Gardening in Dubai

In 1974 we moved to a bungalow in the Rashid Hospital residential compound. I was excited I would be able to have a garden now.

Starting a garden from scratch was not easy. There was a high level of salt content in the soil. We hired workers to remove several inches of the salty layer. Then truckloads of cork shavings, sweet soil, and compost were brought in. The cork shavings went in first then the mixture of sweet soil and compost, followed by several days of watering. Finally, it was time to plant. Our garden flourished once the soil was replenished.

I had picked up a packet of tulip bulbs at a supermarket. A packet of dried tulip bulbs that looked like small dried onions, shipped from Holland, had found their way to a local supermarket in Dubai hundreds of miles away. I didn’t think they had a chance of growing. I planted them anyway. I couldn’t believe when the bulbs sprouted and I had a row of beautiful bright colored tulips growing in my front yard. I never tire of repeating my tulip story.

The Gulmohar Tree

And then there was our beautiful Gulmohar tree (Delonix regia or royal poinciana). On a visit to my parents’ house in Hyderabad, I mentioned to my father how I wished I could transport some of his carefully planted trees to Dubai. The wonderful dad he was, he called his gardener right away. Before I left for Dubai I had cuttings of a Gulmohar tree, bougainvillea and curry leaf tree, and seeds of a drumstick tree (Moringa tree).

The bougainvillea bloomed. The drumstick tree grew nice and tall. We enjoyed eating the drumsticks for a few years. Unfortunately, we planted the seeds too near the wall so the tree had to be cut down. The curry leaf tree for some reason did not survive.

The Gulmohar tree was a glorious sight in our front yard. Admired by neighbors and visitors. It was hard saying goodbye when we left our home for good in 1990.