This is another big but fairly expensive garden centre that sells everything you'd expect, from…read moreplants, pots and garden ornaments to barbecue equipment, garden tools and furniture. This place stands out from the rest, however, for its range of miniature 'Show Gardens' where they offer ideas and inspiration for your own garden, including some interesting designs and layouts, use of a variety of materials, and different planting styles. I was also quite impressed by their range of plant pots, both for indoors and outdoors, which included more choice (in terms of colours, styles and materials) than many of their competitors. They're also good for trellis, patio furniture and garden tools. There's a section selling aquatics, another selling gifts (some of questionable style, in my view, but each to their own!), plus a cafe.

A pretty good garden centre, large, with just about everything you'll need. An impressive range of…read moreoutdoor and indoor plants and pots, trellis, netting, patio materials and garden tools. Artificial flowers too, a gift department and a cafe (which could do with more choice, especially vegetarian). The 'show gardens' are interesting and a good idea to help people trying to plan the lay-out of their new gardens. Quite an expensive place.

There's been a garden centre here for a long time, but in the last year it has been taken over by…read morePugh's. Like many garden centres, the garden element no longer feels centre stage as there's a discount bookshop, stationery, a bath bomb and a clothing concession... you get the picture. There's some really tacky stuff (glass fairies, for example) alongside nicer artisan items. That means it can be a good place for gifts and just to browse, along with looking at plants and garden furniture. At the rear, there's a cafe called the Orange Tree, which sells sandwiches, soups and light meals, cakes and, on Sundays, they do a full roast. We went there recently and two roast dinners, a bowl of Cawl with bread, and a bacon and Brie panini with drinks came to under £40. Staff were pleasant and I found the veggie roast (mushroom nut roast) with a Yorkshire pudding and roast vegetables to be surprisingly good - they were all perfectly cooked. The only downer is that the car park is roughly gravelled surface, and the entrance isn't obvious off the south Wenvoe roundabout - from Barry, you take the left turn and bear right almost immediately (it helps not to swing in too fast).

There are garden centres galore in and around Cardiff, but this place is a bit different because…read morethe emphasis is mainly on garden buildings and paving rather than plants and accessories. If you're looking for a shed or summer house, or even a garden office, they have far more choice here than you'd ever get at the likes of B&Q or a general garden centre, with a greater variety of sizes and styles to suit different spaces. They also sell Vitavia Greenhouses, log cabins, play houses, thatched gazebos, and even a wooden garden bar! When it comes to garden paving and gravels, they have an impressive range of products for different budgets and garden styles. They're the largest stockist of Bowland Stone (one of the UK's market leaders in landscaping and flooring products) in Cardiff, and also offer more specialised products such as sandstone paving as an alternative to traditional paving. Note that the above opening times are for winter - in the summer (1 March - 30 September) they open longer hours: Monday - Friday 9.00am - 5.30pm; Saturday 9.00am - 5.00pm; Sunday 10.30am - 4.30pm.

This is a small, privately-run garden centre adjacent to the car park at Barry Town railway…read morestation. They sell a small but useful range of plants, and in spring have rows of containers with bedding plants. My parents have been buying stuff from them for several years, and the quality is usually pretty good (although like all bedding plants, get there early if you want to get the best). The choice of plants is very conservative - pansies, petunias, lobelias, that sort of thing - so it's not really for you, if you are looking for something exotic. They have a small shop selling compost and the usual range of sprays and accessories for gardening. Staff are reasonably friendly and will carry your plants to your car if you need help. NB There's no dedicated parking - customers can park on the main road just outside.

Broad Street offers a varied range of plants, gardening materials and decor that suits a wide…read moreselection of tastes and budgets. Conveniently named after its location, Broad Street is perfectly situated next door to Barry's Railway Station and just a few minutes' walk from the neighbouring high street. As someone who kills every plant that graces my flat, I don't know much about gardening, so would value any help offered by a sales assistant. Weirdly, I couldn't find anyone here; I walked around the outside area for a bit without anyone asking if I needed assistance - I thought the place was closed if the gate hadn't been opened. Perhaps they were just in the store room... Even if you're not in the market for any greenery, Broad Street offers a range of statues, bird baths, and bird houses, so you can add a bit of character to your garden without getting your hands dirty.

Sometimes I feel as though I'm a little bit of a fraud, going into places like this. Next time you…read morego to one, just stand at the side and watch the people who go in and out. You'll see people carrying trees, people in pairs to carry long bits of wood, people struggling with large containers. And all I wanted was a pot plant. Nevertheless, despite my shame, I continued about my business and I came across a little chilli bush which seemed just the perfect thing to have in my room. Taking it to the till, I continued to feel embarrassed by my meagre offering to the home and garden gods, until I noticed that I was one of very few people NOT huffing and puffing. Then I just felt smug. Anyway, good service, good prices, good products.

