Manor Garden Centre, Swindon

	Click the picture to enlarge it.
	Manor Garden Centre in Swindon impressed us very much for several reasons. It has all you need for the garden and at the same time it's great place to wander around.

This is a totally independent GardenAction review of the Manor Garden Centre in Swindon. Click any picture to enlarge it.

PLANTS

One glance at the outdoor plant area of this garden centre is enough to convince you that the plants will be of high quality. The entire outdoor area is tidy, free from debris and obstructions.

The plants are well-watered, well cared for and in excellent condition. Surprisingly there was no advertised hardy plant guarantee which was a disappointment but the plants definitely have our vote of excellence

The layout of the outside plants area is attractive and pleasant to wander round. If it's raining then a large proportion of the plants area is covered, about 50%. If it's pots you are after then you will not be disappointed!

The signs around the outside area were more than adequate to help you locate the main plant groupings. Most of the plants were placed in alphabetical order which was also useful.

There was no dedicated help centre but the staff were knowledgeable, helpful and most importantly approachable.

The range of plants was good and you are likely to find what you are looking for at Manor garden centre.

As for specialities, we did notice that there was an impressive range of larger than normal potted plants. These come at a cost, as always, but if you you want immediate impact plants then Manor is the place.

There was also a good range of somewhat unusual plants for sale as the picture of vitis vinifera on the left illustrates.

It was the combination of the unusual plants, the normal plants and the layout which impressed us. The "wander around" factor was also high because although this is a modern garden centre, the traditional feel of a nursery was also present.

PRICES

The prices at Manor Garden Centre were about average to slightly below average as our shopping basket below illustrates.

Rose, 3 litre pot	�5.99 upwards
Common shrub (e.g. potentilla, hebe)	�4.99
Clematis	�5.99 upwards
Runner Bean seeds (4m)	�2.65 (Johnsons)
Multipurpose 75l	�3.99 (3 for �10)
Stainless steel fork	�14.99 (Kingfisher)
Economy spade	�11.99 (Spear and Jackson)
Fish, Blood and Bone, branded, 4kg	�4.99
Phosphrogen 1 kg	�2.99
Tomorite 1 litre	�3.99
Wild bird food 3.6kg	F4.99
Large cup of coffee in cafe	�1.60

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