Tammy's is just a beautiful little florist situated along the main shopping street of Horsforth…read more The difficulty with being a florist anywhere, let alone Leeds, is that there are so many to compete with. To some extent you can rely on local trade but to drum up customers, from further afield, I imagine is a pretty tricky thing. I thing that standing out from the crowd would be the first trick, and Tammy's is one that does this for sure. Not only do they sell all the usual suspects, beautiful pre-arranged bouquets and custom made, but they also sell some gorgeous potted plants. Not so unusual, I hear you say? Well, perhaps not but I haven't told you about the display yet! These aren't just your standard hyacinths stuffed into a plastic brown pot, oh no! You can get little wooden wheelbarrow arrangements, bright pink bowls and (my favourite) tea cup and saucer arrangements! They also had some really cool felt flower pot arrangements too. I was really impressed at how imaginative their window display was and can imagine that a gift of a potted wheelbarrow would be so much nicer than the plain alternative. For some thoughtful gifts Tammy's is worth travelling just a little bit further than the city centre!

I half expect a florist in this well-to-do part of town to be all £100 single lilies and artfully…read morestructured displays, but Tammy's is a traditional florists and all the better for it. You can buy one of the 'off the peg' colourful, seasonal bouquets that are on display, or get the helpful, smiley assistants to make one up to your own specifications. They also stock a variety of potted plants and shrubs that you can take home and plant, although it would be a lot cheaper to make a trip to your local garden centre. For flowers though, prices are about average - more than a garage forecourt, less than a designer florist - and not much to pay for the smile they'll bring to their recipient's face.

This is a beautiful little florists in the heart of Ilkley. From the mere outside you can tell the…read morekind of love and care taken with their displays and craft, with beautifully lit little trees snipped into lollypop type shapes, which immediately reminded me of visiting Disney Land Paris, where they had fairly tale square and round shaped trees, which I in particular found to be very exciting! Inside it is somewhat like a sort of beautifully scented meditation room, with some lovely water features splishing away in the corner. The lady who served me was very friendly and helped me to choose a lovely bunch of flowers as a gift for a friend, who was very pleased - I'm told they lasted over two weeks, which is quite good value for money! As a lovely alternative to supermarket flowers, which are hit and miss at best, try Amity Rose if you're in Ilkley Town!

Amity Rose is essentially a florists with lavish and decadent extras thrown in. Two bay trees stand…read moreoutside, framing the doorway and the window display was very attractive with a large 'distressed' mirror and bird cages surrounded by plants and flowers. Inside, I particularly liked the bold decoration that would bring a subtle effect to a home or garden - like the large stones with small indents just big enough to fit a tea light in. Even though it was a small shop everything was quite grand. There was a vase nearly as tall as me filled with lemons! I fantasied about one day having a house suitable for any of this but if you're looking for some extras for your home maybe take a look here for something a bit different.

I use this florist when I need something special and something special is what I always get. The…read morearrangements and bouquets are very stylish and they are particularly skillful at combining colours and variety. You can also buy beautifully potted bulbs and orchids and the wrappings and ribbons they use make it all the more luxurious and glam. It's a small shop but the variety is brilliant and I have always found them very helpful.

Excellent service and flowers were beautiful. The lady in shop who assisted us, clearly knew her…read morebusiness and was very helpful, patient and friendly. Thank you!

The best flower shop in Baildon…read more No more needed to say

My favourite shop in Baildon, and a breath of fresh air for this small Yorkshire town just outside…read morethe clutches of Bradford city and happily nestled on the edges of Baildon and Ilkley moor, proper countryside. This shop is a treasure trove of wonder It started off less than a year ago in tiny premises just big enough to hold the sweet smelling array of floral blooms they specialised in. But around the edges were original and exciting selections of cards, gifts and things for the home. In August 2008 they extended into the shop next door and suddenly seemed to have room to breathe and shine brightly, a glistening gem contrasting gloriously with Baildon's rough Yorkshire stone buildings. They now have an even more impressive selection of cut flowers and plants, gifts, wrapping paper, cards, jewellry, baby things, bowls and more. The prices are very reasonable. The flowers seem pricey compared to supermarkets, but they're nicer and the service is 100% better and don't forget that flowers are a loss-leader for the big supermarkets, meaning they sell them at a loss to get you in the store, pushing local businesses out of the market - support local businesses! And the wonderful smell that hits you when you just walk past the shop so beautiful, floral, gorgeous. I think two women run the shop and they are both very friendly and happy! They obviously love what they do, they always have big beaming smiles and the shop is often still open at 6-6:30pm, they say they forget to close up because the day just flies by. It's the kind of shop that gives you a warm feeling inside, maybe that's a girl-thing?! I bought my Mum a lovely plant for Mother's day from here

