Orchid plants are synonymous with beauty. No wonder, if the flower, which has the Latin name Orchidaceae, is much-loved by women in the world.

As a hobby, I spend my spare time by planting and developing various orchid plants

Priatiningsih, is one of the many women in the world who love orchids. Not just a hobby of planting and enjoying its beauty, this 56-year-old woman also cultivates orchids at home.

At her house, which is located on Jalan Rasamala I, RT 14/06 Utan Kayu Selatan, Matraman, East Jakarta, there are more than 1,000 orchids of various types and sizes planted in pots.

She admitted that she started cultivating orchids 10 years ago, after her retirement as a medical worker in a private hospital.

"As a hobby, I spend my spare time by planting and developing various orchid plants, namely Moon Orchid, Dendrobium, Cattleya and Vanda," she expressed, popularly called doctor Nuk, Sunday (1/9).

She added, Orchid care has a different way, according to the type. Dendrobium Orchid for instance, which is resistant to hot and cold weather, is easier to care for. Unlike the Moon Orchid which must be planted in cold areas. So when it grows up, it often moves its Moon Orchid plant to Cianjur, West Java. If it has reproduced and flowered, it will be brought home again.

Under East Jakarta KPKP Sub-agency, she was trying to develop orchid cultivation into a business opportunity by empowering women in her environment.

For business, she sells Dendrobium Orchids online worth Rp 50 to 75 thousand per plant and Rp 100 thousand to over Rp 1 million per plant.

"Every day, all these orchids are planted with the involvement of TP PKK cadres. However, specifically for the detection of sick orchids, it is handled alone," she furthered.

In the next two years, she will prepare tools for breeding orchids. Thus, the orchids cultivated are the result of their own nurseries, instead of shopping in areas of Kediri, Malang and Jogyakarta.

So, she hoped that it could pass on her hobby of farming to the local people. Besides being able to make the environment beautiful, it can also provide economic value.