CHENNAI: Shabana Nayeem, a 48-year old resident of RT Nagar, developed a passion for gardening from a young age. She would often dig up the lawn in her childhood house and sow seeds of various plants, hoping to see them bloom and grow. But ask her about her favourite plants and pat comes the reply, “cacti and succulents.” In fact, she has a cacti garden of her own, where she has over a hundred different varieties of cactus and succulent plants and fourteen varieties of Aloe Vera.
A road trip to Mysuru, about six years ago, sparked her interest in cacti. She chanced upon a beautiful cactus at a hotel she was dining at. “From that moment on, I was in love,” says Shabana. Her first plant was purchased from Malaysia and, since then, she has bought plants from Delhi, Kalimpong and other cities in India and around the world.
These plants are close to her heart and she refers to them as her ‘babies’ and ‘friends’. “They are my stress-busters and bring a smile to my face every time I step into my terrace garden,” she says.
While she has her favourites, Shabana says that she has a fondness for all plants. “There’s no plant I would not grow,” she says. “There is a common myth that cacti bring bad luck. But I don’t believe in such superstitions.” She wants to grow vegetable plants as well but they require continuous tending and she finds it difficult to devote such time. Cacti, on the other hand, don’t require regular upkeep and will still look fresh without water for 2-3 days.
What started as a hobby gradually began giving an additional income. Shabana started selling saplings a year after she grew her first cactus. Her prices are reasonable, starting from Rs 100 for the common varieties and going up to anywhere between Rs 1,200-1,400 for the rarer kind. She has previously had customers from Dharwad, Mumbai, Rajasthan and many other cities. She also has a Facebook page called ‘Cactus Point India’ where one can place orders for these plants.
(To contact Shabana, call: 99164 86865)