Leeds House of Flowers is an Interflora Florist. There are two shops, one on Otley Road and this…read moreone on Commercial Road. I don't know why but for some reason the Commercial Road shop is called 'Event Leeds House of Flowers'...what the 'Event' means I'm not sure. It is a petite shop with just enough space to display some rather gorgeous bunches of flowers! I know Interflora is a giant chain but the flowers here really are beautiful! Very natural and not too OTT looking, like a posy picked straight from a secret garden! But whatever style of bouquet you like you can have one made specially to your requirements. Leeds House of Flowers also sells fair-trade flowers, including roses and sunflowers, for anyone concerned about the treatment of workers in the flower industry.

It always gets around to those times of the year, be it Valentine's, a special birthday, an…read moreanniversary, where flowers say it best. It might be a more predictable choice of celebratory gift but if you are like me, there is nothing quite like a fresh, beautifully arranged exotic bunch. And for that kind of reaction, Tranmere Flowers is certainly the one. It might not have a little chocolate shop attached to it like Academy Flowers nearby, but take one look at the exotic rain forest like array of leaves and petals inside and you'll know it's worth a look! They certainly seem to have that added extra choice on virtually all options, from pot plants to bunches on display. They are also on Interflora, which I'm sure you may know, means delivery is a certified easy option! As well as a vast amount of floral arrangements they also have gift items, such as teddy bears, and lovely staff to give you a hand choosing should you need some advice. I'm not saying it's definitely the best choice in Otley, but you won't regret it if you end up here.

Great flowers, made a difference to our event.read more

I've decided to be a little more classy for Valentine's Day this year, so I got my beautiful girl a…read morebig gorgeous bouquet from this place. You can't imagine how amazing it was. She couldn't say a word. Or breathe. The staff helped me so much! They're full with fresh new ideas, ready to fulfill your every wish!

My friend and I were going for a wee jaunt in Rawdon and we came across this delightful shop. She…read morehad just passed her driving test so I suggested a drive out to a random Leeds town and we decided to visit Rawdon - it was a total off the cuff find! The layout of the shop is most curious, being on the corner of the street almost, the shop itself opens out on the the street at both sides! This was a little disorientating from the inside, but I soon cottoned on. From one entrance you were met with a plethora of beautiful glass ware, hand made delightful wine glasses, little trinkets and key rings, beautiful cardigans, home ware tea sets and other gorgeous gift items. My favourite of this room was a lovely Indian (?) style lamp shade like a metal framed globe with different coloured gems which made up the body of it. At £55 I decided to think on it, but it was beautiful. Upstairs was a gallery of different floral prints, material prints and other really interesting art works. In the other room through to the other side of the street was a lovely hand made card section (situated in the through-fare) and then a gorgeous jewellery and toy section where we were greeted by a lovely sales lady. The shop is beautifully laid out, with exquisite and imaginative gift items from all kinds of indie designers and crafters, and it was most definitely worth stopping by. Prices range with some sale pieces, but expect to take a while as it is mesmerising!

This is a really lovely gift shop and emporium of beautiful things!…read more It is just by Rawdon Traffic lights so really easy to find. The shop stocks lots of lovely, unusual gift items for a variety of budgets. It is a wonderful place to go in for a browse around (no doubt you will find something you love) or to look for a special present. This shop is always my first port of call when looking for a mother's day present, or gifts for my other female relatives. Staff are happy to help and quick to come up with helpful suggestions if you are struggling for ideas. It can be a little expensive, but makes up for this with the convenience of it's location