AN EVESHAM fund-raiser has started an ambitious project to acquire unwanted house and garden plants and find them a good home, raising funds for two local charities.
Bryan Edwards of Celandine Way started an experiment last November to ‘recycle’ unwanted plants by selling them on to other local residents for a fee.
He first came up with the idea doing a dump run to the Wyre Piddle recycling centre near Pershore.
“I saw a poster there for old bikes to recycle and wondered what people do with plants they no longer want,” he said
“I put out an advert on the local Facebook selling groups for plants to donate and got a really good response.”
More than six months later he has raised in excess of £400 for Birmingham Children’s Hospital and Cotswold Riding for the Disabled based at Cheltenham racecourse.” Bryan added.
Both Bryan and wife Mandy have been devoted fund-raisers for the hospital after daughter Bethan spent the first four months of her life undergoing multiple open-heart surgeries to help her cope with her condition called Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome.
The condition means that Bethan literally has ‘only half a heart, as the left side is not formed.
“My wife has been raising money for years for these charities and raised more than £25,000 so I’m pleased to have developed a way I can contribute too.”
“I‘ve learnt so much about plants by referencing the internet and talking to the donors, many of whom are keen growers themselves.
“I‘ve had some beautiful specimens but, unfortunately I do get some which are diseased or too big to sell, but try to save them by splitting the larger ones, or take cuttings to grow on,” Bryan added.
The green-fingered entrepreneur is now on the hunt for more unwanted plants.
Anyone who can help is asked to text 07747602215 or e-mail [email protected].
