Do you enjoy a spot of gardening? If so then you can't go past The Conservatory Garden and Home on…read moreUnley Road. This is a high end garden shop supplying quality plants so you will pay a little more but the benefit is your plants are more likely to survive if they have a good start to life. Plants at The Conservatory are all very lush and the staff do everything from selling single plants, to giving advice on making your garden thrive, to designing complete gardens. With flowering plants, climbers, trees, shrubs and a selection of plants guaranteed to survive Adelaide's extreme weather, the guys at The Conservatory know there business and are happy to share their knowledge with customers. Even if you're not buying, just walking through this garden shop is quite an experience - it's like a mini botanic garden in the midst of suburbia. Inside you'll find The Conservatory is more like a house than a shop and the interior is set up with a range of giftwares and books set out in different rooms. Some of the items you can buy there, you just wouldn't expect to see in a garden shop. In addition to everything else, they can deliver your plants if they won't fit in the car, gift wrap your purchases and will always send you on your way with a smile on your face. If its too tricky to find a park on Unley Road (as is often the case) I find their off-street car parking in Irwin Lane very handy.

The Conservatory looks -and is - a wonderful place to decorate your home & garden. The beautiful…read moreshop front on Unley Road looks more like a high class, expensive estate, but houses perfectly manicured plants for the front garden of your upper class home. The inside is filled (not really suitable for kids, too much to touch and break) with homewares, furniture, decor, prints and lots of pillows. However wonderful this place is to look through, it is very expensive - which makes it exclusive to the higher income market. Everything is of the highest quality though, go and have a look through - if not to buy, just to get ideas!

It's like AliExpress or Ebay but in real life and not having to be shipped from Asia for 3 weeks!…read moreWith a selection of fake flowers for 50c each, fairy lights at $1.95 per strand of 20 and 20cm vases for $4 these guys buy in bulk and so can offer it cheap. Luckily, you as a consumer have access to it wholesale - if you have an ABN. The staff were very friendly in the warehouse, and it was beautiful to peruse with floor to ceiling decorations, wrapping paper, chandeliers, fluoro furniture all laid out in sections and on display. However, I would probably now just buy everything in their online store and pick up from the shop, it's a 5% discount if you do! Don't expect quirky Dora the Explorer bunting, Superman paper plates or pirate ship pinatas here, this place is for the pros who know that spending any more than $2 on fairy lights ain't worth it.

That Dapper Market day was Saturday, 14 Dec…read more Organized, massive vintage shopping, great cakes and snacks (lots of vegan & gluten free choices), live entertainment, and all inside, undercover in Plant 1 in Bowden. It was one of the best executed local pop-up markets I've been to in Adelaide. Lots of free parking. A wide variety of vendors. Clean and comfortable, with just enough seating to take a break and enjoy a snack. Aside from a wide selection of vintage clothing, there was home-made soap and candles, jewellery and crafts on offer. One booth even offered really interesting hand-made compasses with an antique look. Not on offer were huge amounts of christmas paraphernalia, which made this a great venue for shopping for presents to give others for the holidays. By the time you read this, it will be over. Keep an eye out for the next Dapper Market event, put it on your schedule and go. You will not be disappointed. Eat, drink and be merry, but not too much. JD

This That Dapper was on Saturday 29 March and it was my first time after lusting after the rumours…read moreof going to a market where you could drink beer and listen to live music whilst shopping. Beautifully set in Plant 4 at Bowden, the old Clipsal factory site was full to the brim with second and vintage clothing, vases and furniture, prints, cushions, hand made jewellery, soaps, Four Seeds brownies, hot dogs, more vegan and food than you could ethically poke a stick at and as mentioned, a bar and live band. I loved the chaotic collision of stalls that forced you to walk around the market 2 or 3 times in a circular fashion to really feel like you had seen everything. I went at 4pm because I heard that at previous markets by 6-7pm a lot of food vendors started running out of stuff. All stall holders were so incredibly friendly and attentive and it didn't feel like there were there just to chat about their personal lives with each other, they were actually there to sell stuff and engage you. Yay for customer service 101! My biggest qualm about this space was the huge lack of seating (probably because it was so popular), which meant we had to sit down outside to eat. No problems really but this would bother an older demo. I'd also love to see more savoury food stalls that also sell non vegan related food - maybe I missed the memo about this being a vegan food market? All in all though it was a wonderful atmosphere, great selection of stalls at a range of affordability and very well coordinated - well done Littlest Vintage guys!

Doesn't look big from the front but once inside it goes all the way back to the end of the garden…read morepath on a gently sloping block. The majority of the shop is plants but they also have a good selection of pots, statues, etc outside and an excellent range of giftware inside the shop. It's worth venturing right down the back of the garden and having a look at their reject or damaged section. I picked up an absolute bargain...a garden angel statue of a little boy sitting with knees up to his chin, resting his head to one side over folded arms, posed looking down eyes closed. These statues look aged and retail for over $250, I found the purchase of the year paying only $50 because he was damaged, to me I didn't care...he's beautiful as he is. This is not to say it'll happen often but when and if it does...you're in luck. The garden centre is well maintained and well stocked for all you need to plant out your garden, patio, etc, also great for garden orientated gifts.

