fabulous local garden centre, small as it's in former houses but has all the essentials and often a…read morefew surprises. The little gift shop a few doors down is run by the same family and has amazing presents for family.

A traditional garden centre just off the main Bearwood Road, that encompasses a main shop selling…read moreseeds, some pretty mean looking pest control and dog treats as well as compost and plant food. Next door you will find the 'walled garden' which has a wide range of garden ornaments, shrubs, fruit trees, climbers, ferns and roses. Staff are rather serious but helpful and they have a nice cat!

This shop definitely had the wow factor for me. Back when I lived in Sheffield there was a gift…read moreshop my friend and I used to obsess over and for 3 years our family got all birthday and Christmas presents from this shop. Maddison immediately reminded me of this Sheffield gift shop and I was so happy to find a Brum counterpart! They have those good-enough-to-eat Yankee candles when you first walk in and as you go round there are just more and more wonderful gift ideas. I loved the cake stands and the cardboard versions that come as a flat pack. They have an extensive section of cards for all different occasions. The tea sets were so cute, especially the kids Hungry Caterpillar collection. Prices are a little steep however it's the perfect place to buy something special for a family member or a beautiful frame for your favourite photograph.

Maddison Avenue is a card and gift shop just next door to the rather forlorn looking Clock Tower…read more(more on that later) that has recently relocated - I rather suspect they haven't quite got the shop layout sorted because whilst it stocks a nice enough range of cards and bags (mostly Radley) I have mixed feelings about the place. The combination of fragile looking vases and densely packed aisles means that I am constantly on edge - convinced I will break items or get told off by staff for messing up their display of scented candles. This is definitely the place to go if you need a smelly candle or a nice box of chocolates - up until very recently they stocked Thornton's but I'm not sure they still do - as I've hinted the layout is a bit confusing so they may well have been hidden behind a set of Monet table mats. Staff are pleasant even if they do seem to be on constant guard against shop-lifters. One of the better places to get a decent birthday card in Harborne though.

Ooops! is a new artisan gallery & Gift shop opened on Sandon Road by business woman Jacqui Chana…read more When you step through the front door, the cool, crisp white decor provides a contemporary look with splashes of colour. The walls are adorned with tattoo-inspired stained glass panels, the handcrafted cards are quirky alternatives to the more "acceptable" ones found on the High Street and the gifts range from small bespoke pieces to large upcycled items. It doesn't just stop there. Downstairs is the gift shop but upstairs is a small area which offers an excellent, intimate space for independent artists/photographers and the ilk to stage their own exhibitions. Beyond what is the "artist's gallery", there are two rooms which will have the capacity to provide workshops, a meeting space and hold small events. This is a great little gift shop, which is sure to inspire and attract not only the "creative types" but also the discerning customer and supporters of independent stores. Ooops! is a welcome addition to Bearwood.

Now this little tearoom only opened today. I was one of the privileged few to have stepped through…read morethe doors of this amazingly quirky and colourful venue. The theme is inspired by Alice in Wonderland. Not surprising really, considering the owner/proprietor also has a gift shop called Mad As A Hatter directly opposite! The tearoom, aptly named The Tea Party! (what else!?) is very child friendly, with high and low chairs, with pushchair & wheelchair access, two toilets (one of which is also the nappy changing room) a selection of reproduction, upcycled, ornate seats and chairs to choose from, it provided a cornucopia of dizzying delights to bombard the eye with an original look to an otherwise oft neglected part of Bearwood. As a stand out, it really provides a change from the generic high street cafes and as an independent cafe/tearoom. It's going to offer a "library" where patrons can simply read or work on their tablets/laptops or other electronic devices, a "gallery" for local artists and photographers to display and sell their work, craft workshops and rooms to hire to either demonstrate/teach "crafty" things or simply have a small party! The whole concept or venue really offers good value for money and can easily become the creative community hub of Bearwood. Watch this space! It's open 9.30am until 5pm.

If the Alice in Wonderland inspired Tea Party was in Los Angeles it would have a cult following and…read morelines around the block. As it is, in Bearwood, would you believe, it is a fine place to while away an hour with a friend over a pot of tea or coffee. A lot of imagination has gone into making this a fun and relaxing place to be - from the pretty tea pots leading to the entrance, to the delightfully mismatched furniture, hand painted cups and cuckoo clocks! When I was there, the coffee was really kinda lovely and Santa was in there too, taking a tea break!

Ethos has to be my FAVOURITE florist in the whole of Birmingham!…read more The uplifting smell of fragrance from the fresh cut flowers in here, when you walk in is soo pleasant and makes you smile. The florist offers gifts, greeting cards, sweets, flowers for business events & parties, candles, bunches of the finest bouquets, pots, balloons, cuff-links, vases, mugs, photo frames, clocks and even soap! There is something here for everyone. Only the flowers are available online however. And Gift vouchers are ONLY available through Facebook. I would certainly and quite highly recommend this to anyone, regardless of who your shopping for as the variety of diverse gifts available, as mentioned above, is quite astonishing. You may find you spend a little fortune in here, but well worth every penny!!!

