Tetiana Pisna from Bobrynets, Ukraine, has been growing flowers in greenhouses for 10 years, including tulips. This year, she cultivated around 10,000 tulips for spring.
Tetiana and her husband built their greenhouses in 2015. They started with petunias, ordering seeds online and selling the flowers.
Later, Tetiana decided to try growing tulips, ordering bulbs from the Netherlands. Since tulip bulbs are rarely grown in Ukraine, their price is high—this year, one bulb cost around €0.5.
She spent two years mastering tulip-growing techniques, learning online. "Growing flowers requires constant improvement. I learn from mistakes and other florists to ensure customers get fresh, high-quality flowers," she says.
The last couple of years, Tetiana feared she might have to abandon her business. "Surprisingly, people kept buying tulips. Everyone realized that tomorrow is uncertain, so they wanted to bring joy to their loved ones," she recalls.
Last year, she sold about 5,000 tulips. This year, she doubled production to 10,000. Late February is the most challenging period, requiring precise temperature and humidity control. Power outages complicated this last year, but a generator saved the flowers.
Besides tulips, Tetiana grows sulfinia, pelargonium, primrose, cyclamen, carnations, and hyacinths—about 5,000 plants in total.
"Tulips remain the top choice for spring gifts. The flower variety doesn't matter as much as the joy and attention it brings," she says.
Next year, Tetiana plans to expand her flower cultivation and establish direct bulb shipments from the Netherlands.
Source: persha.kr.ua