Plants in homes and offices are familiar sights. There is a wide variety to choose from and while some people opt for the known, tried and true plants, others want some-thing more exotic; Preya’s Creations is happy to provide them.
Preya Rajkumar established Preya’s Creations on December 13 last year. The business supplies exotic plants, like orchids, cacti, succulents, desert roses, as well as arrangements and hanging baskets for them.
Rajkumar, a wife and mother of three, said that she was always involved with doing crafty things with her children and was looking for something to do when she saw someone post a photo of a tray of cacti on social media. She sent the photo to her husband and the two began toying with ideas for plants. Among the ideas they came up with were fairy/fantasy-styled gardens. However, this idea was discarded as they were not sure how to source the plants and accessories.
Still, her husband, who has remained supportive throughout, encouraged her to get her business started. As such she bought her first tray of cacti on December 12.
“I bought it the Saturday and on Sunday, I spent all day [arranging] them and I finished in the evening. I was shy to post about them but my hus-band liked them so he took the pictures and posted it on his profile,” Rajkumar said. “I decided to share in WhatsApp. I posted it at six o’clock and 12 hours later, by the next morning, orders were placed for all 12 that I made.” Preya’s Creations was open for business.
Rajkumar, who works in the Information Techno-logy department at the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry, shared that she began purchasing orchids, which she would keep with her at work until she could take them home. Many of her colleagues became interested and she began to sell orchids also.
She was one of the women who exhibited their businesses at the Women’s Expo this year at the Arthur Chung Confer-ence Centre. Her business idea, she remembered, was praised by Minister of Human Services and Social Security Dr Vindhya Persaud as being “unique”. There was no other similar business there.
“I’ve noticed that people are more gravitat-ing to having decorative plants in their homes and offices,” Rajkumar said.
Every two weeks, she has a new shipment of plants arriving in Guyana. While business is thriving, the entrepreneur said that if a few plants do not sell, she does not fuss as she happily adds them to her garden. She purchases varying species of plants so that if one is not pur-chased, she has a new kind to add to her collection.
Rajkumar is very parti-cular about her collection of plants; she does not sell them. Crotons are among her personal collection. Her business is operated from her home in Eccles and she has remodelled her former guest bedroom for that purpose. She noted that sometimes when customers arrive to pick up a plant they ordered, they might see one they like in her personal collection and indicate their interest. She does not budge to sell unless it is one she wants to be rid of. “This is just not a business for me. Once I can get back my capital, I’m good.
If there’s three or four plants that didn’t sell, I see that as my profit,” explained the plant enthusiast.
With her full-time job and a family to take care of, Rajkumar is up sometimes until 1 am creating her arrangements; she also does this on the weekend.
Some of her customers purchase plants as gifts. This past Mother’s Day, Rajkumar had imported orchids, roses and azaleas some weeks prior and had them ready to be sold to her regular customers. However, when they sold out immediately as they arrived, she had to order a second batch for Mother’s Day and it also sold out.
She is often asked for advice in caring for the plants. Sometimes she would message tips on plant care or send videos.
Usually her plant arrangements come with the locally made plant pots but Rajkumar decided to make a bold move by importing plant pots, which are a little more costly but add so much more character and personality to the plant. Last weekend, she imported some very appealing pots. Rajkumar also purchases her plants and her potting soil separately. She noted that it is too time consuming to wait for the plants to develop for her to replant to sell.
The orchids, she pointed out, thrive during the wet season in Guyana. During this period, she added, the flowers remain for months at a time. She said that the flowers on one of her orchids have been around for four months. During the sunny weather, however, the plant considers this time a rest period and does not bloom.
Sharing some tips on caring for orchids, Rajkumar said that they can be topped up with manure, blossom boosters or some Epsom salts diluted in water which is sprayed into the soil. For better humidity, the plants can be kept under shade or in trees which helps with faster blooming.
Sometimes she delivers plant orders and at other times customers can pick up from her. She also rents a shelf at Babe Cave situated at 129 A Duncan Street, Georgetown, where customers can get some of her plants or can use Babe Cave’s delivery service to save them the hassle. Some of Preya’s Creations are also available at Massy Stores at Turkeyen.
Rajkumar hopes to have a storefront someday and is working towards that but for now her full- time job is needed for stability.
Her plants are on display today at the Women’s Caricom Market Day at MovieTowne Mall.
Orders can be placed at 600-4294.