sukabumiheadline.com l SUKABUMI – Gardening, especially with special interests, such as specializing in growing certain plants according to your hobby, is said to be physically and psychologically healthy.
A study says that looking at green plants every day will make your eyes healthier. Therefore, it is highly recommended to do it regularly.
Therefore, pursuing a hobby of gardening can be a solution to relieve fatigue and tiredness. Especially if the hobby is considered profitable.
So it was done Dedi Kurniadi or usually called Bang Onel. Since 2018, he has established a balcony garden located at Harbor II KM 10, Tanjungsari Village, Sirnaresmi Village, Gunungguruh District, Sukabumi Regency, West Java.
The following is an excerpt from the complete interview sukabumiheadline.com with a man who has been active in various private radio stations and HRD in private companies:
1. Can you tell us how Balcon Gardens was founded and why it had to be established?
Yes, Balcon Gardens was founded in December 2018 on the initiative of a group of village youths who had the same hobby and wanted to revive sleeping land, preserving the surrounding environment through various creative patterns.
So, the initial target was simply community empowerment. However, as is known, ornamental plants do have a very wide market. Therefore, from a business perspective it is also promising.
2. So is Balcon Gardens a kind of nursery and research place for ornamental plants or just a place to channel your hobby?
This balcony garden is one of them Nursery Garden which has consistency in breeding, care, cross-breeding (grafting), sales and education or training in cultivating adenium flowers.
The educational process itself takes place at the Balcon Garden location by prioritizing the process of introducing various species of adenium which are imported from farmers in Indonesia and imported seeds and seedlings from abroad.
Then, the adenium species which are now cultivated as training and educational materials began to be reproduced by cross-breeding between species and flower colors through a process (hand pollinated) and grafting or grafting stem connection.
The aim is to maintain and give birth to new species to meet the needs of the ornamental plant market in Indonesia.
I myself am now active as an ornamental plant farmer and owner of productive land, assisted by a team consisting of one marketing person, one finance person and two people in the production department.
3. How is the current development? Especially before and after the Covid-19 pandemic, and how capable is it of being a money-making solution, especially during the pandemic?
We never tire in managing idle land into productive land. In fact, the activities of village youth are increasingly felt after their productive activities provide significant results in supporting the family economy.
As time went by, the pandemic, which left thousands wondering when it would end, began to uproot generations of the working class who had to be laid off, some of their activities were limited by skills and hard work until the family economy could no longer be supported.
Finally, we are called to provide training, education and entrepreneurship aimed at developing MSMEs in the surrounding community.
4. What is the marketing strategy for Balcon Gardens? Especially during the Covid-19 pandemic?
Yes, we have a marketing strategy, such as having marketing representatives. Although freelance, but it is considered effective because from there we can have data on flower traders in West Java.
Meanwhile, promotions are carried out through social media accounts, such as Facebook, Instagram, Google Business and WhatsApp groups.
5. What is the initial capital to set up a Balcony Garden and the current turnover?
If the initial capital is around five million Rupiah.
From seeds to decorative flowers in pots, they are sold from 50 thousand Rupiah to 400 thousand Rupiah.
From there, we were only able to gain a turnover of around eight to 12 million Rupiah. This figure is considered good for now, although it has dropped significantly compared to before the Covid-19 pandemic.