In the heart of Hefei City, Liu Yi steps into a vast greenhouse, armed with a plastic water pipe, ready to tend to over 1,000 carefully arranged pots of flowers. As a floral maintenance worker, Liu ensures each plant receives meticulous care, from proper watering and sunlight exposure to the right dose of fertilizer.
Driven by the Chinese people’s pursuit of an enhanced quality of life, the flower consumption market is experiencing a surge in popularity. More individuals are cultivating diverse plants at home, fostering a burgeoning demand for “flower-sitters” who specialize in providing maintenance services for these botanical companions.
Liu Weimin, chairman of Hefei Meidi Horticulture Co., Ltd., recognized this growing trend and established a “flower-sitter” team in 2022. “Taking care of flowers requires professional knowledge; the ‘flower-sitters’ can help people tend to plants more professionally and solve problems,” remarked Liu Weimin. Clients can seek guidance through a mobile app or send their plants directly to these experts.
For enthusiasts like Xiong Anling, who has nurtured flowers at home for years, the intervention of online experts guided her Chinese roses back from the brink of withering. The “flower-sitters” offer not only horticultural knowledge on pests, diseases, and fertilization but also stay abreast of new flower varieties, continuously upgrading their services to align with the evolving flower market.
Beyond basic maintenance, some “flower-sitters” like Hu Wenlan provide personalized decorative design solutions centered around green plants. Hu and her team engage in thorough discussions with clients, understanding their needs, and integrating various aspects of the home, including lighting, furniture style, and indoor space, into their plant-centric designs. This meticulous process, spanning two to three days, results in the transformation of balconies and courtyards, adding a touch of green and beauty to the lives of their customers.
As the flower-sitting trend blossoms across China, these dedicated caretakers are not just nurturing plants but weaving vibrant transformations into the very fabric of Chinese homes.
