Friday 10 April 2015

Creating a garden in the desert. Part 2 Planting out

This is my sand pit that I'm hoping I can turn into a garden in the desert.
All the seedlings took and as the roots were growing out the bottom of the pots I decided it was time to plant out into the sand pit that I'm hoping will become a garden. I've spent the week waiting for the temperatures to cool a little and yesterday evening was perfect for some hard labour.
I decided to plant in rows and leave the plants in their coir pots (well the ones that didn't fall apart)

This meant I was gardening in the dark by the time I'd finished digging holes, planting and watering.

To help me decide what plants to grow I've visited garden centres, bought seeds that grow in these climates and taken note of other plants growing in similar conditions and how they've been maintained.
At the moment I've planted directly into the sand. I've had fun growing the seeds and it hasn't cost a lot in regards to money and my time, but I have a feeling that I may need to dig up the sand pit, lay some plastic and mix the sand with some soil before replacing and add an irrigation system to drip water feed the plants throughout the day. At the moment I'll be watering before sun up and after sun down.

The sandpit looks a little scruffy this morning, but nothing appears to have perished over night so all I can do, apart from regular watering, is sit back and fingers crossed something takes and flowers.
If you're ever in Dubai I recommend a visit to The Miracle Gardens where you can see how the professionals created a garden in the desert.

16 comments:

  1. I will keep my fingers crossed all your plants make it :) It'll look fantastic once everything has established! Just had a look at The Miracle Gardens - WOW!

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    1. the seedlings seem to be doing well at the moment

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  2. You've been hard at work, really hope they stay and thrive.

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  3. I've just planted a new border too. I don't think I'll have quite the same problem with watering, although I'm guessing you probably won't have the same challenge with slugs and snails that our garden has. Good luck with plot!

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  4. This was a fascinating post to discover via HDYGG. Whenever I've been abroad I've always been interested in how hotter climates cope with gardening, do they have garden centres and how hard it must be to garden in the heat. I hope your handwork pays off for you. Clare

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    1. there are lots of garden centres in Dubai, just unfortunately too far away from public transport and in this heat using buses and walking are a no no, so i tend to wait till hubby is home in the evenings so i can use the car and it's also nicer (cooler) to do the gardening in

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  5. best of luck with your dessert gardening endeavors!

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  6. Looks like you've been busy - hope they do well there! #hdygg

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    1. in less than a week things are growing well

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  7. I hope that your plants do well in their new surroundings. I've just looked at The Miracle gardens, they are stunning. I never knew such vibrance and beauty would be possible in such a dry environment. It just goes to show what is possible with hard work and imagination.

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    1. not sure my plants are liking being watered at 40c which is the temp it comes out of the ground at, but time will tell

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  8. I've got my fingers crossed for them! Sound like you have done your research so they have a good shot :)
    I just had a peek at your post on the Miracle Gardens - wow that's a lot of colour and blooms!
    Thanks for joining in again x

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    1. thank you for hosting, i'd started the garden before i found your linky and I'm now determined to make sure I keep it up

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