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desert flowering

Of Oman’s 1,200 species of native plants,
the Oman Botanic Garden already has
340 species and 50,000 individual plants

Muscat is a delight to the eyes with its gardens, fountains and the colourful hedges that border the arterial roads of the capital. A welcome addition to these floral riches will be the Oman Botanic Garden (OBG). Aiming to raise public awareness about the flora native to the region, the OBG is a Diwan of Royal Court project run by the Office for Conservation of the Environment. It is currently scheduled for completion in the next few years. The site for the garden, near Al Khoud village, sprawls across 420 hectares (over 1,000 acres). This, the first garden of its kind in Arabia, is an immensely ambitious and exciting project, the more so when you consider how much is to be done.

The OBG is set to feature research and field study centres, a heritage village showcasing the traditional ways in which plants are used, an orientation centre and two biomes, to say nothing of the trees, shrubs and annuals that are the focal point. In essence the garden aims to showcase each of Oman’s diverse habitats – its sand dunes, wadis and sabkha, misty Dhofar and cooler mountains.

Horticulturists at the OBG explain that the sultanate supports some 1,200 species of native plants within its borders, of which 110 are threatened with extinction. The OBG team aims eventually to acquire every single species for the garden, and its efforts to date are impressive: it already has 340 species and 50,000 individual plants, the largest documented collection of Arabian plants in the world.

“There is little literature about these plants – this is the first time they have been cultivated, so we need to record everything,” explained Ismail al Rashdi of the OBG resident horticultural team, which also includes Laila al Harthy, Khalid al Farsi and Saif al Hatmi.

The OBG’s extensive plant nursery, which will soon consist of four polytunnels, two glasshouses, a propagation house, a shade house and a hardening-off area, is half complete. It is nonetheless already being used for propagating plants that will one day be transplanted to the garden. The garden itself will feature two biomes, one recreating the climate of Dhofar, the other simulating the more temperate conditions of the Hajar Mountains and Musandam. The biomes will likely have roofs made from ETFE, a light polymer/plastic that unlike glass does not block plant-loving UV light, and will be situated in different parts of the garden.

Underpinning the creation of the OBG is a desire to be ecologically sensitive. Recycling is a watchword – the site has recently collected its first batch of charcoal made from waste timber, Laila revealed, adding that they hope to receive LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) accreditation. “We want to be a leader in conservation, using expertise from all over the world.” Nat-ive plants are by definition more eco-friendly than foreign imports, being adapted to the climate and thus less reliant on irrigation.