To be a garden centre or a nursery or not to be a garden centre or a nursery? That is the question. It seems these days that many nurseries eventually diversify along the garden centre route - installing cafes, aquatics centres and farm shops. Fortunately, Hirons continues to buck the trend. This has always been and continues to be an actual functioning nursery providing high class garden and house plants to Birmingham families for years. Hirons retains its old fashioned feel, and hasn't changed since I used to visit here with my dad - who loves the place to bits incidentally. There's no smoke or mirrors here. You can see the staff getting there hands dirty, potting up the wonderful plants on old newspaper that they've actually grown on site. Garden centres have their place, but if you're a plant lover first and foremost this is the place for you. The staff at this family run firm really know their stuff, and you'll leave with unusual plants and specialist potting soil rather than a goldfish and a pot of homemade marmalade. read more

This nursery keeps gardening alive all year long. It has a lovely selection of Christmas trees in December and pleasant flower and veggie seeds in Spring. My favourite bit though is the drive. Each delivery the store receives causes a traffic back up because trucks really cannot fit through the gates but always try. Its an old business but remains a refreshing stop in the Perry Barr neighborhood. read more