By Emma Gill
I never thought I’d be excited about visiting a garden centre, but that’s what age does for you, and with a garden needing a splash of colour, nobody’s going to do it for me.
But these places can be expensive, especially the larger all-singing all-dancing garden centres we have across the region.
So when I heard about a place selling cheaper plants for pretty much anyone’s budget, I decided to head along and see what it has in store.
Family-run R.H.Gill Boscow Nurseries in Little Lever is actually Bolton’s highest rated garden centre according to Google reviews and it’s got a top rating of 4.7 out of 5 based on more than 400 reviews.
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There’s nothing particularly fancy about the place, but it was much bigger than we expected when we pulled up on a sunny Sunday afternoon.
There are some plants and flowers at the front entrance, but step behind and it’s like a maze, with row upon row – and greenhouse after greenhouse – of everything from bedding plants, trees and shrubs to colourful flowers of every kind.
I picked up a variety for my back garden, including a red Dahlia just starting to bloom and a gorgeous purple Dwarf Veronica perennial, both £3.50 each.
A huge Gallardia Arizona Sun – with large daisy-like flowers in red, orange and yellow – cost me just £6.50, and they even had a large plastic pot to put it in for just £4.
I filled almost a full trolley, with other pots and plants including the pink-flowered Sidalcea Brilliant, also £6.50 and perfect for sunny borders, and it all came to less than £40.
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There are so many other bargains here too, including some blooming hanging baskets for £14, as well as your big bags of compost and soil from £3.50.
There’s no cafe, so it’s not somewhere people come for a day out, but if you’re lucky you might find the resident Labrador Ginny having a wander and that’s a treat in itself. Other dogs are allowed in on a lead.
Among the recent reviews, customers have praised the nursery for its wide selection and decent prices.
“Excellent choice of well grown plants at very reasonable prices,” said one, with another adding: “Always go here for my plants for the spring and summer, lots of choices. Good prices.”
A third added: “A wonderful place with an incredible selection of plants at great prices. I could happily spend all day browsing everything on offer! Staff were really friendly and helpful. I’ll certainly be back!”
Boscow Nurseries can be found at the bottom of Mytham Road, Little Lever, BL3 1TL. It’s open 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday and from 10am to 4pm at weekends. Keep up to date with the stock on the Facebook page here.