How hobby, passion keep Seema Devani’s urban oasis alive

“When I got married, I never stopped selling my plants. I was working independently from home and keeping my passion alive,” she adds.

As a child, she was drawn to nature and eventually pursued a career in plants and flowers.

She set up a flower shop in Karen, Nairobi, creating a small urban oasis that attracts city dwellers with unique houseplants.

For Ms. Devaney, the joy of green extends to the home, especially for plant lovers who have limited space, such as those living in rental apartments.

Her store offers over 200 beautiful potted plants, including anthuriums, which caught my eye with their vibrant flowers and glossy appearance.

When I touched it, I realized it was real, not artificial. This is true of all her plants. Naturally, I was curious.

“I import my flowers from Holland. In the local market, everyone has the same thing. You can find a vendor who buys a plant, propagates it and then sells it to customers who end up with the same plant or flower. Like the purple anthurium, you won’t find it anywhere else; it’s not available locally,” she says.

She says initial import prices start at Sh2,500 per plant and vary depending on the variety.

At her plant shop, Funky Bunches, in Karen, she sells a variety of plants including aglaonemas, hibiscus, alocasia at Sh3,500, lilies at Sh1,300, carnations, orchids and unique Chinese money plants.

The tallest Kentia palm, standing at five feet, is the most expensive at Sh15,000. It adds a tropical feel to any room and is easy to care for, growing in full sunlight and well-drained soil.

Three types of kalasho are available, each priced at Sh1,800. The shop also sells potted cyclamen flowers, which are usually sold during the cold season and represent lasting feelings and sincere affection.

Other plants in her inventory include bromeliads in various colors that bloom for three to six months, as well as sansevieria, epidendrum, and guzzmania.

The most cost-effective options are spider warts and hoya, which cost Sh500 each. The plants take at least eight months to flower, and the timing of flowering is affected by the weather.

“If the weather is hot, the growth rate is slow,” she explains. “We also don’t use a greenhouse. Instead, we put the plants in normal weather conditions so that when the customer buys them, they can easily take care of them.”

Chili peppers, also known as capsicum, come in a variety of colours including red, yellow, orange and green. This spice costs 1,300 shillings.

“All the plants are beautiful. We use compost, which has all the nutrients a plant needs, instead of soil. We want our customers to enjoy what we can’t get locally,” she says.

I was learning about air plants for the first time. I had no idea they could grow this tall. Also known as desert plants, they are unique plants that grow without soil. “How much?” I asked.

An old man’s beard costs Sh2,500. A Tillandsia xerographica costs Sh6,000. It can take up to 15 years to grow and flower and is worth Sh60,000.

“They need a light spray of water twice a week,” says Ms. Devaney. “As they grow, their prices go up because of the increased maintenance requirements.”

She started her business to provide her clients with the most unique exotic plants and high quality design arrangements.

Her stock includes chrysanthemums, alstroemeria, eucalyptus, and cut flowers of the Limnium species, which can keep their blooms for up to three weeks with the stems in water.

Roses are also one of the best-selling flowers as they are Ms. Devani’s favorite flowers, which she imports from the Nanyuki area.

“We have designers who create the arrangements in-house, rather than working in factories that assemble the bouquets sold in grocery stores.

“Our bouquets have a unique look and feel, and each one is made with great care and passion,” she says.

The company launched earlier this year and is thriving. Ms Devanny offers a unique range of potted plants and benches to customers in Karen, Muthaiga and Westlands.

“Sales depend on the season,” she says. “There are bad weeks and good weeks. In a good week we can sell up to 500 flowers or bouquets.”

For Ms. Devaney, flowers have two functions: to look beautiful and to last. “Our flowers do this job better because they are of high quality.”

“The plants will thrive as long as you can take care of them,” she adds.

Although she acknowledges the challenges of competition, she believes that difference is the solution.

“We have learned a lot about plants. It is a learning process. When we receive them from outside, we prepare them and put them in our pots so that they adapt to our conditions,” she says.

What makes her plants unique? “Our plants are for both indoor and outdoor use, so we try to cater to a variety of customers,” she says.

Aside from competition, a florist faces the challenges of pests and diseases just like any other gardener, but organic pesticides always come to the rescue.

“Her last words? ‘Don’t despair. Plants are useful. Just take the time to understand them. Sometimes you see a plant that looks dead, but after a while it comes back to life,’ she concludes.