A pleasurable garden experience

Dennis Chimanzi

THE Annual Garden Show was held last week and the event took place at Parklands Business Venue in Borrowdale, Harare, on September 17 and 18.

It was well-attended and matched the standards set in previous editions.

Plants, home decor and food were on display during the event that was punctuated by various activities.

The main thrust of the show, according to the organisers, is to disseminate information on market gardening and showcase horticultural products.

This is done through mentorship programmes that highlight best horticultural plants to grow and how best to market the produce within the country and outside its borders. Director of the event Robyn Whaley was excited about the show’s return.

She, however, said the pandemic had set them back.

“I’m very pleased by the thousands of people who are coming for the show. I didn’t expect such a huge turnout considering the break that we had taken because of Covid-19. Also, I feel we did not properly market the event,” said Whaley.

“We have people coming from all corners of the country for the event and this is encouraging.”

She added that the show was important as it helps people understand the dynamics of horticulture, particularly the monetary aspect.

“The show is not just for fun, but is very beneficial to anyone who may want to know more about horticulture. Horticultural products are lucrative, but they require one to have proper knowledge about them before thinking about profit,” said Whaley.

She said flowers have a ready market in Western countries, where they attract favourable prices.

“There is fortune in growing horticultural plants because of a ready market, with flowers being among the most valued products. For instance, a single stem of a supernova flower can be sold for 75 US cents in the Netherlands. We also have a huge demand for the products in the Middle East, in areas like the United Arab Emirates,” she said.

The show, Whaley reckons, is achieving its mandate.

“Through this Annual Garden Show, we have assisted many people and some have come through to give testimonies. We wish to continue running the event and assisting many others.

“Several people think horticulture is only about vegetables, which is not the case. Under it (horticulture), we also have flowers, which fall into two categories. There are garden flowers, which can be grown in backyards to beautify our homes, and commercial flowers that can be grown in the fields for market purposes,” she explained.

A variety of flowers and other plants were on display, with some ready for the export market.