One of Viji Abi’s dreams was to have a waterlily with her name, a hybrid variety that she propagated. The dream was realised when the Thailand-based International Waterlily and Water Gardening Society (IWGS) accepted her entry, a hybrid waterlily, Nymphaea Sree. The bloom met several stringent IWGS criteria before a new registration. She says this possibly makes her the only woman hybridizer from Kerala, or the country for that matter, to find a place in the IWGS.
She is not done, this is just the beginning. Her dream is the waterlily which will get her worldwide recognition. “Until then no rest!”
With more than 100 varieties of waterlilies in the 60 cents of land around her rented property at Ollur, Thrissur, Viji says, “It is a dream that I hope to realise. Water plants have an identity, and waterlilies especially!” Her waterlilies grow in a couple of ponds, pots, tanks and eight children’s ’ pools — cramming any space where there is sunlight.
The perfect one
Over the past five years, she has propagated many waterlilies, looking for one that is perfect and unique. The number of petals, shape and colour are among the key factors that make the ideal flower. The hybridizer tag was not easy to come by. One of her ‘babies’, a hybrid that changes colour; pretty as it is, had nothing unusual about it, says Viji. “It would have appealed to lay people but not the experts. Nymphaea Sree meets the criteria and hence the recognition.”
An interest in water plants, that started in 2018, has now fully bloomed into a passion and business for this former accountant. Growing up in a house with a garden full of plants, and a green thumb inherited from her mother, led her to run a business selling plants.
Her interest led her to water plants - water lilies and lotuses. “The first time I heard the price of a seedling of Australian Victoria waterlily — ₹12,000 — I was shocked! Who would pay so much?” Today, she knows that the prices can range from upwards of ₹150 to a few lakhs of rupees.
Her initial attempts at growing waterlilies were failures, “I did not even know that some bloomed only at night and others during daytime. That is how clueless I was.” She planted seedlings, and saw them bud but never the flowers. She accidentally saw that the waterlilies bloomed when she came home late one evening.
She had better luck with the lotus plants which did better, and she even sold some plants. As Viji figured out how to grow waterlilies, her collection comprises varietals such as Australian hybrids and tropicals among others. At first sight, all the waterlilies look the same except for the size of the flowers, the density of petals and the colours.
Not a lotus
The more she learned about waterlilies, the more she realised that people knew very little about them and often mistook them for lotus. “What is commonly known as Neela thamara (blue lotus) is actually a tropical Australian water lily. Try telling that to people here. Not one person believes it, let alone agree with it.” People are suspicious too, “I am asked if these are not the indigenous kind growing in local water bodies.”
When Viji started out, the community of water plant enthusiasts saw the 34-year-old as a competition. “Nobody would share information or tips on how to grow or propagate waterlilies. Everything I learnt, I did on my own by trial and error. Those who know about these are stingy about sharing information. I did not know about repotting, pollination and propagation.”
She found two growers in Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, who not only sent her seedlings but also gave her tips about how to go about it. Support also came from the horticulture department of Kerala Agricultural University, Mannuthy. “I was able to learn more about hybrids from the faculty.” She learned along the way that chemical fertilisers work better in keeping away pests such as snails and that these plants have to be carefully nurtured. “A leaf rotting in the water is enough to wreak havoc!”
Waterlily enthusiasts in Thailand have been a great source of help, and she is grateful to them for their support. “Once convinced that I had a genuine interest in the plants, they took me under their wing and shared tips that others may not be privy to. They are generous with their knowledge, answering every query.” Viji also learnt how they used waterlily in other ways including using dried petals as tea.. She discovered that they could also be used as fresh flowers for flower arrangements. The waterlilies grown there are primarily the Australian varietals.
As the blooming season starts, Viji looks forward to propagating more perfect flowers. “There are several hybrids that are a hot topics of discussion. Each one is as stunning as the next, the kind that deserve special mention. And these are the kinds I want to call mine!”
