Fantastic range of plants in all sizes. They proved to be extremely helpful when it came to…read morestocking out my garden, showing a real interest in making sure I had the plants that would work for my garden and not just what they wanted to sell me! It's not like your normal garden centre where they just point you in the general direction, Palmers know their stuff and will educate you too if necessary. Great place to go for a walk too - like a tropical wonderland in places. Video link: http://www.youtube.com/v/crwN1bkjOzY

Great plants and great prices. It is great to go for a look around too especially on a nice day!…read moreStaff are really helpful and friendly.

I have driven past The Vale Stables and their signs indicating logs and manure for sale many times…read morethinking it was just a horse stables. It may well be this but when I walked past I was overjoyed to find a little garden centre that looks like it rose up from ground and grew out of the trees that hide it. It exists mostly outside with a lady, a cat and dog huddled round a wood burner, running the place. There are plants everywhere, planted in boots, old toilets, amongst carved pieces of wood, as well as in pots, for sale. Recently I picked up a pot of thyme for £1.50 but there were loads of herbs and flowers I could have chosen from. I also wanted some trays and pots to plant my seeds in so I asked if they had any. The lady told me they had loads and to help myself from the pile for no charge! This beats sterile and expensive landscaped garden centres I have tried to avoid since my childhood any day.

The Vale Stables is truly a hidden gem…read more A lovely rambling space packed with seasonal plants of all kinds, where the owners can be found warming their hands on a crackling wood-burner in all weathers - inspiring you to the outdoor life. They sell beautiful healthy plants which are so much cheaper than at any local garden centre. You can also buy wood and good quality manure in the autumn. The atmosphere is friendly and welcoming. The owner, Gwen, and her daughter, have a wealth of gardening knowledge and will go out of their way to help and advise. My 3 year old boy loves to visit and see the hens, the dog and the river while I browse the plants on offer and soak up the atmosphere.

Brian's is what I imagine to be a typical market florist - a stall selling a range of brightly…read morecoloured flowers emitting a gorgeous, refreshing scent into their modest surroundings. Brian's actually sells more flowers and a wider variety than most florist shops, which oddly I feel tend to be a bit minimalist flower-wise. The flowers here look happy and healthy and are affordably priced. There is a nice range to suit most tastes, though nothing particularly exotic or unusual. They also sell a small range of pretty pot plants. If you're looking for a reasonably priced gift or want to brighten up a dull room, Brian's Florist may well be worth a look.

Brian's is a lovely florists selling not only bunches of flowers but pot plants and herbs. At this…read moretime of year there are plenty of bunches of daffodils for sale and at Brian's they are market price, only £1.50 for 3 bunches, but of quality equal to any fancy shop-florists. A bunch of daffodils is a bunch of daffodils so why pay more? They have neat bunches of roses and pretty bouquets of lilies and other wonderfully colourful flowers that I don't even know the name of. Oh how out of touch we are with nature in this technological age! If you fancy a brush with nature and genuine Yorkshire folk then you can pick up pots of primroses for a mere 50p at Brian's!

Situated on a remote stretch of road as all good garden centres should be, High Trees is a massive…read moregarden facility that has been doing a smashing job for as long as I can remember. There's all manner of garden stuff in this vast place, from the plants themselves to growth products, garden tools, wiring, garden ornaments, compost and of course the all important plant pots. Many of their living products are grown in their own nursery (the kind of nursery that looks after little plants rather than little humans) which is one of the most impressive things about high trees. However, the most impressive thing in my (knows-nothing-about-gardening) eyes is the Christmas trees they sell, which we've got every year for the last decade, and which have always served us remarkably well.

This place really could be quite handy as its not too far for me to travel and often need more…read morespecialised plants, etc., that you can't buy at other outlets nearby. Every time I go there though I say its the last time. The staff are positively rude, unfriendly and evasive. The last time I went in I couldn't find any staff at all but was looking for a particularly climbing plant. I eventually went back to the till and asked a rather sour faced woman on the till if she could help. She said they were closing soon but what did I want, to which I replied what time did they close because if she could point me in the right direction I would quickly look for what I wanted. When she replied Now I couldn't believe her attitude! On my way in I had looked at the price of some large topiary trees one was £1,800 approx so I simply ended the conversation by saying Well thats a shame I was just hoping to purchase two of those large trees outside. She never answered but as I left, she slammed the door behind me! I can honestly say its nearly always the same with any member of staff there. SO DONT VISIT IF YOU WANT A FRIENDLY WELCOME AND A NICE ATMOSPHERE ITS TERRIBLE.

Since moving to Leeds, I have lived in a total of seven houses and flats. The Plant Shop has helped…read moreme in decorating them all. The first four were student accommodation so we were in definite need of some flora and fauna to disguise the mess and chaos. A stack of empty beer cans looks far more respectable with a cyclamen watching over them with an air of mature authority! The people who run the stall are helpful and knowledgeable, directing me when I have needed indoor or outdoor plants and educating me in the benefits of plant food. On asking for some plants that did not require too much care or attention, I was swiftly guided towards some hardy foliage, with a knowing look. The larger plants in particular are much cheaper than the ones of a similar size in chain stores. There is a fantastic range, which includes fresh herbs, cacti and many other leafy beauties. We got a Christmas tree with a fantastic shape and height this year, for a very reasonable fee. This stall has a gorgeous old cash till which must be an antique, an attractive feature to notice. All in all, a great place to stock up on a lovely bit of vegetation to brighten up your house.

