for it to look good and suppress weeds.
2. Ignoring “Rootball” Season
If you are buying hedging or trees, look for “Bare Root” season (typically November to March). These plants are dug up from the field and shipped without a pot.
- Why? They are significantly cheaper than potted plants and often establish better. One Garden usually stocks these during the colder months.
3. Forgetting the Treatment
If you buy timber products (sheds, fences), check if they are “Dip Treated” or “Pressure Treated”.
- Dip Treated: Needs retreating annually. (Cheaper).
- Pressure Treated: Rot-resistant for 10-15 years. (More expensive, but worth it).
Final Verdict
One Garden is a solid choice for the DIY landscaper who wants to source everything from a single hub.
They bridge the gap between a local garden center (which has plants but limited hardscaping) and a builders’ merchant (which has bricks but no plants).
If you are planning a project, your timeline starts now. Clear the junk. Measure the space. Order the structural elements first. Get the fencing up and the shed built. Then, and only then, bring in the pear trees and the shrubs to soften the edges.
Ready to dig? Go to their “Offers” page first. You might find that the specific fencing style you wanted is currently on a multi-buy deal.