MUCH has been said and written about gardening everywhere, but for most people there is little or no difference between urban or rural gardening, mobile or stationary gardens, vertical or shallow gardens, floating or aquatic gardens, and so on.
What is commonly understood and practiced among city dwellers is that gardening is simply about handling and growing plants using different cultivation media and under different conditions, with the rewards that result, in terms of some enjoyable sightseeing, relaxing Abundant harvests of delicious fruits and vegetables are palpable and satisfying.
And nowadays it is becoming more and more common for brilliant plant lovers and foresighted gardening enthusiasts to focus not only on these matters, but also on the financial returns that can be made from gardening activities which are basically hobbies or fitness exercises in a boring and stressful environment, especially with the Covid-19 pandemic.
In 2020, the Malaysian Ministry of Statistics revised income upwards from the poverty line, meaning that a higher percentage of the population at both national and Sabah levels live in absolute poverty and that household incomes are insufficient to meet basic needs Food, shelter and clothing. It’s not hard to imagine how much trouble and effort they have to go through worrying about food, clothing, and shelter.
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Such problems did not exist during the good old days when Sabah was the richest state in the country, but now it has been relegated to the lowest tier, that is, the poorest state. It is amazing how the turning point in the reduction, loss and destruction of state assets can happen, but with the title of poorest state in Malaysia it is actually at the bottom now.
Many people in the state are now struggling to make ends meet, with the maxim “kais pagi makan pagi, kais petang makan petang” becoming more common. Many also do double or triple jobs, mostly legal, hopefully just so they can put the bare minimum of food on the table.
Here urban horticulture or urban agriculture could turn out to be the great savior of the common man, especially those within the B40 group. And it appears that large numbers of people have been selling, growing, or buying in and around KK City in the past few years. Even numerous stores that deal with hardware, provisions, groceries, etc. all have their fingers in it. That said, there has to be something very fleshy or rewarding when it comes to plants in KK.
It is believed that people in other major cities in Sabah are also into plants to make a few extra dollars for the day to help them get through the troubled times they are currently experiencing. Surprisingly, the plants that are being traded are priced quite high most of the time, which means it is possible to make very handsome profits. No wonder some of these hardworking people have now dumped their old clunkers such as bicycles, Bedfords or Vauxhalls and are driving new Hilux or Isuzu four-wheel drive vehicles instead. The saying that hard work pays off is absolutely correct.
Plants are good money makers
That so many people have got into growing and selling plants is simply a sense of business and need. It can be called urban gardening, urban farming, urban farming, or urban cultivation, but the end result remains the same, that is, it is about being able to cultivate some crops like vegetables, flowers, fruits, ornamental plants, aesthetics and reap. or to extract some financial benefits.
In fact, there was a commercial tomato brand name called Moneymaker, which I grew many years ago and which unfortunately has not been exploited from a business perspective. The yield was simply fantastic and so plentiful that neighbors and many friends received lots of the large, juicy and plump fruits as neighborly or friendly gifts for free.
Gardening has been practiced in urban areas for generations. It’s still being done today, perhaps with even more enthusiasm and passion. Add the latest tools and equipment as well as the never-ending online information. The result is a fleeting mix of infinite possibilities where the results are determined by creativity, hard work, and diligence.
And the results are by no means insignificant, as can be seen in various outlets for plants as well as on the Internet. Where previously common plants like Caladiums and Coleus wouldn’t lift half an eyelid as they were considered very normal and common, such plants now fetch incredibly high prices.
For example, a brightly colored caladium that used to sell for around 10 to 20 RM now changes hands for several hundred ringgit. There was even a six-foot-tall alocacia from the jungle that apparently sold for RM3,000!
The total cost including effort, transport and handling as well as a short maintenance and acclimatization period would not be more than 300 RM, which means that the profit margin is really staggering!
