Taboka Tshuma, Sunday Life Reporter
ANNA Magudu, a 56-year-old self-taught florist from Cowdray Park in Bulawayo, has transformed her passion for flowers into a successful business, providing a vital source of income after nearly two decades of unemployment.
Anna’s love for flowers began in her childhood; she started planting flowers at the age of 13 while still in primary school.
In an interview with Sunday Life she explained how her passion for flowers grew stronger with time.
She revealed that reading magazines like Garden and Home and Green Spot had inspired her to take up the trade after losing her job at the CSC Beef Company.
“I have always loved flowers for as long as I remember. Even at home when I was growing up I used to go to the nearby farmer’s garden to get flowers so that I could plant at our homestead.
“As time went by I started reading those gardening magazines, which is where I got a lot of knowledge about flowers and gardening. I never went to school for it, it is something that has always been in my heart,” she said.
After finishing high school she was employed by CSC Beef Company, which was the biggest supplier of beef in the country at the time. Despite her busy schedule — juggling her responsibilities as a wife and mother of three children and a full time job, she still made time for her flowers and garden.
“Flowers just bring joy to my heart. It gets hectic when I get orders like making bridal bouquets or decorating for events. Blending different types of flowers and colours to come up with a unique blend makes my day, it’s a pity my yard is small I don’t have enough space,” she said.
Magudu reminisced about her wedding day, highlighting a particularly cherished memory: “I remember vividly when I had planted many types of flowers in my backyard, I watered and took care of them so well because I wanted to do my wedding flower bouquet from them. It felt good walking down the aisle carrying my own flowers, not the ones I bought or the artificial ones.”
However, Magudu’s journey has not been without its challenges. One of the biggest hurdles she has faced is the lack of enough water to water her plants, due to the water shedding in Bulawayo.
Lucerne production
“My plants suffer a lot because of insufficient water to nurture them, I am struggling with climate change — it’s difficult trying to keep up the old ones and the new breeds but I try my hardest to keep my business going. I haven’t been employed ever since I lost my job and these flowers have been paying my bills,” she added.
Another challenge Magudu faces is lack of proper space to sell her flowers. Undeterred, she carries her flowers on her head, selling them to people in public spaces. Despite not having any means of advertising, Anna’s flowers have become popular among locals.
“I love what I do, it’s not easy, but I am determined to make a success of my business. I am grateful to my customers, who have supported me every step of the way. I just want to advice young people to follow their passion you never know where it might take you in the future, in case things go south always have a plan B.
“If only I was younger I was going to apply for a flower arranging course, get land and grow my business but am grateful for what I have, passing my knowledge and love for flowers to my grandchildren brings joy to my heart,” she said.