ALAPPUZHA: Flowers in seven colours from the same bougainvillaea plant. Customers from Karnataka to Canada. The reputation of the Bougainvillea garden, which is nurtured by S Siji and his wife Shyama of Ponnittussery, Kanjikuzhi, Cherthala, has crossed the seas. The small garden grew to 25 cents. Income also grew.

Agriculture Minister P Prasad had once visited the house to see the Bougainvilleas. Shyama's life was changed by the minister's question, "Why don't you cultivate bougainvillaea on an industrial basis?" Her husband Siji, a last-grade employee at the Cherthala Legal Metrology Office, stood by her. Their children are Tirtha and Artha.

The bougainvillaeas range from Maharani, Adarna, Flame Red and Sakura. It was four years ago that Siji got a bougainvillaea that someone had thrown away. Siji, who is familiar with pepper grafting, tried it at Bougainvillea too. Then grafting became fun. Many colored plants were grafted to the native Bougainvillea.

From Rs 3,000 to Rs 30,000

Grafting plants are priced between Rs 3,000 and Rs 30,000. Saplings can be brought from Rs 300 onwards. Hybrid paper flower plants from the Philippines are also purchased and grafted. A seven-foot-tall multi-coloured bougainvillaea can be priced in lakhs of rupees. The demand is more from Kottayam in Kerala. The demand swells through their YouTube channel and international Bougainvillea groups. The Bougainvillea plant purchased from here by an Ernakulam native had fallen from a car and was damaged. The family had sought Shyama's help to recover the plant. Siji and Shyama are treating the plant so that it will flower in the next season.

"A lot of people come to see the garden and for photoshoots. Best colour combinations are being made. Many people from abroad are calling and booking plants for their homes in India."

- Shyama