Gardens
 

Afternoon all,

The wife and i are looking at villas in AR & the lakes, some have gardens already done, not all that healthy, and the remainder have sand.

Does anyone have any idea as to the rough cost of sorting out some grass and plants etc, and also [this may sound stupid] how long it takes until the garden is looking like a garden and not a sand pit?

Also, again at the risk of sounding daft, is it the norm to do all this yourself, including the garden maintainance or are there gardeners you can get in once a month?

I have no idea as we have always stayed in apartments here.

Thanks in advance

Re: Gardens
 

People are dying on the streets of Bahrain and we are being asked to help with gardening tips. Interesting.

Re: Gardens
 

Lionheart, so all you talk about all day is the misery going on in the world every minute of the day? You don't talk about other things going on in your life- you have now devoted your life to charity and making the world a better place? No? Come on give the guy a break!

Pete- i haven't got a clue- but ignore misery guts!

Re: Gardens
 

Ignore Lionheart - he has some serious personality issues.

This was five years ago, but we moved in to a house in the Arabian Ranches with just sand for a garden. We were advised against turf (expensive and takes a lot of TLC initially). The gardener planted something that resembled weeds (and these were distributed sparsely) - within 4 weeks the garden was pretty much covered, after a few cuts it was perfect. It cost around 1000dh I think to get the garden done.

Re: Gardens
 

Just to clarify - how exactly are you helping the people dying on the streets of Bahrain?

Comments like that aren't much help to somebody asking a perfectly innocent question.

Re: Gardens
 

In other breaking news today, I am drinking a cup of coffee while people are dying on the streets of Bahrain.:blink:

Re: Gardens
 

I'm in Bahrain, people are dying on the streets, I'm heading out for a beer..as work is not on, again.

This isn't my battle..nor yours Lionheart. But I am certain, if they joined me for a beer, the killings would end. The offer is open.

Re: Gardens
 

you failed to mention the starving kids in Africa...

Re: Gardens
 

**** Africa..the malnurished kids of Hull?

Re: Gardens
 

I am going to have a vodka, it's the stress :huh:

Re: Gardens
 

Having been sat watching almost six hours of uninterrupted coverage on Al Jazeerah TV of the traumatic events in Bahrain, Libya and elsewhere, it just made me feel embarrassed as an expat to realise that other people seem so easily to be able to have swept it under the carpet. I make no apologies for being a misery gut when innocent people are dying on our doorstep. Anyway, rant over and I hope the OP gets his lawn sorted out.

Re: Gardens
 

Innocent people are always dying on our doorsteps. We got used to it a long time ago.

Fine, it sounds harsh, but as western expats we have nil input in what goes on in the Middle East. We're coldhearted imperialists if we don't interefere. We're coldhearted imperialists if we interefere. Can't win.

Me, I'm having a few beers and a fresh pack of fags (I will, I will, I most certainly will stop smoking before I move to London, I promise!)

Re: Gardens
 

I never thought gardens would/could turn political!!:eek:

Thanks for the rough guide to cost & time.

If anyone in AR has any good gardener contacts, please PM me.

Thanks again

Pete

Re: Gardens
 

It's not swept under the carpet - I have friends there who I have been talking too, and the situation is not good.

However, I don't think they will be overly upset if I told someone how much a garden will cost to have seeded.

Life does go on for some people, as harsh as it may sound.

Re: Gardens
 

don't worry about trying to find a gardener in the AR. The day you move in I promise you will have at least 6 knock on your door offering their service. Going rate is 200 AED / month for a bit of grass / shurb cutting and watering & treatment - they will come every other day(ish)

Be warned - the 200 AED is a loss leader ... they will try and sell you loads of over prices flowers and tell you that you need to buy 2 tonnes of 'black soil'

Most places have a garden - if they don't then it's for you to put one down. We took on a place in the middle of summer where the water had been cut for about 3 weeks. It was pretty dead, but with regular watering it all magically came back to life.

We had a gardener for about 2 weeks, he was so idle that we sacked him and have not bothered since.