There is something about plants that mesmerises Jane Lillian Powell. From when a little girl on Vanuabalavu, in Lau. she felt each plant was unique, and that made her even more inquisitive about them.

Today, Lillian, as she prefers to be called, earns a living from the very plants she used to admire when young.

Lillian’s story is as beautiful as the flowers she sells.

Perched on a stool under her marquee on the Suva foreshore one would think that she was one of those inquisitive tourists admiring the flowers on sale.

Well, she wasn’t. She was part of the Fiji Floriculture Council that was selling plants last week on the Suva foreshore.

“I grew up in Soso, an estate on Vanuabalavu, my mother, Jane, hails from Sawana Village in the district of Lomaloma,” Lillian said.

“I grew up with many different types of flowers surrounding our house, my mother was actually the one who instilled the love for all plants in me,” she said..

Lillian confesses that her love for plants grew when she came to learn flower arrangement from her mother.

But that is not all. She is a master in the art of landscaping, a job, she says, requires great creativity.

“For me, all plants are special and any kind of plant can be arranged and can be as beautiful as a bunch of roses.

“I used to sit and watch my mother arrange flowers for the church in Sawana or prepare flowers for salusalu. I learnt a great deal of information about plants and flowers from her and that passion has been part of my life ever since.

“Now I’m planting and selling them as well and it has become an income earner for me and my family,” she said.

Lillian said she was so inquisitive about plants she decided to do a correspondence study with Waikato University on plants and horticulture.

Her lecturers from Waikato were surprised she was able to pass with flying colours. “That even gave me more confidence on planting, landscaping and flower arranging,” she said.

Lillian said while she continues to sell flowers and plant them at their home in Pacific Harbour, Deuba, her landscaping business had come to a halt because most of her clients had left the country.

“I used to have a lot of expatriate clients and I get to do landscaping for them but after the coup most left and things are not that good for me. I hopes that it returns to normal soon,” she said.

On her plants, Lillian said the most wanted were herbs and palms.

“These are two types of plants that people seek mostly, they are always in demand and planters do plant them more,” she said.

Lillian said more young people should take up the art as it was becoming more demanding now.

“More people are now appreciating the beauty of flowers more than before.

“At times I am surprised to see, dads and grandads inquiring about plants,” she said smilingly.

“People should make use of the little backyards they have in their homes to plant flowers.

“It is very healthy for us florists to admire our plants and talk to them , or admire them, I believe that by doing so they will give out their best colours and bloom,” she said.

Lillian said whenever she hears the song Lomaloma na toba vakaloloma she remembers the colours and aroma that fill Sawana Village when flowers are blooming.

source : www.fijitimes.com