Anya sells mini gardens and tasty veges for pocket money
When it comes to learning business skills, other kids could take a leaf out of Anya's book
Rockhampton
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She's only ten but Anya Broadbent has some rapidly growing business skills.
Last school holidays, she began Anya's Botanicals, selling vegetables and herbs as well as mini succulent gardens from her South Rockhampton home.
Most her inspiration comes from her maternal grandparents, Grandma and Pa, who have shared their love of gardening since she was a baby.
The rest of her drive comes from making some money to keep and some to donate.
Indeed, Anya had her hair cropped last year to raise funds for the Variety children's charity, and is now looking for a tree- or plant-themed charity to support.
She sources her decorative pots from op shops and bits and pieces that are given to her.
She also 'recycles' her plants, learning to propagate new pups from root stock.
"You can take the succulent's leaves off and lay them on some soil and they'll eventually grow roots,” she said.
Anya, who is the secretary of her school's garden club, admits to getting very particular about which plants go in which pots.
She carefully matches them by size and colour.
"The beauty of succulents is where you grow them changes the colours of their leaves,” she said.
"If you put them in full sun with little water, they turn orangey-yellow, but if you put them in the shade they turn green or blue.”
There are also vegetables and herbs growing in raised beds in the back corner of Anya' backyard which she sells.
All her purchases and profits get entered into a spreadsheet as Anya's parents aim to teach her lifelong lessons in budgeting and saving.
"I don't get any pocket money so any time I wanted to buy myself a plant, I had to pay for it out of my birthday or Christmas money,” she said.
"Now, if I want to buy a succulent, I calculate how many baby plants I can get out of the adult plant.”
And when Anya sold her very first mini garden and someone asked her what she would spend her money on, how did she answer?
"Potting mix.”
Originally published as Anya sells mini gardens and tasty veges for pocket money