Oman

Flower lovers make merry as winter kicks in

 
Flowers and plants when nicely blended into a lovely home garden, create blissfulness and the time is ripe now for plant lovers in Oman to approach sellers as cool weather knocks our doors.

In the Sultanate of Oman, keeping plants and flowers in soaring temperatures has always been extremely difficult and this is what makes it a seasonal business for sellers who say there is always a great demand for flowers and plants during winter.

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In reality, it is a win-win situation for both sellers, who are looking forward to a spike in sales, and also for buyers, who are longing for something beautiful to keep them busy during winter.

“This is a great time to make money and winter is a good time for us as it is the time we are trying to nurture seedlings and various other plants. Even though we are in business all year round, demand is at higher end in winter which lasts about three to four months from November,” Mohammad, a plant seller in a newly established nursery in Al Amerat, said.

He added that no matter how much effort they put in, it is not always easy to keep plants and flowers lively during summer.

Nursery workers say it is not always easy to maintain flowers and plants. “It is not easy for us to fight nature as high temperatures burn and destroy what we grow,” Saleem, another flower nursery worker in Al Seeb, said.

However, he said that flower and plant businesses flourish in winter. “This is the time when more and more people visit us looking for plants. Our sales are limited during summer as very few customers visit us,” he said, adding that seasonal plants and flowers are in high demand now.

Fatmah Saeed, a homemaker who tries hard to maintain her garden even in summer, said maintaining a garden is not something that can easily be done in Oman.

“You have to be ready to spend more on plants that you very well know will die off as soon as the temperature soars. That is why we always wait for cool weather. I don’t normally regret spending when I notice how beautiful the flowers are. It is worth the effort.” Some feel that flowers and plants relieve stress and refresh the mind,” she said.

She said her favourite is the flower called petunia. “Petunia is the most affordable seed. It’s the most sought after, too, because of its quick growth and very bright colours. They come in velvet, pink, blue, red, white and other colours. Petunia makes one’s garden look colourful and attractive,” Fatmah said.

For Said al Habsi, flowers and plants sooth the mind. “When the mind sees beautiful things, it also thinks beautifully. This is the reason why I put in much effort on my plants and flowers. I’m happy that the season for such activities is on. So for the next three months, I will enjoy my flower beds at home,” said Al Habsi.