Surrounded by so many florrists in the market, it is quite a breath of fresh air to see a stall…read morededicated entirely to plants. Selling many different types (and I do not claim to be an expert in this field) ranging from very small to medium/large plants, if you are after anything massive, you might want to go elsewhere, or ask the owner if he can get hold of what you're after. Greenery always brightens up any atmoosphere, and The Plant Shop certainly does that. If you need any plant advice, don't hesitate to ask the owner. I think I may have just saved one of my plants at home!

I don't know why but I love little DIY shops like this. As you walk in you can't help gawping…read morearound at all the bits and pieces for a good few minutes before you remember why you are there. There is not an inch of free wall space here. The walls and beams across the ceiling are carpeted in little packets of useful things. It is neat though, and very easy to navigate around. The man behind the counter looks exactlt like you would imagine a DIY shop owner to look like in Yorkshire. In his checkered shirt and big smile he looks very much in his element. He will be able to tell you exactly what you need to solve all sorts of household hiccups. They sell things like nails, tape measures, bleach, painting equipment, pet products, bins, kitchen ware, gardening goods, and electrical bits and bobs. If you have just moved to Leeds and are near Burley Road it would be a good idea to pop past if you need anything for the finishing touches to your new pile of bricks.

This charmingly retro-looking D.I.Y. shop spills its wares out onto the pavement inviting you to…read moreweave among them and examine the products on offer, including brooms, mops, buckets and plants. St. Anns D.I.Y. is quite small but well-stocked - every available space is packed full of D.I.Y. essentials. There is also a pet food section and a wide range of plant pots of different shapes and sizes. They also cut keys, which can become an essential service for the many student houses of Leeds what with 5+ bunches of keys flying about bound to get lost on a wild night out. The bloke behind the counter was very helpful on my last visit...so if you're at all clueless when it comes to rawl plugs and drill bits then you can rest assured you'll be pointed in the right direction.

The Holly Bush Centre in Leeds is a conservation centre and home to BTCV(British Trust for…read moreConservation Volunteers) of Leeds - a charity focused on conserving nature in our country and education people about this. You can volunteer at the centre if you are looking for some experience before going into conservation as your career, or get some qualifications here. I have done a few days volunteering with a friend who works here. His job involved going into schools and making nature gardens for the children to play in, appreciate and learn about wildlife and nature in. It is really important for kids to learn things about nature especially in the city if they don't have the countryside around them. It is a charity so anyone can make donations to them.

This is a review of the cafe. We ordered the tea for two. It comes with scones, a selection of…read moresandwiches and cakes and tea. Everything was fresh and very tasty, and also great value. Highly recommended.

My wife and I went for lunch today. The staff behind the counter were surly and abrupt. Before we…read morecould be served we were told by one of them, in the earshot of the other,that we had to get a table first or otherwise we might not be able to sit down. This just encourages people to queue jump and there were no pre warning notices. It was agreed that I sit down only for the other to say the same thing, equally as abrupt and surly. The stroganoff was advertised as just that. It was not said what it came with. I rather liked the roast potatoes and veg rather than rice. Rice was plonked on the plate without asking and pots were only added grudgingly. The place was full. They did not seem to care. Complacent would be a good way to describe them. The food was good. The customer service is very poor indeed.

What a house of wonder! Chase really isn't kidding when he says it sells everything, it really does…read moresell pretty much everything you might need for your home. From cleaning products, kitchen items, DIY bits and bobs, cheap snacks, cards and so much more - they've got it covered. If you're a keen shopper/browser it's a veritable treasure chest to explore. My particular favourite is the upstairs section. Here's where the items get slightly less bargainous and become a little higher end... They've beds, lamps and all other kinds of home furnishings in a range of styles. Faux-antique right through to the more modern sleek look. I bought an awesome 'telephone box' lamp for my room at home, which is so kitsch and delightful and only set me back £15. (I can imagine it costing a ton more in a vintage shop!) My Mum was particularly overjoyed with a red painted vase that she picked up as well, of which they had many different shades! So, there's plenty to get excited about, and not too pricey as well. However, all that glitters is not gold. I did come away having purchased a few oil reed scent dispensers (the pots of oils with the wooden reeds) and they simply don't work at all. They were only a pound each, but I can see why they were so cheap as they give off no scent at all! Even so, I'm pleased as punch with my lamp so that more than makes up for it!

I was first introduced to QLM by my new wife (I change them quite often, not really if you're…read morereading this love) just after we set up home together. It was the first time I'd been in a shop which I cannot categorize by what it sells, IT SELLS EVERYTHING !! From bleach to crisps, rugs to xbox games, they have almost everything under one roof. The only thing I can say lets it down is a lack of electrical goods like TV's but if you're looking for a pack of brass tacks and a birthday card for auntie Mabel this is a good place to start........ and if you're feeling tired you can nip upstairs and pretend you're testing a bed out :)