Christies beach seems to be changing recently. Lots of funky little stores are popping up. This is…read moresomething really exciting for the area and hopefully should spark some attention. Pink Tulip caught my eye while walking down the main street. A gorgeous little set up of succulents, vertical gardens, poppies and a vintage bike sat out the front. I had to investigate! The store is abundant in colour of many different varieties of flowers and home décor. The smell as you walked in the store was sweet and fresh. There are a wide variety of bits and pieces for your home available here. If you are looking for candles and scented sticks, there are some really lovely choices here. You will also find some vases, soaps, clothing, terrariums and plant boxes. It seems that the moment rope plant hangers (I think they started in the 70s?) are quite popular for home décor. If you are on a search for one, there are a few varieties here. The storeowner is very friendly and proud of her store. If you are after a bunch of flowers, be sure to have a chat to her if you are wanting a particular arrangement. Her designs are quite beautiful!

Who doesn't love nice flowers ... I'm expecting the answer to that question is no-one. If you need…read morea floral arrangement for a special occasion you should consider the arrangements on offer from Poppies at Glen Osmond Road. Walk into the shop on Glen Osmond Road and that unmistakable smell of cut flowers just hits you. There's something fresh and distinctive about the smell that always makes me smile. This is the kind of florist that deals more in arranged flowers rather than the kind where you just pop in for a bunch of blooms. Its not impossible to pick up a bunch but there are cheaper options if that's what you're after. The Poppies people can and will do special arrangements for all occasions. If you want to send flowers to say happy birthday or happy anniversary or to mark the arrival of a new baby you should pay them a visit. Of course if you're in the market for flowers for your wedding, take a look at what they have on offer. Make sure you look through their existing portfolio of arrangements which should have you convinced these people know their flowers. Bridal arrangements are such an important (and an expensive) part of modern weddings that taking the time to find the right florist for you is vital.

Sally at Poppies was an absolute delight to deal with for our wedding flowers and really did an…read moreamazing job with everything. We had a quick chat about what was envisioned a few weeks prior to the event and she absolutely nailed it. We had a bit of an unusual request for decorating an Indian Mandap and Sally really rose to meet the challenge. All the guests remarked about how beautiful it looked and boy were they right. Sally was nothing but courteous, flexible and extremely easy to work with. The only pity here is that I have but five stars to give! If you need flowers for a wedding or special occasion definitely consider Poppies.

Crazy Roy's is a hidden gem! I run a charity and bring art work over from Africa to sell as part…read moreof our fundraising. Roy and his wife are an absolute pleasure to do business with and their prices are the best that I have found in Adelaide. I have been trying different framers over the past 4 years and they are by far the cheapest and best. Their attention to detail is so good and quality of framing is outstanding. I have had over 100 paintings framed since 2012 and Roy has such a creative eye, that I let him match the frame and borders to suit each one. I cant praise this company enough!

There's plenty to like about this picture framing business as not only are they reasonably cheap,…read morebut they are friendly and work with you to get the best style and design to frame your photos, prints or artworks. All framing is done on site as the factory is out the back. The shop is full of ready made frames with matting, framed prints and also mirrors. I purchased an A3 ready to go frame for $10 a short while ago, there are various sizes and contrasting matting boards to choose from. For the home handy person or learner, you can buy the matting board and wood frames in lengths to make your own. Directly out on the South Rd frontage they usually bring out some framed prints and mirrors with signage saying for you to make an offer, so why not if you like it. If you're a bowerbird be on the look out as they often throw out stuff onto the side road on the footpath, I haven't done it but in driving past there appears to be some interesting and useful offcuts.

When it is warm weather I am easily drawn to gardening. I guess most of us are. I start thinking…read moreabout starting a veggie patch and plating flowers to enjoy some colour when I am outdoors. It's also great to know where to go to get variety and quality at a good price. Gardening can become expensive. I drove past this nursery for many years but I never stopped in. Actually, when you do drive past you do not appreciate how big this place actually is. It's deceiving from the front. This Nursery has such a large variety of plants and gardening materials available. You will find everything you need here. Wether it is a gardening pot, tools, soil, statues, etc... They actually mix and make their own brand of soil. I got a pack and it is great! One other thing that I love about this place is the Cactus green house! So awesome! There are not many nurseries with that much variety. Staff here are great and happy to help out with enquires. Be sure to let them know if you need advice with your garden. Only negative was the entry and exit point was a little confusing. Entry via carpark and exit at the counter inside, walk around on the street to enter back into the carpark. Meh... it's about the gardening and customer services for me!

Heynes is certainly one of my favourite plant nurseries I've had the pleasure of sauntering around…read more Their enthusiastic and knowledgeable staff have cheerily assisted me with everything from identifying a tree in my new front yard, to diagnosing a sick plant, to helping me find a gift for a friend. Their items can be pricey, but the plant quality is exceptional compared to cheaper items from Bunnings or Masters. Every plant I have purchased here for my garden has thrived (with one or two exceptions where it was more a case of 'gardener error' on my part). Not only have my annual seedlings done well, many have self-seeded and continued to thrive for years past their expected life-span. For service and quality that is above and beyond, visit Heyne's, one of the longest-running nurseries in Australia.