BENGALURU: Psychologist Mahima Hegde loves her plants. So much so that she established ‘The Magical Garden’ in 2016. Apart from selling bonsai plants, she helps corporate companies and residents add a touch of green to their spaces.
Hegde, a resident of Yadavagiri, established the exclusive outlet on Kalidasa Road. She conducts workshops on bonsai trees and gives people tips on how to nurture the plants.She was initially working in the UK and moved to Mysuru after her marriage. The idea for the bonsai garden came to her when she created miniature terrariums to distribute as a return gift during her sister’s marriage. Relatives and friends appreciated her creativity and suggested she venture into business.
Hegde then went to Hyderabad for a week-long training session with Govindaraj, a master of bonsai. Today, her exclusive bonsai nursery has tied up with several corporate companies. Bonsai plants, miniature terrariums, succulents and wide varieties of indoor and outdoor plants are available at the nursery.
Every terrarium and bonsai plant comes with an instruction card. It includes information on taking care of the plants, watering details, precautionary tips, the number of hours the plant should be kept in sunlight, repotting and manuring details, etc.
“I started bonsai gardening with `10,000. I learned the demand for indoor and outdoor plants before venturing into the business. There is a huge demand for bonsai plants, especially from the corporate sector,” adds Hegde, who has been motivating people to gift trees and reduce the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
In order to make the plants more affordable, Hegde decided to make cement pots at the nursery to help consumers cut costs. In the future, she plans to open shop at two malls in Bengaluru, by January 2019, along with kiosks in different localities in Mysuru and Bengaluru.The most popular plants, she says, are jade, ficus varieties, bougainvillea, brush cherry and raintree. Indoor plants are also in demand in corporate companies. Air plant terrariums are highly sought after, as maintenance is easy.
Besides selling these plants, she also conducts workshops in Mysuru and Bengaluru, to reduce the stigma that gets attached to growing bonsai at home. “People believe the growth is centered and it could affect their personal life. I try to dispel such myths and encourage people to take up the art and science of growing bonsai plants,” she adds.