Thursday 11 June 2015

Creating a garden in the desert - a visit to the garden centre


I only have a couple of photos of the garden centre as I was told off for taking photos. However I can report that a garden centre in Dubai is very similar to those in the UK and as a matter of fact the same as South Africa.

There's the standard cafe, pots, tools, a selection of gifts, clothing and this particular garden centre featured a bike and a book shop as well as the plants and seeds and garden ornaments. You cannot buy fertilisers or weed killer in Dubai, when you ask you're told to go to Satwa, which is an area of Dubai, but no one tells you where or which shop so I'm doing without.




It's too hot in Dubai, even when the sun sets, the temperature only drops to around 31c and it's still too hot to sit outside for any length of time to actually enjoy the garden, so I thought I should bring the garden inside. I was looking for herbs and strawberry plants, as I'm finding it difficult to grow from seed, but I've been informed as it's summer now, they're out of season.
I spent 4 years in the southern hemisphere where the seasons are opposite to the UK, but there were only really 2 seasons, summer and winter. Spring and autumn only really lasted a couple of weeks. In Dubai the weather so far is sunny and hot with occassional rain and cool wind in December and January.

Fresh cut flowers really don't like the heat, even with the air con and wilt very quickly, they are also very expensive. So I looked at some artificial ones which looked quite realistic until you got up close to them. So the decision was made not to purchase any and to stick to some potted greenery.


 I collected some unused pots and cups to use for planting


I used zip lock bags filled with water in the porous containers, before putting the flowers inside, I found some plastic tubes for the cut flowers and the plants I wanted to keep in their pots were wrapped with material and tied with some ribbon.









Hubby says there is always too much stuff on the dining room table, but I like to dress the table and I'm enjoying eating my meals surrounded by all the loveliness.





I'm also attempting to grow some more herbs but I'm growing them indoors and I'll let you know how I get on with them.


Over the next few weeks for Animal Tales, HDYGG and Time Traveller I will be using old posts for linking up while I'm on holiday. I'm hoping for an encounter with a bear or a moose while I'm in Canada for Animal Tales, I'll be blogging about Catherine's garden who you can find on twitter as @alwaysaredhead where I'll be staying for my holiday and of course there will be numerous posts for Time Traveller.

16 comments:

  1. I love your persistence, I'd have thrown a strop and given up ages ago!
    Bring the flowers and plants indoors seems like a great idea, and OMG Canada, I want a moose!

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    1. I'm hoping i dont get too close to a moose, may have to buy a toy one though as a souvenir.

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  2. I am so excited that you are going to meet Catherine. She's a blogger who I have always had pipedreams of meeting. It's lovely that you two are going to get together.

    I like how you have brought in the outside - it looks so nice and I bet it makes you feel good to walk in and see them too!

    Thank for joining in again - and give Catherine a hug from me x

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    1. will pass on the hug to Catherine and will be blogging about her garden also. It is lovely having some flowers and plants indoors, but sadly fresh cut flowers really dont last long at all

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  3. Have an amazing time in Canada! I love your crockery displays, really simple, yet striking. Thanks for sneaking us into the garden centre, sounds like you have plenty of challenges to overcome, but doing a great job!

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    1. thank you, i'm hoping hubby follows instructions and keeps my plants water, dog walked and bathed while I'm away

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  4. Very pretty!

    If you can't find fertiliser try epson salt. And for weed killer use bicarb. Works like a charm.

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    1. thanks Louisa I will try your ideas, esp for getting the weeds down

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  5. I have to say I didn't expect a garden centre in Dubai to look so familar but I guess I didn't expect a garden centre at all in such heat.

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    1. i was surprised to see so many plants for sale and for the garden centre to be so familiar

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  6. Bringing the garden indoors is a great idea with all that heat. Your table setting looks great, it's always nice to have flowers on the table. Nice hanging white planter too.

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    1. thank you Gemma, the white hanging planters are from Ikea, can't believe they have a branch over here

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  7. I feel for you with that heat, how are your tomatoes doing I remember your post when you started them out hope your enjoying the fruits. try white vinegar as a weed killer even better citric acid and vinegar (ps also makes a great natural cleaner )

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    1. tomatoes???? well the plants are growing well, they flowered and carried on growing, no sign of any tomatoes though

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  8. I love your flowers on the table, so pretty! I can't imagine living anywhere that hot, I've never really thought before about the difficulties of growing anything in such a climate! I'm glad that you managed to take a few photos, it was really interesting to see them.

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    1. unfortunately the flowers didn't last long with the heat and zircon

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