I love Golden Days Garden Centre, I love sitting in the cafe and wandering around the plants…read more I always pick up a good book and nice smelling candles along with my bird food

Visited this weekend purely for the purposes of buying a Christmas tree and it did the job…read moreperfectly. There were loads to choose from and we even got a complimentary mince pie and glass of gluhwein. Not exactly cheap, but there were lots of lovely decorations in the shop and also there was a greyhound pulling a small sleigh outside. What more can you ask for, really?

A community run garden centre in the middle of Hulme. I've admired it from the top of the 86 bus…read moremany times. This is a very well designed space which feels surprisingly big as you walk around it. There's a good variety of flowers, fruit trees, shade plants and more for sale. There's a gluten free, vegan cafe on site. I saw a sign for vegan hotdogs, cakes and coffee when I was there but didn't sample anything. There's lots of seating at the cafe but also lots of little quiet spots with seating all over the centre. It feels like a community park as much as a business. There's also a 'schoolroom' with hay bales for the students. This place is not the cheapest garden centre but then your money is going to support a community not B & Q shareholders. Also all the plants are organic and in peat free compost.

A non commercial garden centre that has a really lovely relaxed feel to it and a good selection of…read moreplants and shrubs with some unusual varieties. The path leading in has lots of lovely plants growing along it and you are drawn in to the various areas with a smile. Loved the sensory garden and the staff are very friendly. If you need some vegetables for planting the have a selection. Also there are various courses run by this centre and details are on the website.

Floribunda is a florist shop in withington. They have a variety of flowers and plants in the shop…read more Its perfect if you want to gift flowers to your loved ones or to friends for their birthdays or any other occasion , as flowers can be given on almost any occasion. The prices are to a bit higher side but hey if its worth seeing a smile on the persons face to whom you give it. Its a nice shop with good arrangement of flowers and variety of plants as well.

I love this place and could spend a fortune here, you really can get some amazing things here for…read moreyour garden and outdoor areas, from chumineas, pots to really fancy bbq;s with big chimneys made from bricks etc.. worth a look around as you can get some really nice stuff, i bought some pots year month and they look really nice in my garden, located on hyde road in gorton easy to find as you can see all the pots out on the side of the road when passing.

A bit like Habitat, on a miniature scale this is a stylish interiors and gift shop in Didsbury…read morevillage. Prices aren't cheap, but you pay for quality, style and original designs. From sofas, beds and Dining room furniture, to candles, cookware and framed artwork there's a range to suit most young fashionable home lovers. I love browsing this shop on a Saturday afternoon just to look at all the retro gadgets and bits and pieces that you can find, there's always something new in. They also stock cards, gift wrap and stationary. Perfect for gifts, or just for spoiling yourself 'because you're worth it'.

Handy house wares shop in the middle of Didsbury's high street selling a large range of items from…read morebeds, sofa's, rugs, lamps, picture frames, plates and cutlery, to bedroom furniture and kitchen accessories. Luckily at the time of writing, they are having a huge clearance sale (70% of a lot of items) so it's quite possible you can bag a bargain if your currently looking to adding a household items into you home. I nearly got carried away and coveted a 'snazzy' range of Alessi cutlery/table accessories (given a cheeky glass of wine or two beforehand I may indeed have found myself in the red over daft salt and pepper pots). House Shop is akin to an independent, suburban habitat the furniture and accessories are similar to those found in that particular store, though with seemingly lower prices. At the back of the store is the bed section (tis indeed like a Tardis in here) with designs ranging from 'Po Mo Tokyo' to 'Ironic Quaker'...or so I gathered. With more mugs than the Daily Mail readership and a card section to slightly concern Clinton's (the greeting card store not the Presidency obsessed US couple) the House shop provides a decent niche for home furnishing in this neck of the woods. Currently this business has opened up to nine stores in the North West (from a few in South Manchester to as far flung as Windermere in the lakes). Whilst I was browsing I happened across a pizza stone which I'd been after for years! Works an absolute treat. We have Italian relatives over next weekend so I'm gonna see if I can impress them with my crispy bottoms