Four green thumbs in Qatar on nurturing nature in backyard

Unlike tales in a storybook, there is no fairy godmother in real life to transform a dull pavement into a vibrant green space. But if there is one thing we've learned from fairy tales, it is that there is always hope. In Doha, it comes in the form of persistent green thumbs who have built their own luscious green space in divergence from the endless buzz of an urban city. One thing is for sure, it took less of magic wands but, more of pruning shears and garden shovels.

The Peninsula brings together four green thumbs in Doha who spoke about their dedication to urban gardening as well as the interesting paradox found in the recreation which demands grit as much as the tranquility it returns. The four avid gardeners also talked about Qatar's potential in urban farming and the changes it brought to their lifestyle. And mind you, none of these gardeners are novices, as all of them have been at it for the last six to 10 years, amassing results to show every season.

Backyard with 300 varieties of roses

Omer Cheema, a 51-year-old Pakistani resident in Qatar, has always been surrounded by nature since he was a child. Back home, Cheema was only a few steps away from being immersed in green spaces thanks to their huge garden. So a year after he moved to Qatar in 2005, he strived to create something similar in his new backyard.

Cheema grows all kinds of plants, ranging from seasonal, perennial, and exotic. His general focus is growing rose varieties and fruit plants. In the green lush of his home garden resides more than 300 varieties of roses and nine varieties of fig plants, including the White Marseilles from France, which he said is a personal favourite of former US President Thomas Jefferson. He also grows seasonal plants such as tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, pomegranate, mushrooms, and more.

Cheema, who has been urban farming since 2006, firmly believes that anything can be grown in Qatar. Speaking to The Peninsula, he spoke about his aim to debunk preconception that one can't grow much in Qatar due to its hot environment. Surely, the summer heat can be challenging and tricky yet Cheema simply emphasized that "planning and good management help farming." Fast forward to the present, he continues to prove that theory wrong.

In 2020, when the Coronavirus struck the entire globe and people were restricted to their homes, he noticed how some people struggled to utilize the long hours at home. This led him to pioneer the 'Qatar Gardeners', a community of over five thousand garden enthusiasts sharing knowledge, feedback and encouraging each other to make their backyards into a greener space.

Now, he speaks of how urban farming has vastly improved his lifestyle as a simple hobby turned into a source of relaxation and a means to reduce stress. Urban farming also increased his awareness of the importance of healthy food consumption, limiting food waste, composting and reducing greenhouse gases.

With 18 years of urban farming experience under his belt, Cheema's simple "wish is to help the community contribute in making Qatar the world’s best urban farming country."

Gardening, a form of meditation

Indian expat Jumna Saju is a master gardener who has honed her skills over the last decade or so and now grows a range of vegetables, ornamental plants, an aquarium-filled with colourful fishes, and what's more, many tubs filled with varieties of water lilies.

Jumna began her journey with basic saplings of basil, tomato and a few other herbs, gradually adding more vegetables over the years, with this year alone seeing over 250 varieties of plants. "I started with vegetables, then added ornamental and water lillies. Now every year I make it a point to acquire different types of at least one vegetable seed apart from the usual ones that I have. This year I grew 18 varieties of chillies in my garden," says the 36-year-old who spends a minimum of three hours nurturing the space daily.

Apart from her love for gardening, it was her desire to prepare fresh organic food that encouraged her to get into kitchen gardening. "I concentrated on vegetables in the hope to produce something organic for my family. But soon these vegetables became an item to gift to my friends. During the farming season, from August to March, the only thing I buy is onion from outside. There are some plants like Spinach and Bringal and Moringa which can be grown throughout the year. Also, certain vegetables can be frozen and saved for the remaining months of the year," Jumna adds.

It was when her garden started giving returns that Jumna decided to expand and add water lillies to the mix, which has now reached over 80 in numbers. "Each water lilly has an ID and I have about 80 of them now. Initially, I got them couriered from different states in India and then there are some that are from Malaysia," says Jumna.

She also has a collection of ornamental plants that are potted inside her house.

Gardening for Jumna is like meditation, she adds that she can't go two days without caring for her plants. "I strongly believe that time spent in your garden is never wasted. Apart from the obvious results in the form of fruits and plants, it also brings peace of mind. Every day, I spend almost three hours caring for my plants and fish," says the Kerala native whose retired parents in India are also into farming.

