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Grow ornamental plants for a profit
A woman exhibits flower pots in Kampala. Ornament plants are grown in plastic pots which can be sold and fitted into houses as outdoor or indoor décor. PHOTO BY RACHEL MABALA
What you need to know:
You can sustain your family’s needs if they are willing to soil your hands through ornamental gardening. All you need is to plant plants and flowers in pots and sell them, Dorothy Nakaweesi writes.
In case you love plants, have you thought about ornamental gardening?
Ornament gardening is one of those business you can start to improve your standard of living.
Ornamental gardening involves planting various plants somewhere for decorative purposes.
Ornament plants are grown in plastic pots which can be sold and fitted into houses as outdoor or indoor décor.
Mr Newton Buteraba, the chief executive officer -House of Wealth, says this is a lucrative, high-end business that requires little money to start.
Start
To start this business, one requires about Shs100,000 to buy the plants, pots, fertilisers and stones.
Before starting this business, you should know where you will source the stock plants and your target clients.
Propagate the plants and then multiply them. Try looking out for unique plants that will give you an edge. You should study the conditions of these plants; there are those which like the sun while others flourish in shades. If you mix up this, your plants will die.
Ms Lilian Katiso, a private business consultant, who prefers to be called the Accounting Gardener - developed the passion for plants at a younger age of 9.
She pursued accountancy to its professional level got both ACCA and CPA-U but didn’t stop gardening. After completing her Master of Business Administration, she felt more passionate about gardening.
“I fondly remember getting those bulbs (before the energy saver bulbs with twisted designs came) and planting indoor water plants in them. My dear mum joked that when I grow up, I would not have chairs in my house...she could only envisage plants all over,” Katiso shares.
Four years ago, equipped with Shs100,000 as her starting capital, Katiso bought one plant which she multiplied into 20 plantlets. She later introduced other varieties and that’s how she has grown a business she christened as ‘Maua and More’.
Because it is a profitable business, Katiso has evolved it into two outlets at Garden City and at Kensington Shopping Boulevard, Kyanja - an upcoming middle class residential area. Katiso has also created employment for other people.
“It is a business that stay-at-home mothers can do and those without fulltime employment,” she shares.
At Maua, they offer flower pots, flower pot stands, other garden accessories.
Prices
The prices range from Shs10,000 to Shs100,000 for the plastic potted plants though the ceramic ones are more costly.
Buteraba says design the plants in pots with sea stones. Create an album to share while marketing –this can be on your smartphone and put prices.
You can make more money if you go door-to-door. If you move door-to-door for one week at a particular building say -Workers House with (120) offices and in each office you supply two plants each costing Shs20,000. In a week, you could walk away with Shs4.8m.
You should connect with people who do exterior and interior décor.
Market
Buteraba says design the plants in pots with sea stones. Create an album to share while marketing –this can be on your smartphone and put prices.
You can make more money if you go door-to-door and target the corporate class especially lawyers, people in banks and corporate offices.
If you move door-to-door for one week at a particular building say -Workers House with (120) offices and in each office you supply two plants each costing Shs20,000. In a week, you could walk away with Shs4.8m.
