BURLEYDAM Garden Centre came fifth in The Independent’s list of the 50 Best Garden Centres in the UK.

The list is compiled by leading industry experts who assess everything from the variety and quality of the plants on sale to staff’s advice to the facilities and services – as well as taking into account the overall visitor experience.

Burleydam impressed the judges with both the quality and price of its plants, its extensive range of garden products, pets and accessories and its Orchard Café, as well as some of the more innovative aspects of its work.

Recent innovations include the new Good Life Garden, which has been developed from Burleydam’s popular Story Book Garden.

Tania Simpson, retail operations manager at the centre said: “There are more than 70 garden centres in Cheshire alone, so to be profiled as one of the top 50 in the UK is a tremendous honour, but to come fifth is amazing.

She added: “Everyone at Burleydam is delighted and I’d like to take this opportunity to say thank you to all of our staff – this listing is a testament to their knowledge, hard work and dedication.