Troy Beckett finds harmony in botanical treasure
Published:Saturday | December 17, 2022 | 1:39 AMKrysta Anderson/Staff Reporter
Coming from a family of farmers, Troy Beckett recalled his grandparents planting marigolds, and cutting the beautiful flowers when the time was right to take them to the market for others to purchase. Today, Beckett owns and operates a botanical treasure dedicated to the promotion and preservation of nature.
It’s Christmas time so high on the agenda are the sales of poinsettias. The plant, he said, is a beloved one this time of the year because it is reminiscent of the season.
“The red gives people a different excitement when it comes to Christmas. They were asking before and even after Christmas, but I explained that the plant is red based on the time of the year. Because we have more dark nights, it changes into this nice and beautiful colour. With longer days, it goes back to green.” he told The Gleaner.
While his grandparents and his mother have given him a blueprint of sorts, when it comes to farming, the entrepreneur did not always have a green thumb.
The unique skill he now displays 10 years later is a result of time and effort, learning what to do and what not to do. “I love flowers so much that it is all that I do. I have a crazy love for flowers. It’s flowers for me right up to the end.”
He initially explored his interests in music, photography, and graphic design. It wasn’t until he accompanied a friend to a flower show, that his passion for nature came to light.
“I asked him how I can get into the business of flowers,” he shared. He went on to experiment with growing his plants. When one didn’t work out, he’d try another, and then another, until he was able to see the growth blooming before his eyes.
Since opening Troy’s Botanical Treasures in Liguanea a decade ago, the journey has been tremendously rewarding. The business has experienced its ups and downs, where he was struggling to garner customers, Beckett is grateful for the growth and development in fan and client base.
Other companies might have shut down during the global pandemic, but he found light amid that seemingly dark tunnel. The business soon picked up and he was able to bring joy to others by providing good-quality plants. His favourite plants to this day are marigolds, zinnias, dianthus, and poinsettias, just to name a few. He also supplies hibiscus, chrysanthemum, orchids, and crown-of-thorn. “This time of the year, no one really supplies the flowers that I have in store,” he added. He appreciated the fact that customers love marigolds as much as he does.
When something truly changes you for the better, then you should stick with it. Plants require a great deal of time, patience, and care. And Beckett has seen where his passion assisted in improving how he approaches all three areas of life.
“What I really love about plants is that it’s a very calming process. I am a very impatient person and it has helped me in that regard. You watch them grow from a small baby state. Some plants take longer than others to grow. And it is a beauty to watch,” he shared.
As an entrepreneur, he is always amused when customers visit and ask for the owner, querying if it is his mother or father who runs the business. They are then surprised when he reveals that he is the Troy of Troy’s Botanical Treasures.
With that in mind, he is encouraging other young people to not only be plant parents, but to think about going into the plant business as well. “If you attract the right customers, you can make money,” he said.
He hopes to make it big and ship outside of Jamaica. He would also love to own a nice business place that he can call home for his potted treasures.