A plant swap/sale took place in an eco-friendly gardening event in Sheffield which supported local business and attracted more than 100 people.
Visitors were encouraged to bring spare plants, seedlings, perennials, herbs, wild flowers and bird feeders. People also brought vegetables and fruit bushes, early harvests of rhubarb, cut flowers and other crops.
Local businesses like Philip Smith’s Bents Green Nurseries had a stand at the event selling plants to more than 100 people who came to buy, swap, sell and donate.
Nicola Gilbert, a volunteer who had the idea to start and organise the now annual event three years ago said: “It seems to provide a useful service for people who have got surplus plants and also for people who want to buy new plants.”
A tool-sharpening service was also available on the day allowing secateurs, loppers, shears and edge trimmers which otherwise would have been thrown away to be rejuvenated.
The goal was to encourage people to think about waste and prevent them from going out and buying brand new equipment to replace tools that still have plenty of life in them.
The event encouraged conservation and protecting the natural environment, Ms Gilbert said: “It’s certainly sustainable, it’s not creating waste, it’s using old boxes and bags for repurposing and the signs if you notice are based on cardboard.”
People attending the event without anything to swap could still buy things or make donations to the Friend’s of Whirlow Brook Park organisation working on conservation across the site, with over £700 raised for this cause in the same event last year.
There was something on offer for all ages including hands on activities for kids, Ms Gilbert said: “It’s a lovely kind of old fashioned event of people just sort of hanging around in the sunshine and going home with fresh stock.”
The event was held at Whirlow Brook Park which used to be a private park for Whirlow Brook Hall which Ms Gilbert says was built as a status symbol and beautiful dwelling house for a rich family who had made their money in the steel industry.
The park now belongs to Sheffield City Council which has allowed it to start holding gardening events like this that are open to the general public.