Create your own vibrant garden

by Elizabeth Shaheen
Our home is in Janabiyah, on the northwestern part of Bahrain. For those readers new to the country, this area is fringed by date palms and vegetable gardens that surround the more arid parts of the island.The garden groundwater is saline due to the degradation of the Damman aquifer, the source of our artesian well that has watered, in all probability, our date palm grove for centuries.

The garden soil texture is sandy and naturally deficient in major nutrients. Therefore, our soil has a low water retention and high infiltration rate. A calcareous, impermeable layer causes water logging of the soil and the shallow groundwater table encourages increased salinity of the topsoil.

Because our soil’s water-holding ability is low, it dries out quickly. We attempt to counteract all of these negative elements by feeding the hungry soil with manures and humus (homemade compost).

This in turn sweetens the soil, thus helping overcome its salinity and makes the soil friable (a crumbly texture), which aids the water-holding capability.

To create a vibrant garden in Bahrain, or for that matter anywhere, it is essential that you identify your type of garden soil and address any problems it might generate.

Limestone, sandstone and marl characterise Bahrain’s land formation. Bahrain’s garden soils are alkaline and where this presents a problem, most organic matter helps.

Some gardeners add powdered sulphur to such soils or pine needles and peat moss. The latter is the most common used in Bahrain, but a practice I should discourage, for the peatbogs of Ireland from where the product is sourced are at risk and the wildlife they attract are therefore vulnerable.

Inadequately prepared soil is difficult to improve once a plant is established. A good planting soil must be able to retain water and air flow, while providing good drainage. Therefore, it is essential to incorporate into your soil approximately one part organic matter to two parts soil. This will make clay soils lighter and more porous, thus aiding drainage, and provides sandy soils, with water and nutrient retentive materials.

If you are starting a garden on a piece of newly reclaimed land or land that has been neglected, to cultivate healthy plants your next vital step is proper soil preparation.

When asked by my husband’s son Sager and his wife Shahrazad in March 2004 to plant a new garden for them on reclaimed land in Bu Sabeh, on the northern end of the island, with the sea almost lapping the base of their west garden wall, I was met with landfill of limestone.

The first task was to dig out just over 2ft (over 60cm), an arduous job but essential.

We didn’t dare to dig deeper. However, the landfill has provided good drainage for the garden plants. We then filled with new sand.

Our next job was to double-dig the area by digging a system of trenches, using a line of string tied to sticks and anchored in the sand to mark out each trench.

Working backwards, we dug the first trench to a spade’s depth (one spit) and 2 ft (60cm) wide and placed the excavated soil to one side.

We added a generous three-inch (7.5cm) depth of manure over the full length of the trench, dug it over the bottom layer to the full length of the garden spade, and forked it in incorporating, thoroughly, the organic matter with the sand.

Then we dug a second trench throwing the topsoil (sand in this instance) forward to fill the first, mixed the bottom of the trench in the same way as the first and continued in this manner until we had completed the entire area.

We finished by filling in the last trench with the top layer from the first. We then dressed the entire area with manure three inches (7.5cm) deep and incorporated it thoroughly to one spit of soil.

Finally, we raked the area to a fine tilth.

The next step was to execute their plan by laying the pathways and define the borders and lawn.

Sager and Shahrazad installed a small desalination unit to sweeten their garden water (smart move), then it was time to instal and lay the drip-irrigation system.

We started the planting in late May. This was worrying, as it was getting close to the intense summer months. I waited until then, for I wanted the land to settle and the manure to have a chance to feed the soil (sand).

This we achieved by making sure that during the two-month interval the area was sufficiently watered.

The trees were the first to be planted and I lined the walls with Jacaranda, Delonix (which acts as a focal point to the far corner) Bauhinia, Plumeria, Lagerstroemia, Washingtonia, Citrus aurantifolia (lime) and, naturally, some date palms Phoenix dactylifera, to name some.

Between the trees we erected some trellises for climbing plants and I used shrubs and perennials to interplant.

They now enjoy an exotic garden that has a marvellous, dense tropical-look - just as they had wanted.

Should you want to plant where established plants are growing near the planting site, prune-off large roots that interfere with the area; large trees and shrubs are unlikely to suffer as they usually tolerate the removal of some roots.

However, only do this to plants that are deep rooted, not plants that are surface rooted.

Next, spade over the area, and double-dig following the guidelines given above, but add the manure to the topsoil as you prepare each trench.

Break up any lumps as you work and finally, rake to a fine tilth. It is very important that you do not mix the topsoil with the subsoil.

You are now ready to prepare your planting holes that should be a little deeper than the containers and two to three times the size of the containers or root-balls in diameter.

Some gardeners might add phosphorous, rock phosphate (for food producing perennials, trees and shrubs), bone-meal or super-phosphate.

For such additives, you need to follow the instructions recommended on the package.

I hope this helps you to establish a garden where you can luxuriate in an outdoors room of whispering leaves, colour, coolness and perfume.
Elizabeth Shaheen - GDN - 5 Feb, ‘06