Gardening Becoming Popular in Fujairah and the UAE

It may be the recession and people trying to save some money or the desire to plant and thus feel more rooted in the country but whatever the reason, gardening and growing are becoming popular pastimes in Fujairah and the UAE.

Gardening Shops

On Fujairah’s Al Gurfa Road, south of the incense burner roundabout and on the highway to Friday Market, a host of new nurseries and garden shops have sprung up “like mushrooms on a misty morning.” Perhaps their emergence has given people ideas and the inspiration to plant.

Talk around and you’ll find people starting gardens, growing plants on their balcony, buying hens, establishing herbs in pots and even setting up some beehives in the backyard or on the roof.

Gardening Online

All over the UAE the gardening bug has become a significant topic of online forums and newspaper columns. Here is a sample of the buzz and resources:

Expat Woman

Expat Women.Com has a huge number of questions and answers on issues such as these:

* Guide to planting fruit and veggies in pots.

* Best place to buy pots, trees, soil, stakes, peat moss.

* Help me fix my garden please.

* For those wondering when to plant your veggie seeds.

* What to do about birds.

* Bark/mulch anyone.

* Need advice on planting trees in the Middle East.

* Getting seeds from US to Dubai.

* Herb gardening.

* Lawn Care—it’s going black!

* Watering lawn—how often?

Many of these writers are experienced gardeners but a forum like this provides useful advice for people learning to plant in Middle Eastern soil and in a harsh climate.

Goumbook—Your Green Connection

This site is inspirational when it comes to buying and doing things in the interest of the environment.

Specifically it has lots of articles for gardeners on topics like these:

Green Mat is the answer to stop wasting water in your garden

Vegetable gardening in the UAE

Green Roofs for every building in Dubai

Organic fertilizer system saves water

Nick’s Garden

Nick Leech has been writing regular gardening and lifestyle articles in the last year for The National and many articles conclude with him answering a question entitled, Ask Nick.

Here is a list of some of the topics about which he has been writing:

23 Oct 2010: New resources for local gardeners.

22 Jan 2011: Agave deliver quiet drama along the Corniche.

4 Feb 2011: Give your lawn a spa treatment.

2 Mar 2011: How much water does that plant need?

13 Apr 2011: Compost to transform your garden—and your life.

1 Jun 2011: Smart irrigation takes more than just water.

14 Jul 2011: Desert plants hold medical remedies.

Aug 25 2011: Prepare now for the new planting season.

22 Sep 2011: Time to Feed and Repot the Plants.

Nick also contributes entries to a Plant Library and here are some examples:

2 Mar 2011: Leucophyllum frutescens.

16 Feb 2011: Catharanthus roseus.

To find a full list of articles by Nick Leech, put his name in the search column of The National.

Growers Middle East

As the Dubai-based Facebook Page indicates, “This is a forum for gardeners and farmers in the region to network and share related knowledge on growing in the Middle East.” It is an initiative of EZ-FLO Middle East and Bokashi Dubai.

This is a fascinating site where people post questions (“How do I grow capsicums in Dubai?”), attach links (Nick Leech’s articles from The National), and advertise products.

Other Resources

Let us know if you can recommend other helpful online resources for gardeners and growers in Fujairah and the UAE.

Geoff Pound

More Fujairah news, resources, information and photos are posted on the Fujairah in Focus Facebook Page.

Image: Impatiens. They come in many colours and they flower for most of the year. No wonder you see them in lots of gardens around Fujairah.