A truly enormous garden centre on the eastern outskirts of Cardiff, conveniently situated adjacent…read moreto junction 29 of the A48M where it meets the old A48 Newport Road. It's a popular shopping destination in its own right, and is actually part of the large UK-wide Wyevale chain. As well as an enormous range of plants, seeds, gardening tools and gardening supplies, it sells all sorts of gardening-related merchandise, such as garden buildings, garden furniture, pet supplies, books, ornaments, greeting cards, toys, clothing etc. Their prices aren't the cheapest, but it's all in one place and the quality is not bad (and it is getting very hard to find independent high-quality traditional nurseries, these days). Many of the staff are not that expert in the plants, though - certainly not compared with the horticultural or botanical expertise that resides in parts of the British gardening fraternity. That said, they always seem to be pretty friendly and willing to help, and the whole experience is rather less intimidating than it can be in some traditional nurseries. For those living in hope of a dry summer, there is an extensive range of barbecues and barbecue supplies. (Note: worth getting in stocks of charcoal, as there is always a run on supplies at the first sign of Bank Holiday sun). They also have a hire service for a very extensive range of garden and building machinery, if buying your own rotovator or mini-digger seems something of an indulgence. Perfect for the would-be 'Bob the Builder' (or 'Bob y Bildar'). There's a decent sized cafe, which is quite pleasant outside the week-end peak times, although there's no escaping the warehouse 'architecture'. It's very popular with pensioners during the week. At week-ends, the whole place is packed by families on an afternoon out, which makes for a slightly more stressful shopping experience. The centre has toilets and is designed to be accessible for wheel-chair users. The Wyevale website is quite interesting for the novice gardener, with a 'plant finder' facility, which tells you what you can grow in the soil and aspect of your garden.

Blooms is a massive garden centre that's easy to get to from either Cardiff or Newport, with…read morehelpful staff (though not all of them perhaps 'experts') and a huge array of plants, garden furniture and ornaments, and gardening tools and accessories. The centre is also home to a decent little book shop and a café, and it sells jewellery, clothes, pet-related products, farm-style foods and even fresh Welsh meat, jams and chutneys! Blooms even offer an equipment hire service, so you can hire garden and building machinery rather than go out and buy it if you only need it for a one-off occasion. Some of the stock can be a bit on the expensive side, but I think most big nurseries are the same, and at least you can browse around lots of different departments under one roof here.

This is the place to go for plants if you live in or around Llantwit Major, not only because it's…read morenearby but also because they offer a comprehensive range of shrubs that can withstand being planted in windy and seaside locations - which is exactly what most gardeners need in this area of the Vale of Glamorgan. They know exactly what will and will not thrive in the local area, and can supply the ideal garden plants and shrubs for local conditions. Apart from selling said shrubs plus the usual plugs and hanging baskets, they also offer a full garden design service through the professional knowledge and expertise of Matthew Griffiths, for those who want to start from scratch or revamp their existing space. He will draw up plans, landscape your garden, and even organise maintenance on an ongoing basis if you really want to remain hands-off.

My wife and I paid our first visit here on Sunday it won't be our last visit beautiful plants very…read morehealthy . brambles tea room is well worth a look in nice people very friendly I can't recommend this place enough .if they had ten stars I would give it to them

This is a very large garden centre situated in West Monkton, just to the East of Taunton. It has a…read morelovely range of trees and outdoor plants, plus an enormous gift centre with crockery, local foodstuffs, etc. The cafe sells nice cakes and a wide range of cold and hot drinks.

From the owner: Monkton Elm Garden & Pet Centreread more

This is a beautiful little shop that is quite unexpected due to its slightly hideaway location and…read moremodest frontage. When you walk into Hamptons you know that you've found a little bubble of quality in Penarth. They sell a wide range of home, garden and gift ware. Ranging from bath bombs to tables and chairs. The space is decorated superbly, and is a pleasure to be in as you potter around. Their items for sale are all of a high quality, and have price tags to match, but you would get what you paid for at Hamptons. There is a great little cafe upstairs, The Blue Pelican Cafe (which I've also reviewed), so Hamptons is a lovely little place acting as getaway from the hustle and bustle of Windsor Road. However, this is not really the kind of place you could go and relax for hours at a time with a book. This is the kind of place where women take tea; take heed, and be careful not to break anything.

Wowee! This store sells the most beautiful items and as a big fan of interior design, I'm already…read moreplanning my next trip. What I particularly adore about this shop is that most of the pieces available are completely unique, and I haven't seen them available to purchase elsewhere. One word of warning though, avoid buying the birthday cards; at £6 they're far too pricey (there's nothing particularly special about them) and I guarantee the person you give one to will not appreciate it's value.