I love this shop and not just for the gorgeous flowers but the plentiful greeting cards it stocks…read more There's always a warm welcome too and they don't seem to mind if you just browse for cards and gifts. After all, we're not exactly spoilt for choice for shops in Brindleyplace! However, the flowers are stunning and they offer some amazing arrangements. I've noticed, Ethos have started an on-line service now too so you can order gifts that they will send for you. I especially love the flowers in a teacup and saucer which is unique in an arena where it must be so hard to come up with new ways of arranging flowers. Ethos are clearly very adept at organising arrangements for events too and furthermore it's great to see a business thrive after ten years!

I am basing this review on the establishment and not in the art inside. It would be unfair to as…read morewhen I went it didn't seem have anywhere near as cool stuff that other yelpers photos suggest. It's free to get in but you are heavily encouraged to drop a fiver in the donations box slap in the middle of the entrance way. Going immediately upstairs to what is usually the main exhibit and the top floor holds between another 1 and 2 exhibitions with a small media room. You go upstairs then down half stairs to move around the building - but there is a glass elevator too. Gift shop is customary as usual but this holds some quirkier items, to be honest we spent the most time here. In the case of what was to offer when I was there we got around the gallery within the hour easily. I would go again as it is free but some of what was on show wasn't my thing last time.

For an small contemporary art gallery IKON is "As good as it gets"…read more Situated in Brindley Place, it's easily within reach from all directions within the City Core. My personal favourite is the walk along the canal from the Mailbox direction, though you can just as easily reach it via Centenary Square through the ICC. IKON started in the 60s in a small kiosk in the old Bullring has come along way to the magnificent neo-gothic School building in which it now resides. The Oozells Street School was at one point the only building in the area that is now known as Brindley Place. As you walk into the gallery the brightly lit IKON lettering on the concrete wall is a visually striking welcome and an idea into the feel of what it is about. Contemporary art and in particular, installations. I have been to many of the exhibitions at IKON and no two are alike. Each has their own unique feel, message or story to tell. IKON is great at displaying wow pieces as well as some very abstract pieces. Don't worry though, I recommend you pick up the free guides before you go in, usually in a container on the wall. They can be very helpful in giving you a rundown of who the artist is and some of the meaning behind their work. Artists from all over the world have displayed here and currently Korean artist Lee Bul's exhibition is his first in UK, a premiere, and one definitely worth visiting! Why not make an afternoon of it? Café Opus is located on the ground floor and has some really great food and drink at affordable prices. There is also a shop where you can buy cards, books etc of the artist on display or general art paraphernalia. Oh and IKON is a FREE gallery so you have no excuse! Get cultural, Birmingham!

Birmingham is a world class city concerning the subject of art, this much cannot be disputed. Once…read moreone has thoroughly inspected the collections at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, the next stop should be four miles south, at The Barber Institute of Fine Arts on the campus of the University of Birmingham. This fine institute was founded only in the 1930's as both a art gallery and campus building for the study of art. As with other collections on campus, there is no required admission fee, though a £5 donation is requested. The bequest used in the founding of the institute required that acquisitions be of a quality on par with the National Gallery in London. Almost all of the works on display are housed on the second floor of the building. The collection is smaller than art museums of a national scale, but it is very focused and robust in its own right. Arguably some of the most important works on display are 'The Harvest Wagon' (Gainsborough), Symphony in White No. 3 (Whistler), Shakespeare's folios, and a combined Roman & Byzantine coin collection (one of the world's largest). In addition you'll find works by Van Gogh, Monet, Picasso, Rembrandt, Renoir, and Gauguin. Unlike pretty much every gallery in London, you can relax and take in the works at the institute on a lazy afternoon with very few people milling about to break your concentration. Downstairs, a lecture hall and auditorium completes the institute, with a nice gift shop near the door. If you are only visiting, live in Birmingham, or even only have a passing passion for art, the Barber Institute is a must see regardless!

If you've ever fancied having one of the country's finest small galleries to yourself then the…read moreBarber Institute is the place for you. I've visited several times and on each occasion it's just been me and the security guards. This is nothing short of a travesty as the collection is one to be treasured. Situated within the grounds of the University of Birmingham's Edgbaston campus the permanent collection is housed within four adjoined galleries telling the story of European Art from the 13th to the early 20th Century. The Green gallery contains works from the Renaissance era with a particularly stunning collection of Albrecht Durer woodcuts in a darkened side-room. This leads to the Red gallery, which in addition to 17th Century works by Rubens, Van Dyck and Murillo contains representation of a personal favourite painter, Frans Hals (check out the brushwork - hands like lightning that man). The Beige gallery contains what is arguably the stand-out work of the whole collection, and from one of it's lesser known artists; Vigee-Lebrun's "Portrait of Francois Langois". Finally, the Blue gallery reads like a who's-who of Romantic and Impressionist artists - Turner, Manet, Delacroix, Degas, Van Gogh, Monet, Gaugin. I could go on. Temporary exhibits can also be found in the Education Gallery. There is a small gift shop and cafe on the ground floor. Entrance free; donations appreciated. It's just a shame there aren't more people there to appreciate it.