Ilex merserveae 'Blue Maid'
Holly Standard
10L 65-70cm

PLACING AN ORDER

Do I need an account to place an order with you?

Our customers have the option to checkout as a guest so there is no need to set up an account with us. However, we do offer you the opportunity to create an account with us if you wish which does make checkout easier and quicker if you decide to return in the future.

Can I place my order over the telephone?

The benefit of an online store means our customers can place and pay for an order anytime of the day and outside our regular office hours. However, if you are experiencing difficulties ordering online please contact us and we will be happy to assist you with your order.

I want to buy a plant as a gift for someone - can I get my purchase gift wrapped?

Yes! Plants make lovely gifts for all sorts of occasions and receiving it gift wrapped makes it even more special. You can add our gift wrapping service before placing the item in your basket and view the gift wrapping charges before confirming. This is an optional service which you can select for individual items. Please note this service is available mainly for the smaller products we sell.

Can I get my item delivered to an address that is different from the billing address?

You can choose to have your item delivered to any UK mainland address that is different to your billing address. We will check this information with you when you are confirming the address details at the checkout stage. Our delivery information page has full details of our delivery charges and information.

I have added the wrong item to my basket – do I have to start all over again?

You can add or remove items at any point during your online shop with us. Simply click on the basket to view your shopping and you will have the option to remove or edit the quantity of the items in your basket. There will also be the opportunity to review your purchases and amend before you complete your payment transaction.

I haven’t received an order confirmation - why is that?

When you place an order with us you should receive an automated order confirmation by email. This will be sent to the email address you provided at the checkout or when you registered. It is therefore important that you provide a valid email address so we can send you confirmation and contact you about your order if necessary. Please check your junk/spam folders as the confirmation email may have ended up in one of these folders as our details will not be in your contacts.

The money has come out of my account but I haven’t received an email confirming my order – how do I know if my order has been received?

If the payment has come out of your bank account but you haven’t received an email confirmation from us we will need to check if we have received your order. It’s possible that the internet connection may have been interrupted when you placed the order and the email confirmation has not been sent. Please check you have provided us with a valid email; this is the only way we have of contacting you – if the email address has been entered incorrectly it will not be possible for the automated email to be sent to you. It is also worthwhile checking your junk/spam folders as the email confirmation may have ended up there.

If you have not received an email confirmation from us please contact us at info@toptopiary.co.uk or telephone 01590 730 075 so we can check that we have your order.

PRODUCT INFORMATION

Do you have any tips or advice for how I should care for the product I buy?

We want you to get the best out of your product and have dedicated a page on our website to help our customers care for your plants. Please remember that plants are living things and the care and attention they require will depend on the type of plant and variety.

I don’t have a garden – do you sell anything suitable for me to buy?

We try our best to offer a range of products to suit all our customers, and although most of our products are suited to outdoors we do have varieties that can be kept as houseplants or a mixture of both.

Many of the varieties we stock can be kept indoors or outdoors depending on weather conditions and time of year. We also offer seasonal products including Herbs and Flowering Plants.

As you browse our products there is a helpful summary of each item to give you an idea of where it likes to be kept and how to care for it. Our Citrus products are very popular; we stock a range of trees and plants so you can find one suited to your home.

Balconies and windowsills are great spaces to keep plants; to find out what plants are suitable the Royal Horticultural Society has advice for a balcony or rooftop position. It’s always a good idea to consider the position of your home with regards to light and shelter as this will help you decide what plants to purchase.

You can also buy top soil or feed from us, which can be helpful for our customers who can’t get to a garden centre. You can add these items into your basket when you make your purchases.

Will my item look like the one I can see in the pictures on the website?

The pictures in our listings are for illustration purposes only; however you will receive a plant that fits the listing description. Please remember that all plants are living things and even those of the same variety will differ slightly in size, shape and appearance.

If I order products that are sold as a pair will my plants match?

When you place an order for a pair of plants we are careful to select plants that have matching trunks and look as similar as possible. We feel it is important that primarily we match the trunks as the plant can be clipped and shaped as it grows and becomes established.

What is Topiary?

It’s basically an art form of clipping and shaping plants/trees into desired sculptures – sometimes this takes form as animals, people or ornamental spiral or lollipop trees. You may be surprised at some of the things that have been created in Topiary as it’s down to the topiary artist who creates it! You can view a selection of Topiary Art by clicking here.

Many people enjoy Topiary as an art form or hobby. We also offer a range of Topiary Frames (frame only or with plants) and starter kits for anyone who wants to try it for the first time or perhaps buy an unusual gift.

PACKING & DELIVERY

How will my order be packaged?

Our smaller items are carefully packed in boxes with appropriate wrapping where necessary and clearly labelled.

To ensure plants arrive in the condition they leave we use an overnight courier service – most of the smaller items can be dispatched this way. Larger items, including deliveries to some areas of the Scottish Highlands are delivered on a 48hrs service.

You will be able to track the progress of your order online from details given to you with your order confirmation.

Do you deliver outside the UK?

Please contact us for any topiary frames orders outside of the UK. If you can provide the product items you're interested in, along with your postal code, we should be able to provide a quote for the delivery charge

Unfortunately, we do not provide a delivery service for plant orders to addresses outside the UK Mainland and Northern Ireland – this is due to the time it would take our products to arrive as it would affect the quality of the plants. 

How long will it take for my item to arrive?

