Fermoy's Garden Centre director Alan Murdoch will be making a special delivery to the Chelsea Flower Show this spring when he tows the winning wheelbarrow of the centre's 'Wheelie B' competition 240 miles behind a push tandem bike.
Each year Fermoy's works with local primary schools to organise a competition to grow a vegetable garden in a wheelbarrow. More than 40 schools have signed up to take part this year and the winning barrows will all be taken up to Chelsea to go on display.

As a way of raising money for the Greenfingers and the Gardening Leave charities, Mr Murdoch will cycle the 240 miles from Devon-based Fermoy's to Chelsea, London, visiting more than 20 garden centres en route.

"It seemed a good idea at the time," he said. "We have been working with Scott's Miracle Gro and Peter Seabrook on their Love the Garden project at Chelsea nad between us we thought it would be fantastic to display some of the barrows that local primary schools are designing for our annual Garden in a Wheelbarrow Competition.

"It was then I had a flash of inspiration and decided that it would be great for us to cycle a barrow up to Chelsea visiting lots of other garden centres on the way and try to raise awareness and money for both Greenfingers and the charity supported by Miracle Gro, Gardening Leave."

Greenfingers creates magical gardens in children's hospices, while Gardening Leave improves the mental and physical wellbeing of serving and ex-service personnel using horticultural therapy in walled gardens.

Mr Murdoch is keen for sponsorship from garden suppliers and manufacturers ahead of his five-day barrow-towing ride. His bike of choice is a tandem, so he is also looking for volunteers along the way to get on the back of the bike and help tow the barrow. He's even hoping for a gardening celebrity or two to join in once he nears his Chelsea destination.

To find out more or donate to the 'Barrow and a Bike' ride, contact Sarah Dumont at Fermoy's on 01803 813504, or donate through Mr Murdoch's Just Giving page.