Most people buy land to build a house or business premises, but not Miriam Mukami. Miriam’s passion for greenery shaped not only her lifestyle, but also the design of her home.
Long before laying the foundation, she envisioned a space where rare bromeliads could bloom, staghorn ferns could hang from tree trunks, and begonias could line the walkways.
The garden was not an afterthought; it was the starting point, conceived two and a half decades ago when she was living in rented apartments.
"When I was living in the apartments, I would search for plants to keep me motivated toward building. I envisioned a tranquil place,” Miriam recalls.
When she finally bought her 40-by-80-foot plot at Clay Works, Membley —a Nairobi suburb—she didn’t picture a future driveway or seating area. Instead, she saw plant beds, and shade structures.
In Clay Works, land prices now range from around Sh7 million depending on size.
Her house, which is now 12 years old, was built in the heart of the compound and designed around the garden. She even relocated to preserve a cherished tree and create additional planting space.
Despite the significant construction costs, it was clear from the outset that her true investment was in the plants.
"When the house was almost finished, the plants had become an integral part of it. I wanted a place where I could walk out and be surrounded by them,” she says.
Miriam Mukami pictured at her plant nursery in Membley Estate, Kiambu County, on June 13, 2025.
Photo credit: Bonface Bogita | Nation Media Group
The results of her efforts over the past decade are evident. What she has created is not just a home, but a living work of art.
Her collection features an variety of unique and rare species. Air plants and bromeliads dominate her display, which is artistically mounted on tree trunks, salvaged wood and rocks.
“I really love bromeliads. There are hundreds of different types,” she explains pointing at their shinny leaves.
She shows off her Tillandsia xerographica, also known as the 'king of air plants'. “It’s like my precious cargo,” she says.
Among the bromeliads, you'll find staghorn ferns, epiphytes that cling not parasitically, but gracefully, requiring only a surface to rest upon.
“They just hug. They don’t take anything; they just need support,” Miriam explains.
The garden also features thoughtfully curated displays, including miniature water gardens adorned with lilies and other aquatic plants, makeshift wooden planters that have been transformed into sculptures, and lush arrangements of her 12-years-old palms, rubber plants, begonias, calatheas and alocasias.
Her newest additions include four magnolia shrubs and two mucuna climbers. She admits that these purchases cost her a significant amount, with some plants costing over Sh5,000 each. However, she doesn’t view them as luxuries, but rather as long-term investments.
“People spend money on jewellery and parties. I spend on plants. A plant keeps giving,” she says.
While many might hesitate at the cost, Miriam admits she is not alone. She knows plant enthusiasts who have taken out loans —some over Sh100,000 just to support their collections.
Her most prized tropical foliage includes Alocasia cuprea, Alocasia black velvet, Alocasia silver dragon and Alocasia amazonica. She also grows camellias, donkey tails, fittonias, Chinese evergreens (Aglaonema) and ponytail palms.
Miriam has also experienced heartbreak along the way. She clearly recalls when she lost a rare bromeliad to rot.
"The loss was not just financial, but emotional too. This is why I prioritise propagation from the start: to protect against both emotional and financial losses," she says.
Her passion for plants has been growing quietly for decades, beginning during a childhood Christmas Day.
Variety of plants pictured at Miriam Mukami’s home in Membley Estate, Kiambu County, on June 13, 2025.
Photo credit: Bonface Bogita | Nation Media Group
"When we were trying to decorate the house with paper, my dad came and told us, "Let me show you real beauty." He went outside, picked a plant that we had never noticed before and brought it in. It was a begonia,” narrates Miriam.
"He placed it in a container, set it on the shelf, and suddenly I could see its beauty."
This simple moment became a cherished memory for the trainer consultant.
Her father’s love of plants and her mother’s admiration of topiaries and well-kept gardens instilled in her a deep love of greenery and nature.
Just a few metres from her home, Miriam is gradually transforming a quiet plot of land is into a sought-after nursery.
From green thumb to business
Her 50-by-100-metre greenhouse stands out as a lush, vibrant space.
From her carefully designed green haven, which contains over 100 types of plants mostly propagated from her home garden, Miriam cultivates more than just plants.
She also brings a touch of nature to the lives of Nairobi’s high-rise apartment dwellers.
Her clientele is diverse and includes urban apartment dwellers looking to bring nature indoors, plant collectors searching for rare varieties, resellers who use her photos to market and place orders from her stock, and landscape clients seeking her expertise to add greenery to their homes.
She is increasingly targeting corporate clients such as offices, churches, and wellness centres. She is also expanding her services to offer curated care kits and therapy-focused plant packages for individuals dealing with emotional stress or on a healing journey.
“I have clients who come here feeling overwhelmed. They just walk around and breathe better,” she says. Many of them send her updates.
"Those messages... that's what keeps me going," she says quietly.
Amazon Lily plant pictured at Miriam Mukami’s home garden in Membley Estate, Kiambu County on June 13, 2025.
Photo credit: Bonface Bogita | Nation Media Group
What about her prices? They reflect the care and attention she gives to every plant. Some sell for as little as Sh300, making them accessible to new gardeners. However, her pricing also takes into account the soil mix, presentation and growing process.
“Even tea is sold differently depending on where it’s brewed,” she says. “I give them a good experience. I make them look a certain way.”
Best-selling plants
Her donkey tail plants, for instance, are one of her best-selling products. While others offer tiny cuttings, she generously fills her pots, giving them a full, lush appearance that makes them irresistible.
She now grows two types —a thin and a thick variety —often in small pots, which are ideal for clients from outside the city.
She started to develop her business after the Covid-19 pandemic, when she realised how important plants had become for people stuck in enclosed urban spaces.
“Everyone was searching for peace, and I realised I could offer it through plants,” says the mother of two.
She started by selling propagated cuttings to friends and then to a growing circle of referrals.
She says that the business is as much about patience as it is about profit. "This is not a quick way to make money. It’s slow growth. You wait months. Sometimes years. And you still lose some along the way. But you learn, adapt and plant again,” says Miriam.
She propagates relentlessly. “If I sell one plant, I want to grow three more. If you miss even a week of planting, you feel the gap.
Miriam dreams of eventually building a permanent, climate-controlled greenhouse and adding a pond with fish. She also wants to explore tissue culture and hybridisation.
“You want to mass-produce, but you also need to protect your source,” she explains, highlighting why she never sells her mother plants. Throughout this journey, her philosophy remains straightforward: ‘Plants are living things. They teach you patience and care, and how to appreciate nature, even in its imperfections. You can’t fight nature —you must work with it.”
