Her one-roomed Garden of Eden
Onalenna Kelebeile | Friday October 10, 2014 16:41
Kebonnetse Modise’s one-roomed home in the Newstands location is notable for its blossoming, well-nourished nursery, featuring a variety of flowers, plants and trees that are her primary source of income.
Popularly known as Mma Tebogo, the 66-year-old did not need to pursue official studies to master the art of growing and nurturing her botanical garden, especially for commercial purposes. Hers is a God-given talent that she discovered and abandoned her previous livelihood based on housekeeping, to pursue.
Today, she prides herself on the fact that she is the first Selebi-Phikwe resident to make a commercial business out of a home-based nursery. Her garden supplies residents, small businesses and commercial entities in the mining town, as well as other downstream entrepreneurs in need of seedlings.
The nursery has customers from as far as Kasane and Gaborone who buy in bulk, with produce from her fruit trees, particularly popular with both consumers and ranch owners intending to start their own orchards.
She also plants herbs and spices such as curry leaves that are in high demand within the Indian community. Mma Tebogo, who handpicks the curry leaves, dries them in her house and prepares them, notes that when mixed with ginger roots, these play a major role in maintaining normal blood pressure levels.
“I never went to school for this. God just revealed it to me and I have passion for what I am doing.
“Just like children or any living thing, my nursery blossoms when shown tender love by its owner and I never deprive my plants of attention at any time,” she says proudly.
Interestingly, the botanist does not buy seeds locally or across the border. Instead, she depends on the natural growth cycle, which includes harvesting seeds or seedlimgs, planting them and then using leaves, peels and small bran for compost.
Mma Tebogo keeps and buries the seeds of all the fruits she eats and nurtures these before replanting them to produce new trees.
“What I have learnt is that the plants I germinate in-house grow beautifully compared to when I have used imported seeds. Those shoots over there failed to grow well after I was advised to use rooting powder,” she says pointing to a sorry looking group of shoots.
“But the others I grew and watered naturally are blossoming.”
Nothing goes to waste at Mma Tebogo’s nursery; branches from dead or pruned trees are heaped in the corner of the yard in a compost heap and watered to make for a nutritious diet for new plants.
Mma Tebogo started her nursery in 1991 and went commercial in 1993. In those early years, her one-roomed house had no access to water and she had to fetch the precious supplies from standpipes.
“I was inspired by a white woman who ran a tree nursery in Bosele Hotel,” she recalls.
“I bought a few plants that I could afford and the expensive ones, I shared the cost with my sister.”
Her new business was met with a lot of disapproval from colleagues who discouraged her and advised her instead to establish a vegetable garden, the mainstream avenue for those blessed with green fingers.
The budding botanist stood her ground and by the time the “white woman” closed shop, Mma Tebogo had acquired all manner of decorative plants, roses, grasses and herbs from the previous owner.
From “humble” beginnings with crotons, benjamins, evergreens, an assortment of roses, palms and fruit plants, Mma Tebogo today also boasts avocado, granadilla, apple, peaches and pear plants in her yard on top of the large variety of plants.
Her is a story of the true spirit of Ipelegeng. Instead of waiting for a government handout, Mma Tebogo literally took her destiny into her hands, rolled up her sleeves and knuckled down.
“Registering for the Ipelegeng programme would have been a waste of time as the income I generate from my plants is much better,” she says.
“Registering would also mean depriving my plants of attention. I am here now and I have done my part.
“The only thing that government can assist me with is shades, Jojo and an open space for my business.
“Nna ke ikopela didirisiwa hela mo pusong; dimela kena natso.”
Through the proceeds from the nursery, Mma Tebogo has been able to send her two children to school, with one of them having benefited from a private school education.
Her one regret, however, is that while she willingly shares even her most hard to find varieties with customers and businesspeople alike, many others are unwilling to reciprocate.
“This is a gift from God and so I do not have a problem sharing with other people what I have.”