Carnations are my favourite. They last, look fresh and appealing and come in many varieties. But when you spend so much of time with flowers, you tend to become oblivious to their charms. I have always been fascinated by the work of florists. That is why I decided to learn flower arrangement from my cousins when I had to drop out from school after class eight. I wanted to study further but my father, Masappa, just could not afford to send me to school.
I hail from Bengaluru where my parents and elder brother live. I send all my income to my parents. Two of my elder sisters are married. Since my elder brother is working in a company that is in the flower business, it was easy to get into the trade. Instead of selling flowers and looking after the blossoms, I wanted to learn how to arrange them into beautiful creations. Some of my cousins are working at florists in Bengaluru and they let me assist them. This is something that can’t be taught. You have to have the eye for it. I was able to grasp the art quickly and when someone from Kattakada wanted a person to arrange flowers at his place, I decided to come to Kerala. I have been working in Thiruvananthapuram for the last five years. I am 19 now. I enjoy working at Lalith Flora, where I have been employed for the last two years. In some places, the range of flowers is limited and then you can’t really do all the things you want to do when you get an order. Here, there are plenty of flowers to choose from and I have been given a place to stay that is just above our shop. So life is quite comfortable.
You can see my creations at leading hotels and some tech companies in Technopark. The peak periods are on Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and so on. Online orders come flooding in, especially from Delhi. We also get some orders from abroad. If you show me the design, I can do almost anything. Malayalis seem to like roses a lot while many foreigners choose lilies. I make bouquets, posies and baskets. Then there are big weddings for which I make arches, beds of flowers before the dais… One should know what goes well with what kind of flowers. The flowers come from Bengaluru. See, there are gerberas, lilies, carnation, roses, Anthurium…
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The cost ranges between Rs. 200 and Rs.5,000. Customers can choose the accessories that go with the flowers, knick knacks like pots, candles, dry flowers… Flowers are much in demand for all kinds of functions at the work place too. Yes, I have got many compliments. Some customers tell me directly while some tell my muthalali and he passes it on to me. It is nice to be appreciated for your work.
To ensure that your flowers stay fresh, you should add moisture carefully, depending on the arrangement.
My ambition is to return to Bengaluru and start my own place.
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(A weekly column on the men and women who make Thiruvananthapuram what it is)