The Bahrain Garden Club (BGC) holds the distinction of being the only one of its kind in the GCC.
Set up in 1964, it remains closely connected to the community in the kingdom and periodically holds events inviting people to take part, in fields such as environment, gardening, conservation, recycling, and more.
The club, which has been run entirely by volunteers since its establishment, aims to be a platform for artists, gardeners, artisans, craftspeople and enthusiasts.
“We want people to visit our premises (in Juffair), see our nice garden and witness all the different methods of gardening,” said Zahra Abdulmalik, who has been the BGC chairperson for the past 10 years.
“It is a great place to interact for both members and the public while also serving as the perfect outing where they can learn while having fun.”
Since the club began, its passion has been to improve horticultural practices in the kingdom through lectures, field visits, guest speakers and more targeting awareness around greenery, environment, etc.
This year, the focus has been on the conservation of water which means learning about how to tackle the problem of water shortage by encouraging the use of plants that do not use much water, using drought-resistant plants and water conservation for household needs.
“Globally, by 2030, we have to plant seven billion trees/plants worldwide and we encourage everyone in the kingdom to grow plants that are suitable to the climatic conditions of Bahrain which conserve water,” said Ms Abdulmalik.
“Last year, we ran a programme called ‘Tree of the Month’ where each month a different tree was chosen and people learnt everything to do with it – plant, water, growth, etc.”
This year’s programme was called ‘Technology and Gardening’ and throughout the year people enjoyed learning about the different gardening technologies.
They also learnt how to cut down the use of water with the help of these tools.
The BGC is run by people from various fields including engineers, artists, craftspeople and gardeners who think outside the box.
“We even have members who have their own businesses which have grown out of the garden club,” Ms Abdulmalik added.
“Our appreciation goes to His Majesty who is the patron of the club.”
The BGC is organising its latest bazaar on Saturday as part of a seasonal programme for local gardeners, designers and artisans to showcase and sell their handmade items.
The event is being held at the club premises at Avenue 1166, Road 4225, Area 426, next to Bahrain School, Juffair
For more details, call 36678671 or email bahrain.garden.club@gmail.com