Garden Challenge: November, Woodland.

This month’s challenge from Jude is “During November I want to see trees or leaves or anything found in a woodland environment”.

There are no woods in the United Arab Emirates, but luckily I had a trip to Central Vietnam during this month.  Continue reading

July: The edible garden

Back in the desert, it’s not easy to find a subject for this month’s garden challenge. Heat and sand all around, not many edible gardens to find.

But last week, on a trip up Wadi Tiwi in Oman, I found a wadi full of date palms and farmers and I reckoned this might just fit…  Continue reading

June: The Essence of Summer

Sliding into June’s challenge a little late this month. There is no essence of summer in the desert, so after a visit home to Cyprus, I can add my summer essence….only the Stephanotis had a fragrance but all of the flowers are indelible to summer in Cyprus…. Continue reading

Garden Photography Challenge: May: Wild flowers

 

May’s theme is indeed a challenge. I have no garden in the Middle East and this arid region produces few wildflowers.

Trying to stay close to my present home in the Middle East for this month’s wildflower challenge, I’ve found one wildflower in 4 years! The Desert hyacinth or  Orobanchacea (Broomrapes): Cistanche tubulosa. I’ve found this in wetlands and on the dune line behind the seashore, always growing in sand.  Continue reading

March: Wildlife in the Garden

I have no garden in the Middle East, my current garden is the surrounding desert and seashore.

Last July I spent time in  Salalah in Southern Oman. During the summer, the Khareef (monsoon) descends on this coastal area and the effects are luscious, greenery and flowers everywhere.  Continue reading