HOMES across the island have stocked up on houseplants and gardens will be blooming this spring thanks to The Bahrain International Garden Show (BIGS).
Once again the event was a blooming success as it captivated visitors with its range of towering trees, fabulous flowers and vibrant vegetables.
More than 180 exhibitors from various countries, including local farmers from the popular weekly Saturday Farmer’s Market at the Agriculture Centre in Budaiya, showcased a selection of produce, decorative gardening accessories and landscaping technology.
Visitors also took advantage of training workshops and fun craft sessions. This year’s theme for the exhibition, which was held under the patronage of His Majesty King Hamad with the continued support of Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, wife of the king of Bahrain and President of the Consultative Council of the National Initiative for Agricultural Development, was ‘compact gardening’.
This style of gardening, which can also be referred to as ‘square foot gardening’, is the practice of dividing a growing area into square sections to assist the planning and creation of small gardens for growing vegetables.
Throughout BIGS, exhibitors highlighted the various design options for beginners and urban gardeners looking to transform windowsills, courtyards, backyards or patios into natural wonderlands.
Greenview Landscaping Bahrain, for example, attracted visitors with its assortment of self-watering pots, air plants and moss walls. The boutique landscaping company located in Yateem Centre won first place in last year’s show for its display.
Greenview owner Zeid W Salaam said: “We have created our own compact garden for everyone to see and we have consultants on hand to educate and advise people on how to do it themselves.”
According to Zeid, moss walls, in particular, are growing in popularity and can be seen flourishing in restaurants, hotels and some hospitals. He explained: “They are so popular because they require little maintenance.”
Air plants, known as Tillandisa, are also attracting green-fingered gardening enthusiasts as another low maintenance and eye-catching option. People have become interested in using these plants, which resemble small tufts of grass or spiders, to create special displays in their homes. There are more than 500 different species.
“They are easy to care for,” explained Zeid. “You simply give them a bath once-a-week- soak them- and then place them in a glass cube.”
Small air plants cost a mere BD3 up to BD8.
Visitors visited the show from near and far. Oil company colleagues Shanda Stone and Julie Strawn, for example, travelled from Saudi Arabia to check out water-conserving techniques and xeriscaping, a landscaping method developed for the desert using drought-tolerant plants, for example.
Joshua Caballes, team leader at the Alia For Early Intervention school in Sitra, brought 17 students to the exhibition. They particularly loved the Farmer’s Market stall. He said: “If I had to rate the exhibit from one to 10- I’d give the show an 11!”
Sara Maden, a Bahrain Garden Club board member and website content manager, said: “We held workshops on how to design a compact garden in a tiny space … a do-it-yourself concept. We are also launching an incredible app for landscaping and helping to make your surroundings eco-friendly developed by the University of Bahrain team Spectra in collaboration with our club.”
Universities, along with companies such as Alba, Bapco and GPIC had stands in Hall 2 of the exhibition. Alba’s chief executive officer Tim Murray said: “BIGS has become one of the most outstanding garden shows in the world, whilst having a huge impact on the people of Bahrain.”
This year’s exhibit also featured companies from around the world including France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Greece, Japan, Canada, Thailand, China, Indonesia, Turkey and Russia.