We offer different delivery times at checkout. For most of the country, next day delivery is available. We offer same day dispatch on orders placed before 12:00 midday otherwise we aim to dispatch items within 5 working days of orders being placed; this is for all items in stock or season. During our peak times this may take slightly longer.

Topiary frames are hand made to order, and though we try our best to dispatch the same day, they can take up to 1 week to be dispatched.

Orders received Thursday after 12:00 midday will be dispatched on the following Monday (this is to preserve the quality of the plant and avoid them being held in a postal warehouse over the weekend).

We can arrange deliveries only to addresses on Mainland UK and Northern Ireland. 

I want my item to arrive on a particular date – is this possible?

We offer our customers the option to nominate a date for their delivery, where possible. There is an additional charge for this service and you can choose your nominated date when you are at the checkout stage of your order. We cannot guarantee the time of day your package will arrive.

Do you deliver on a Saturday?

Saturday deliveries are possible to arrange. This is a premium service and there will be an additional charge if you opt for this. 

How much does delivery cost?

The standard delivery charge to Mainland Great Britain address is from £7.50 per item.

Full details of all our delivery prices are listed here.

What happens if I am not in when the courier delivers my parcel?

Where possible it is always helpful for someone to take receipt of and sign for a delivery.

However, if this is not convenient you can leave a brief instruction for special arrangements when you place your order such as ‘leave with a neighbour’ or in a safe place such as ‘leave in porch’. Please note that these special arrangements are at the customer’s risk.

If no delivery instructions have been supplied, the courier will leave a card providing the relevant information for you to contact the local courier depot to arrangement a second delivery.

Should an item fail to be delivered after the second delivery it will be returned to Top Topiary – please see our delivery information page for additional charges that may be incurred should this happen.

PAYMENT & PERSONAL DETAILS

What payment methods do you accept?

Using secure payment systems there are two ways you can pay for your shopping:

1. Shopify Payments - our shop is hosted on Shopify Inc. They provide us with the online e-commerce platform that allows us to sell our products and services to you. Payment can be made via credit or debit card, all securely processed by Shopify Inc.

2. PayPal – you will be redirected to the Paypal site where you can log-in to your PayPal account (or as a guest) to pay for your items and they will send you confirmation of your payment

Do I need to a PayPal account?

You can use PayPayl to checkout as a guest by entering your credit or debit card details; or you can choose to you can set up a PayPal account which will give you the option to use this payment method with many other businesses and online purchases.

Is it safe to pay online with my credit card?

We understand how important it is to feel confident when paying for your goods online. No credit or debit card information is stored on our website as we provide our customers with secure online payments systems at the checkout. Shopify Payments is an established online payment gateway and one of the UK’s most trusted; PayPal also provide this service and are used by millions of people worldwide. It’s up to you which one you use and your online payment will be processed by these companies and means we have no access to your credit or debit card details.

Why has my payment been declined?

To prevent credit card fraud and offer the highest protection to people using their services, the online payment systems ensure a number of checks are carried out. This is to verify the details you provided at the checkout match the records that your bank or credit card provider holds. If there is any discrepancy in this information it may cause the transaction to be declined; even the slightest error will be detected in the system and cause the transaction to fail. If you think this has occurred please contact us on 01590 730075 and we may be able to take your payment manually.

Can I pay over the telephone for my order?

The convenience of our online store allows customers to place and pay for an order anytime of the day and outside of office hours. You will be required to pay online using one of the secure payment methods in order to confirm your order. If for some reason your credit or debit card transaction fails or you are having difficulties (see the information in ‘Why has my payment been declined?’) please contact us between 9am-5pm Monday-Friday so we can check the status of your order. If a problem has occurred we can usually then process a manual payment over the telephone.

What happens to my name and address when I make a purchase with you?

The privacy of our customers is of upmost importance and we do everything we can to reassure our customers of this. For full details and information please see our Privacy Policy.

RETURNS

What happens if my plant arrives damaged - will I get a refund?

In the unfortunate circumstances that your plant arrives damaged please let us know within 48hrs of delivery so we can arrange a replacement – please see our Returns Information regarding items damaged in transit.

I am unhappy with my purchase can I exchange it or get a refund?

We hope all our customers are more than satisfied with their purchases but we understand that occasionally your item may not be as expected when you shop online. If this is the case we will be happy to discuss your order with you for a refund or replacement. Please see our Refunds Information for full details regarding your order. Please note that refunds are at our discretion and we are not obliged to offer a refund.

FEEDBACK

I want to make a complaint - how do I do this?

Our aim is to offer the best customer experience possible to everyone who visits our site or purchases from us. If for any reason you feel you have not received the best customer care then please write to us at info@toptopiary.co.uk

How can I leave feedback?

When you make a purchase with us you will be invited to leave feedback from Trustpilot which is an online review community to help shoppers share feedback of their experiences. Once you have made a purchase with us you will receive an automated email and have the option to leave feedback.

To view our up to to date Trustpilot feedback from our customers please visit our page on Trustpilot.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Where are you based?

We are situated in the scenic New Forest in Hampshire near the town of Lymington.

Can I visit Top Topiary in person?

We welcome visitors to the nursery - if you would like to come and see us please contact us first so we can make arrangements for your visit. We are sorry if we have not been able to answer your question or provided the information you need in this section. If you require further information please contact us on our general enquiries address at info@toptopiary.co.uk or by calling us on 01590 730075 between 9am-5pm Monday to Friday.