Ajitha Marwaha at her nursery. Picture by Hardeep Singh

Ranchi, March 9: Exotic flowers are spreading their fragrance in overseas markets and while many women do not take as much interest in their nurseries, there are a few who have made a mark.

Ajitha Marwaha, a resident of Lake Avenue, Kanke Road, has not let her degree in botany go waste. Her nursery displays as many as 350 varieties of flowers and her clientele includes powerhouses such as the Steel Authority of India (SAIL), Tata Steel, Central Coalfields Limited (CCL) and Yogda Ashram, among many others.

Among the exotic varieties that bloom in her nursery are anthorium, orchids, violets, gloxinia, bromeliads, carnation, zarbera and alocacia.

She receives orders for tissue culture seeds from Holland and the USA, the cost of which ranges from Rs 10 to Rs 50 per plant, the most expensive variety being the orchid costing up to Rs 1,500.

“I have to take special care because some varieties cannot stand harsh weather. Dieffienbachia, a foliage plant, is one of my favourites. My son Vikram helps me look after my nursery,” said Marwaha.

While another nature lover of New Area, Morhabadi, Ardhana Srivasatava has a nursery where varieties of fruits are sold. “I specialise in varieties of fruits especially brought from Calcutta. The most exotic varieties are awala, mango, lemon, pineapple, black berry, bananas, guava and strawberry, among others. I started it as a hobby but later concentrated in this particular field,” said Srivastava.

The cost of fruit plants range from Rs 200 to Rs 250 and the fertiliser used is vermi compost. “My customers are generally from Dhanbad, Bokaro, Jamshedpur, Lohardaga and Simdega. Recently, I have built a base in Delhi and Mumbai as well,” she added.

While some are into fruits, some like to experiment and enjoy a mix of everything. Rinki Rani, a resident of Chutia, is well into growing the hybrid flowers.

“I tried my hand at growing hybrid flowers that have a high yield. I have grown flowers like marigold and pitonia that help me carry on a good business,” said Rani.