Other plants like the exquisitely shaped and trained pachiras with large, gnarled caudexes (caudexes) and curvy stems would of course make equal amounts, if not more, since they take a long time to form. In addition, they are permanent or never-dying types that fall into the same category as the great Wrightia or Shui Mei bonsai. Such plants can be considered cultivated as they are usually passed down from generation to generation, which is in part why they are so expensive.
So people, people!
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Creative planting helps enrich the B40
To be able to increase the family’s income and meet their needs is every parent’s hope, but what are they doing in times of crisis?
Given that extraordinary times are believed to require extraordinary measures, it is not surprising that many have removed their ties or long skirts and lace stockings and are wearing tough work clothes. Another good sign is that they will no longer tremble in the presence of earthworms, caterpillars or snails that have always remained part of the garden.
In fact, there is much news that numerous managers, directors and officers of conglomerates and agencies have now really gone down to dig dirty and feel the garden soil.
After all, as brilliant people, they must have realized that gardens can also generate significant income when worked creatively and diligently, and that gardening is not only a healthy but also a profitable exercise.
Hence, it is most encouraging for households within the B40 group to have one more avenue to generate additional money to enrich the family.
No special needs or skills are required, but if there are short term courses run by government agencies to improve their skills and expertise, this would certainly be the most helpful.
Ultimately, it is their commitment that counts to achieve the goals. Spoon feeding or sprinkling dedak will not help as it will result in communities being forever spinal cordless and totally dependent on the tongkat. However, showing them how to use the cutting shears, spade, trowel, or bud knife would produce more productive results.
There are numerous high tech ways to sell and sell something, but it doesn’t make sense to install an expensive vertical or tiered add-on project in the back yard with a maze of electronics and electrics, computers, car sensors, etc. The cost would certainly be turn everyone off before the first kangkung sheet is placed in the kuali.
A quick and inexpensive way is to grow edible plants with a short ripening period. For example, Sawi or Bayam may only take a short 20 to 30 days to convert the foliage plants into cash. However, since these are usually cheaper, their rapid growth and maturity can more than make up for it, which means the input and the cycle between output and output is much shorter. This in itself is an incentive to make money quickly from small backyard lots or even pots or bags.
The latest trend in home horticulture is evident in the hundreds of caladiums, or yams, that are being bought or sold everywhere. An attractive mother plant can cost a few hundred ringgits, but within three months there will certainly be several plants that can then be separated and grown as individual plants. As they get bigger they can be put up for sale so that within 6 to 9 months all the capital invested would have been recovered, plus a lot of additional profits.
Home gardeners hoping for easy money should take the business quickly and seriously, as the market could be saturated within a year or two. As a precaution, it is advisable to grow a larger selection of popular strains so that items B, C, or D can compensate for the slack in the event that item A becomes less salable.
Another method that is very useful for home gardeners is to stockpile old garden items like boulders, tree stumps, old logs, etc. These can usually be sold for a lot of money if they are treated and cleaned, redesigned, refined or reshaped or repurposed .
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There is a niche market for such items, especially in the city where people interested in buying them usually have deep pockets.
Another means of generating more income from the home garden is by using the internet. In fact, many varieties can be seen in cyber media these days, but shipping plants across interstate or international borders would of course require compliance with plant quarantine and other regulations.
So guys what are you waiting for? Come on this time!
Vegetables grow very quickly, which should help home workers like home gardeners collect the much-needed money faster.
Chlorophytum grown ornamentally in sections of the internode of a piece of bamboo.
Large Wrightia bonsai and Pachira stumps require some finer skills to be sculpted into high quality ornamental plants in the garden.
A large, pristine leaf of the yam plant is certainly worth more money than one that is torn or in tatters.
Bayam is easy and quick to raise the money.
A properly cared for jatropha that is balanced in structure will look a lot more appealing and be worth more money than the one left unattended.
Ornamental plants grow very quickly, which should help home workers like home gardeners collect the much-needed money faster.
