After finishing her household chores, what Viji Abi eagerly anticipates in her daily routine is caring for her home garden and engaging with her gardening friends worldwide.
Upon entering her garden in Thrissur, Kerala, you’ll be welcomed by a vibrant display of blooming flowers. However, the standout feature of the garden is her water lily pots containing exotic-coloured lilies. As one of India’s few water lily hybridisers, Viji’s garden proudly showcases a hybrid variety she cultivated called Nymphaea Sree.
“Gardening started as a leisure activity but transformed into my passion. I was inquisitive about how lily plants are grown and which variety survives. Now, I earn more than Rs 1 lakh a month by selling lilies during a good season,” she says.
Journey to her magic garden
Raised with an affinity for plants and greenery, Viji has been fond of gardening for most of her life. “It must have been decades since I have been tending to a garden. It is my favourite thing to do,” she says.
Before becoming a full-time gardener, she was an accountant. “It sounds like two different worlds, but for me, gardening was always a part of who I was. When my first child was born, my husband and I lived on our own. So one of us had to quit our job to raise the children. That’s when I decided to leave my job,” she adds.
But after putting down her papers, Viji’s mind was not at ease. “I had always wanted to create and leave back something of my own in the world. But, I did not have the direction,” she says.
In 2008, with the birth of her newborn, the young mother started to spend a lot of time in her garden. “Tending the baby and the garden gave me solace,” she says.
Viji grows over 100 varieties of lilies in her garden.
Viji grows over 100 varieties of lilies in her garden. Viji’s gardening journey started with growing bougainvillaeas, orchids and roses. She adds that she had a lot of flowers in her garden, and she even shared its seeds with other people. “I went on to Facebook and found a lot of people interested in buying different plants. I also found many growing water plants. I decided to try my hand at that too,” she shares.
In 2018, Viji bought her first water plant. “While it bred flowers, I did not know how to protect the plant from dormancy, and I was also unsure how to re-pot them,” she says. So she turned to the internet and joined various social media groups of planters and gardeners.
As a member of the International Waterlily and Water Gardening Society, she says, “It felt as though I had discovered my people. Members of Facebook groups from different countries across the oceans have stayed in touch with me ever since. They would offer guidance through video calls, advising me on whether my actions were right or wrong.”
Recalling the early days when she started growing water flowers, she says, “I bought hardy water lilies, which was a mistake. The kind was not able to survive in the weather of Kerala, and all the plants died. But the whole process motivated me to try again as I was now curious and wanted to learn how they grow.”
Viji not only learned the right way of growing lilies, she mastered it. Presently, she grows more than 100 varieties of lilies in her home garden. But that was also not enough for her; she wanted to hybridise her own variety! This, she thought, was a great way to fulfil her dream of contributing something creative to the world.
“With the help of the International Waterlily and Water Gardening Society and my fellow water lily planters on Facebook, I was able to hybridise my own variety. It is vibrant orange in colour and has the perfect number of petals. Nymphaea Sree meets the criteria of the experts, and hence the recognition,” she says.
Viji also learnt about the market demand for lilies. “Initially, I did not know that lily plants fetch very good prices in the market. Later I started to sell my lilies through Facebook to people across the world,” she says.
During a successful season, Viji mentions that she can earn up to Rs 1 lakh per month by selling lilies. “I was sitting at home taking care of my children, and I had a source of income — perfect for a homemaker!” she remarks.
How to grow lilies at home?
- Choose the right variety
- Tropical vs. hardy varieties
- Local conditions and environment
- Happy Pot, Happy Plant
- Purpose of planting
- Pot size and space for growth
- They love the sun!
- Sunlight requirements
- Placement for optimal sunlight exposure
- Natural fertilisers can go a long way
- Using vermicompost and cow dung
- Avoiding chemical fertilisers
- Find your gardening friends
- Seeking advice and guidance
- Connecting with gardening communities for support
In conclusion, Viji Abi’s journey from a homemaker to a successful water lily grower and hybridiser is an inspiring tale of pursuing one’s passion. Her tips for growing water lilies at home provide valuable insights for gardening enthusiasts. By following her advice, you too can enjoy the beauty of water lilies in your own garden.
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FAQs
- How long do water lilies bloom? Water lilies typically bloom for 3 to 5 days, with individual flowers lasting 3 to 4 days.
- Do water lilies need a lot of maintenance? While they require regular care, water lilies are relatively low-maintenance plants.
- Can water lilies grow in ponds with fish? Yes, water lilies can coexist with fish in ponds, but precautions should be taken to prevent damage to the plants.
- How deep should water lilies be planted? Water lilies should be planted in pots at a depth of 12 to 18 inches below the water’s surface.
- Do water lilies attract pests? Water lilies are generally not prone to pest infestations, but occasional issues with aphids or leaf miners may occur.
