THE Bahrain Garden Club (BGC) hopes to nurture and raise a new crop of budding gardeners through its coveted competition that is set to bloom again next year.
The Annual Flower and Vegetable Show is held under the patronage of His Majesty King Hamad every year, with the continued support of Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, wife of the King, Supreme Council for Women president and consultative council president of the National Initiative for Agricultural Development (NIAD).
The green showcase, which boasts an array of competition categories that will celebrate people’s lush gardens as well as educate youngsters on different plants and horticulture techniques, will be staged at the Gulf Hotel Bahrain’s Awal Ballroom from March 3 to 6.
“It’s an important and historic competition,” said NIAD secretary general Shaikha Maram bint Isa Al Khalifa, speaking at a Press conference at the Isa Cultural Centre (ICC) yesterday in the presence of BGC chairperson Zahra Abdulmalik.
Present were club committee members, guests and the media.
Shaikha Maram also revealed that the Bahrain International Garden Show (BIGS) will now be biennial, from the first quarter of 2025.
“This competition has been taking place in Bahrain since 1966 and we will continue with this tradition and for the participants to keep growing and learning about agriculture.
“The NIAD is going to continue to support the BGC so that this event is held every year whether there is an International Garden show or not.”
This year’s show will carry the theme of Bahrain Heritage and there will be a series of contest categories for plant lovers of all ages starting from three and above.
“We will have a competition for children aged three to six where they will have to plant and grow a date seed in a Bahrain clay pot to a particular height,” said Ms Abdulmalik.
“Through this, the children will learn all about the palm tree and Bahrain’s traditional clay pots.
“We have a rock garden design contest for those aged eight to 12 and we will also have another category for youngsters aged 13 to 18 where they will have to create a dry and floral arrangement using another part of the date palm tree. Every country has a tree, a plant or a bird and for us it is palm trees.
“Our other focus for this show is to share our love for nature and making Bahrain greener. We want students to participate again and to really be with nature, collecting things from the garden and using them in their designs.”
Sustainability is also quite important to the show which is why there will be a recycled art competition for youngsters using egg shells.
Adult contests will also revolve around Bahrain’s iconic Pearling Path and the exhibition will be decorated in that theme as well.
The BGC held an agriculture and environmental workshop for teachers from 95 schools earlier this week to share the different activities that students can participate in for the upcoming show.
Other competitions will feature flower arrangements and cuttings, vegetable and fruits, experimental gardening, floral exhibits for adults, handicrafts and preserves, school garden competitions, residential and commercial garden competitions, fruit and vegetable carving, the popular photography contest that includes landscape and close up categories.
There is also the Grand Garden Challenge for the King Cup – His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa Cup.
“There are 50 cups for different categories with the King’s Cup being the most difficult to achieve if you are entering for the first time as there are a lot of requirements, making it a big challenge,” said Ms Abulmalik.
The BGC, which has been raising awareness about agriculture and plants since 1964, is affiliated to the Royal Horticulture Society in the UK and will be celebrating their diamond jubilee in 2025 by participating in the Chelsea Flower Show in the UK, she added.
Those interested in entering the competitions can visit www.bahraingardenclub.com to review the competition handbook for 2024.
mai@gdnmedia.bh
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