Retired Schoolteacher Grows Profits in Her Backyard Bamboo Nursery
Beverly enjoyed teaching high school English for years. Interacting with students and spreading the joy of learning always made her eager to come to class. When she retired last year, she loved her newfound freedom, but definitely missed some of her favorite things about teaching. Still, she wanted to keep that freedom. She didn’t want to start a new job with set hours or become a substitute teacher. She wanted total control over her days. She wanted to try something else. Something she could do for just a few hours of the week if she wanted. She finally found the perfect fit: a backyard bamboo nursery.Beverly had heard about the thriving business of growing bamboo for profit, but she had no idea it’d be so fun and profitable. Bamboo is one of the most highly-used plants in the world. Over half the world’s population uses it in one way or another. It’s also the fastest-growing plant. This certainly excited Beverly. To get off to a strong start, she did some research. She assessed her backyard and decided it did in fact have enough room for a backyard plant nursery. She knew she needed a good amount of room, but not acres and acres either. Plus, by visiting her local garden center, and from talking to landscapers, she learned what plants are the most popular in her area, the plants that could make her the biggest profits. She also learned which were suited to her area’s climate.Armed with 20 different varieties, she got started on planting her new bamboo plants. She remembered to use only organic fertilizers, specifically a time-release fertilizer. During the spring of the second year she began propagating her “for sale” bamboo plants by placing them in containers. She had learned that container-grown plants can be sold almost any time of the year. She also remembered to use containers that can “breathe,” as this provides sufficient drainage.Beverly hadn’t even started selling her plants, but she was already having fun. She was able to grow the plants on her time. She balanced plant care with her other interests and activities. She also enjoyed learning and practicing a new skill, and watching things grow-kind of like being a schoolteacher.Soon she was ready to begin selling her plants. Her town allows backyard sales, so she started selling the plants right out of her backyard nursery. She loved interacting with customers and getting paid immediately. She also sold some of her plants to landscapers who were delighted to see she was growing exactly what they were looking for, and she was selling the plants at a cheaper price than what they had paid in the past.Now Beverly runs a thriving backyard business. She thought growing bamboo for profit might be a fun activity to do during her retirement, but she quickly realized she could make good money, and enjoy interacting with customers. In fact, some of her customers are former students! Simply put, Beverly could not have imagined a better retirement. The fun and joy of practicing a new skill, and making a nice profit at the same time. To learn more, read Golden Harvest, available at: http://extraincomebulletin.com
