In a conversation with a Turmush correspondent, she shared that she sends flower orders daily to Osh, Bishkek, and Batken. The variety of her products is impressive: from perennials with an open root system to potted houseplants. Prices for the plants range from 50 to 7000 soms.
Malika noted that the flower business is influenced by fashion, and new trends emerge every year. Currently, stem roses are particularly popular.
In anticipation of International Women's Day, the focus is specifically on houseplants. "Before March 8, potted flowers are in the highest demand, making them the perfect gift. This season, orchids, anthuriums, and cyclamens are the most popular," she said.
The rose season begins in March, and the Sattarov family’s collection includes 43 varieties of these flowers. Stem roses, for example, have the shape of a small tree with a lush crown. There are both thorny and thornless varieties, some with fragrance and some without, as well as well-known Dutch roses. Local varieties are often grafted onto wild rose bushes, making them thorny, while seedlings from China are usually sold already blooming and thornless.
According to Malika, she not only sells her products but also provides clients with complete consultation on plant care, including soil selection and mineral fertilizers. For her, floriculture is a family legacy. Growing up in a family of gardeners, she instilled a love for this work in her husband and five children. "I grew up among flowers. After marriage, I taught my husband this. All our children help: they water, plant, and load. Even our eldest daughter, as a student, participates in the family business. We work with flowers year-round," she shared.
Malika is surprised when she hears that someone’s flowers do not take root. She possesses a talent she calls a "green thumb": "I am amazed when someone says that a flower has wilted. Everything takes root for me, even if I just stick a cutting in the ground. This is apparently a gift. If I see an unusual variety that I like, I buy it without thinking about the price. My favorite is camellia, but I love each of my plants," she noted.
On the Sattarov family’s plot, flowers are divided into zones, each covering 4-6 hundredths of a hectare. Each plant awaits its season: for example, chrysanthemums and "globes" of various colors will be ready for sale in September.
Now, with the snow in the Kadamjai district just melted, the family plans to expand — they intend to build a larger greenhouse complex in place of a small greenhouse so that the garden can bloom in all its glory come spring.
