When I was told "you could spend a whole day at Lady Green", that it was "vast" and "stunning," I…read morewas a little doubtful: it's a garden centre; could it really be THAT good? Bedding plants, hanging baskets and gnomes can only excite a person so much, but I went along open minded and was absolutely blown away. Lady Green is astonishingly beautiful. Initially, I was struck by the sheer scale of the place: 10 acres of land designed and manufactured to look as natural as possible. Walking around the grounds one can easily forget they are in a garden centre at all, far from B&Q or Homebase style trays of petunias and mass produced plant pots, Lady Green is landscaped with raised beds, pergolas, secret paths and even a large pond; reminiscent of a nature reserve with hundreds of bees guzzling nectar, birds darting in and out and rustling in the established trees and a mix of ducks of enjoying the secluded areas. Outdoors is remarkable and the indoor centre is just as impressive with a huge home-ware and garden furniture section, a kitchenware section and everything else from clothes to greetings cards and gift wrap, children's games to old fashioned sweets. At Christmas time a festive section is opened selling a range of exquisite decorative baubles and delicate ornaments and you can purchase a Christmas tree from the centre as well. Lady Green really is stunning, and there is a wonderful atmosphere there; the staff are so friendly and clearly enjoy their job while the customers, most of whom I would describe as visitors rather than shoppers, are quite content wandering around, sitting in the various tranquil spots or dining in the cafe.

I have quite fond memories of Lady Green as a child as my sisters and I would be taken there by my…read moreNan of a weekday in an attempt to keep us quiet whilst she walked around looking at all the plants and ornaments on show. Quite how we managed to be kept preoccupied by a garden centre I don't know, but it seemed to work. However, on returning to Lady Green recently I realised that perhaps there was more to it than just dismissing it as a garden centre. Firstly, the grounds themselves are huge, making for a hugely landscaped area to the extent that you sometimes forget you're actually in a garden centre (unlike in B&Q and Homebase where you can never forget you're just in a large shed). I guess it is this vastness that kept us all so busy during those times. Secondly, whilst I'm not the biggest gardening enthusiast in the world (I'm not that old), there is a genuinely interesting selection of different displays and products on display to fascinate even the least green-fingered of people. There is also a lovely little coffee shop there which serves some nice homemade food, perfect for those days when the weather isn't so pleasant and you have to rush inside for cover.

I was a bit surprised about going out to eat at the Nursery Garden Shop since our nurseries in USA…read moredon't have a cafe, but my inlaws come here a lot. I've been here two or three times to eat and it's quite nice. The sandwiches here are hearty as well as their bowls of soup. I've also had afternoon tea here too which was tasty and not expensive. The prices here are very reasonable, so it's a nice breakfast and lunch spot. I didn't notice, but my husband was quick to comment when we sat down that the crowd here is mostly pensioners on a weekday. I'd happily eat here again. Make sure to grab a rewards card when you're here if you're local; they'll give you a free hot drink after several hot drink purchases.

From the owner: Hartley's are a fifth generation family business, specialising in the growing and retailing of…read morebedding plants and hanging baskets. As one of the area's leading florists, we have a large fresh flower department, where one of our skilled florists can create a beautiful bouquet whilst you wait. A recent addition to our lovely flower and plant shop is The Cafe at Hartley's, where our chefs are creating wonderful home-made food using the best of local produce.

Service ridiculously slow, and nothing left, seriously nothing, no baguettes, no soup, wth! More…read morelike Doby's, where is Harry Potter when you need him to magic up some food?

What a great place to visit! Went here with the extended family while visiting and stayed in the…read morecafe (tea and cream scones British or what!?) It was incredibly warm but walking out the doors into the beautiful gardens and sitting in the gazebo with a light breeze made it an absolutely great day. The centre itself is nice, well stocked and plenty of helpful staff. Coming from Ireland I've never seen a butcher's, deli, cafe etc inside a garden centre but it seems to work well:)

visited the cafe and restaurant The parking for my Mercedes Sprinter Van + Wheelchair was…read moresufficiently suitable and plenty of room to manoeuvre which is important to me. Their was a nicely graduated ramp for access to the building altho the doors were not automatic so difficult if i was on my own. The staff were very friendly and helpful which always influences a return journey. the food on offer ranges from sandwiches and cakes to soup and toasted tea cakes with a reasonable selection of each. Only real issue I found was the prices were a little high for a cafe, not too dissimilar to Costa Coffee prices! However should your tastes be more varied the cafe is attached to a garden restaurant. Access to the disabled toilet for wheelchairs is good with light doors for opening and a good access to the wheelchair area. a lot of toilets in public places are awkward for turning a wheelchair round in, and would you believe often used as a storage area for cleaning equipment and hoovers!? thankfully not this time and i found the loo's very clean. All in all a nice friendly place to visit and certainly worth a recommendation.

Well stocked garden centre just outside the village of Banks. Nice selection of bird accessories…read moreand garden tools. Staff are really friendly and always willing to assist where they can. Plenty of parking available outside the store.

This branch of Dobbies is quite large and has a really good range…read more They have an outdoor area for plants, trees, water features, pond supplies and also hot tubs and spas There is a large indoor area with plants, bulbs, seeds and gardening accessories including large mowers etc. They have a clothing section offering a range of good quality outdoor clothing with wet weather gear etc and obviously gear the range to the season. They also have a great pond and aquarium section with all you need to kit yourself out from pond liner to tanks to filters and fish. There assortment of fish is amazing and the kids love seeing them even if not buying, they also have more exotic items for your needs. They have a large gift area with things for everyone, adults and children with pottery, jewellery, ornaments, accesories and toys, books and games. They also have a reasonable but standard craft supply section. There is a large section that is changed to suit the season and stocks garden furniture, barbecues, picnic sets or as is currently on display, Christmas items from trees to decorations and tableware. The cafe stocks snacks, hot and cold food, cakes and full hot meals or salads. Its a decent range with varying prices for items. Outside seating is also available along with a play area for children and a resource centre you can get some great info from. They run demonstartion events throught the year for all different things and you can join their loyalty programme for a low annual fee and it gives you discount and 2 free coffees or teas a month. The instore deli is a delight and one of my favourite parts with cheeses, pates and speciality goods and a Broughs Butchers that stocks a great range too.

Large Garden Centre, slightly out of town but handy for main route in from Ormskirk (turn left at…read morethe Tesco roundabout) Large selection of garen furniture, gifts and massive plant section. Also has a food hall with local and speciality produce, a coffee bar, full self service restaurant, play area for children. A day out in itself!

I have been trying to buy a Lugarde log cabin from this company for the past 3 months. All my…read moreattempts to contact the director by email, in person, by telephone and text to facilitate the purchase have been ignored. Bizarre behaviour from Carr Bank Garden Centre. I have taken my business to a competitor and have received exemplary service from them.

I'm bound to say this is OK as it is my local garden centre but they have decently priced plants…read morewith a discount. Super range of pet foods and accessories. The emphasis is on the goods they sell, not on teas and cakes and pointless expensive ornaments. Far better than the local competition (Beetham)