Gardening gran hangs up the gloves on market stall

A VETERAN market stallholder has sold her final pot plant after more than six decades.

Gardener Miriam Powell turned her hobby into a casual business in the early 1960s and ran her last stall at the Buninyong Smart Living Expo on Sunday.

She said it was difficult saying goodbye to her regular customers.

“It’s been more emotional than I thought it would be,” she said. “I’m 97 years old now and it’s a bit tiring, otherwise I would keep going to the full century.

“This was something different for me to do. I was a nurse and this was something to take the mind off work, and at markets you get to meet people and get to know the regulars.

“We used to go every weekend when I was younger all over to places like Ballarat, Daylesford and down to Laverton.”

Ms Powell started selling her plants when she took part in a market at Buninyong Primary School while her son was a student.

The majority of Ms Powell’s plants were sourced from her garden and included fuchsias, ferns and shrubs.

Miriam’s granddaughter Emma was on hand to help out during her last day, and said their market appearances have been family-run her entire life.

“My parents were doing it since before I was born so I’ve been doing this on and off since forever. Nanna’s always had the market,” she said.

“My uncle John and some cousins are here today as well. It’s always been a family thing.

“There was a time where she was doing it pretty much every week there was a market on. Nanna’s become a fixture here and people have been coming up and saying they’re going to miss her.”

The unsold plants from Miriam’s final sale were donated to the Friends of Buninyong Botanic Gardens where she’s also a member.