She also has a strong support system in Doha, comprised of her family members, who unconditionally lend a helping hand in realizing her passion. "We all are always on the lookout for new seeds, and cuttings of various plants. And since my family and friends know about this craze of mine, they try and help whenever possible," Jumna says.

For newbies into gardening, Jumna said that taking the plunge is important and then everything can be learned through trial and error. "Even now after so many years of gardening, there are things that I learn and unlearn. Though in the last three or four years I have a general idea about my plants, not every seed that I plant has grown. I now have a basic understanding of which plant needs more sunlight and which doesn't, also what kind of fertiliser works, in spite of all these there are times when some plants do not give fruits at all," says Jumna, adding that giving up should never be an option.

Rustic-inspired greenspace

The saying, "You reap what you sow", perfectly encapsulates Jocelyn Fernando's journey in building her rooftop garden. It took nearly six years of effort and hard work to materialize the rustic-inspired greenspace which sits atop her residence in Qatar.

The 52-year-old Filipina expat picked up on urban farming when she moved to Doha in 2017, brought forth by a desire to have a change of scenery and add a touch of green to her surroundings. Now, her rooftop garden includes over 400 pots of plants perched on hanging pots while some are placed in neat rows on benches.

The avid gardener told The Peninsula that her collection mainly consists of ornamental plants with varieties of pothos, philodendron, fisuc elastica, aloe vera, and more. Fernando revealed that she specifically chose to grow garden plants due to their longevity and less sensitivity to Qatar's climate, unlike seasonal plants which bear produce.

Speaking about gardening's greatest contribution to her lifestyle, she said "urban gardening has opened doors for me as an individual" as it helped her connect with a community of plant lovers in Qatar. As she continues to nurture her own mini-utopia, Fernando bountifully shares helpful tips on social media for beginners who, like her, learned step-by-step and through trial and error.

"You may find it difficult and frustrating at first, but trust me, once the flowers bloom and plants grow, it feels beyond fulfilling," she said. "Each of them will be a constant reminder of how much you’ve worked hard on it."

Bountiful farm to table experience

There is nothing possibly more rewarding than seeing seedlings rise from an avid gardener's home backyard. Witnessing that moment of fruition effortlessly captured Indian expat Rajesh Kuruvan's interest in gardening.

Coming from a farming family also meant that, since an early age, he's developed a keen taste in consuming fresh and homegrown produce, another point that led him to grow his own kitchen garden, as he has been at it for the last 15 years.

As soon as the calendar flips to September, he and his wife begin their agricultural cycle by sowing seeds, patiently caring for them and then enjoying the fruits when it's time to harvest. Kuruvan says that he sources good quality seeds and plants from Facebook community called Our Kitchen Garden Doha, while also getting them from India.

"I have been farming in Qatar for the last 15 years but have always loved working outdoors. My grand parents were farmers and they were the ones who taught me the basics," said the Al Rayyan resident who works as a driver and has been in the country for the last 30 years.

During his free time, one can find Rajesh tending to the 28 varieties of vegetables in his kitchen garden growing in a patch of land outside his accommodation villa. "I grow almost all varieties of vegetables including pumpkins, ash gourd, bitter gourd, tomatoes, string beans. I never expected to see such good results because the soil quality is much different from what we have back home. But then my passion, hard work and effort paid me back in the form of produce which was harvested recently," says Kuruvan.

He also mentioned that the season this year has not been much fruitful for many home gardeners due to the excitement surrounding the World Cup at the time and the rains that fell in January. "The crops need good quality soil and fertilisers but then the environment also needs to be conducive. The unexpected spell of rains did cause an inconvenience," he adds.

For those interested in gardening, Kuruvan advises spending 30 minutes a day with plants, as he says, "No matter what you grow, start spending at least 30 minutes a day in the garden, it will be rewarding. And soon you would want more."

These four gardeners are just a few of the many in Qatar as urban gardening remains a growing interest in the country. Although the seeds they plant might vary, these residents share the same foundation of persistence in transforming their backyards and vacant spaces - no matter how big or small - into a greener, livelier space for nature.