Chronicle Editor
Patrick Chitumba, Midlands Bureau Chief
MRS Chipo Junia Baye (67) used to think flowers were just for beautifying the environment. But when people started paying her for flowers they took from her, she started seeing things differently.
“When people and companies started paying me for my flowers I saw a big opportunity. I saw a life changing opportunity,” she said.
At the time, she was working in the administration department at the Midlands State University (MSU) before she was tasked with managing events and would take care of floral arrangements during functions like the graduation ceremonies.
Mrs Baye said she has been collecting rare, heirloom varieties of roses for nearly 30 years.
At her house in Windsor Park in Gweru, she has 524 flower pots of all shapes, colours and sizes.
There are also a variety of flowers in a garden around her house.
Her driveway has flower pots on either side like a marching column of soldiers turning their faces toward audiences to acknowledge them in a show of respect.
Mrs Baye is somewhat of a legend in the rose world and has inspired so many with her passion and generous sharing.
Her love of roses is contagious and she came to gardening early in her life taking after her mother who loved flowers but not at a commercial level as her daughter.
On Thursday, this reporter visited her garden, which was like stepping into another world.
Mrs Baye was such a warm host, walking him through all of the beautiful gardens and dozens of arbours smothered in arching canes of roses, some of which were just about to bloom.
Every time the reporter thought they were at the end of the tour, they would turn a corner into another section of the garden brimming with varieties some of which the reporter had only read about in books.
“I took the love for flowers from my mother. I grew up in Mambo suburb in Gweru and my mother loved flowers,” she said.
Trained as a teacher at Mutare Teachers’ College Mrs Baye said when she went out on workshops and visited friends and relatives, she would make it a point to bring back a variety of flowers for her garden.
She said her trips to Bulawayo were most enjoyable as she would buy flower pots from Turnall Holdings Limited.
“These flowers are from all over the country. Every time I was assigned to travel on work duties I would use my out of station allowance to buy flower pots and flowers as well and that is how I have amassed such a variety of flowers in my garden. So I went to work collecting plants from a wide range of nurseries and specialty growers across the country. In all, I gathered more than 200 individual varieties and over 1 000 plants in my garden. There are 524 flower pots around my house in my garden and any can be hired or carried out to functions by clients,” said Mrs Baye.
She said when she was staying in a Government flat in Gweru East she faced challenges in keeping flowers as there was no space at all.
Mrs Baye who was also inspired by the beautiful gardens she saw in the United Kingdom where she stayed as she did her first degree at Newcastle University before a Masters in Special Education and Community Based Rehabilitation School is also an Assessor at the High Court of Zimbabwe.
When the Bulawayo High Court is on circuit at Gweru magistrates’ courts, Mrs Baye will be with Mr Wellington Matemba sitting as Assessors.
“It hasn’t been a smooth road because I didn’t wake up owning this house. I was staying in a Government flat which was a difficult environment for keeping flowers because there is no space. I had challenges with neighbours at one time when passages were filled with my flowers but that didn’t deter me. I kept collecting flowers and flower pots,” said Mrs Baye.
She said when she moved to her house in Windsor Park she saw an opportunity to grow her flower business.
“Around 2000 I moved to this house and I went on to transform this property which now has a perfectly manicured lawn. It’s now a magical secret garden which is inspired by all of the gardening books that I read and my experience in the United Kingdom,” said Mrs Baye.
She said her home can now be used as a garden for weddings and other small functions and all coming for a fee.
“I am now retired and this is my life now. Flowers are now bringing me a sweet scent of success. As you can see, the flower plots have different colours and that is because I allow corporates or people who hire to paint the colours they want to fit their occasion. My house is also open for business as the mantra by President Mnangagwa that Zimbabwe is open for business.
People young and old pay to have pictures taken in my garden. Weddings, tea parties are also held in my garden,” said Mrs Baye.
She said people that love nature might consider a career path where they can work with flowers adding that there are many types of roles related to cultivating and arranging flowers and jobs in floral design.
“Many people rent flowers for one-day events, weddings, and birthday parties. The demand for flowers is sky-rocketing over the years and I advise other women to utilise the small gardens or land they have to pursue their passion to contribute to the growth of the country,” said Mrs Baye.
Londile Moyo
Online Reporter