Every weekend, Parvathy Mohanan, a 23-year-old software tester, returns from Kochi to her quaint hometown in the scenic locale of Muhamma gram panchayat in Kerala’s Alappuzha district.

Her day starts with inspecting the weekly progress of her portulaca plants. Just looking at these vibrant flowers brings her much-needed relief from her hectic job.

Started as a hobby, the engineer has now transformed her passion for cultivating vibrant portulaca flowers into a profitable venture.

Parvathy’s entrepreneurial journey started when she posted photos of her plants on Facebook. This sparked an interest among various gardening groups on the platform.

“Many people started enquiring if I sold the plants. I thought of commercialising the collection. I posted a sale post and got 10 orders from Facebook. That was the beginning of this business,” she shares.

The response was encouraging enough to turn her hobby into a business. The venture has now reached a point where Parvathy fulfils 50-100 orders daily, boosting her monthly income by Rs 1 lakh.

Her collection has grown from 30 to an impressive 300 varieties, with plants sourced from across India, and even from places as far off as Thailand and Brazil.

Parvathy has mastered the nuances of portulaca care by focusing on essentials like direct sunlight, minimal watering, regular pruning, and the use of organic fertilisers like cow dung.

Besides, portulacas are known for their vibrant blooms and minimal care requirements. This fits perfectly into her busy schedule. She also encourages others to opt for farming.

Additionally, she has trained two women workers to help care for the garden when she is away.

“Anyone in need of additional income can do this as a business also. The key is to grow low-maintenance but high demand plants like portulaca,” Parvathy adds.