Jessica Matwire 65, retired in 2006 and since then, she has been working from her home located along Kalungu road in Bunga- Soya village on the outskirts of Kampala.
Under Jessy’s Flowers business, Matwire sells different kinds of ornamental plants.
She decorates homes, offices and recreational centres.
She also sells ceramic pots and metallic plant stands.
What’s more; Matwire also offers plant care services where she trains house helps and families how to maintain their flower gardens.
She says some people love flowers but they do not know how to care for them. Others don’t have the time. So she comes in to offer maintenance services. Her plants range from sh20, 000 upwards.
To Matwire, flowers are a profitable business one can do from home from any space. It works for students, jobless graduates, corporates plus those who have retired. It will save you expenses such as rent, transport and some taxes. Besides, supervision is easy since you work from home.
Most importantly, you don’t need much capital to start yet clients are easy to get through social media and social networks. All you need is passion and knowing where to buy the flowers. Roadside nurseries, backyard gardeners and flower shops are good sources.
However, you have to devote time and be hands-on. From experience she says, some workers are not trustworthy. They will steal your plants or kill them out of negligence.
For example, one might overwater plants that need little water and end up killing them. Therefore, you have to keep your eyes on your plants. This way, you will identify those that need fertilizing, repotting, pruning or watering.
Secondly, these plants thrive on good soils. Therefore, you should mix the soil well. Matwire uses rabbit droppings and urine plus compost to keep her plants healthy.
In addition, she says, you should have a constant supply of water. On how she manages, she says, she harvests rainwater and during the dry spells, she uses grid water.
