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| Miracle garden, Dubai |
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| Floral Archway |
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| Umbrella Tunnel |
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| Sunflower garden |
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| Floral Castle |
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| Floating lady |
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| Life-size A-380 Emirates Flight |
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| Smurfs Village |
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| Floral elephants |
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| Teddy Bear |
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| Floral tea kettle with a cup |
The Dubai
Miracle Garden is one of the most popular tourist sites in Dubai which people
should not miss. Grown over an area of 72,000 square meters, this garden
attracts 1.5 million visitors every year with 50 million flowers and 250
million plants shaped in beautiful shapes and patterns showing the talents of
florists who created a wonderful floral world amidst a desert region. This garden
was launched on Valentine’s Day in 2013. It is the world’s largest natural
flower garden. This garden was designed and created by Akar Landscaping and
Agricultural Company led by Jordanian businessman Abdel Naser Rahhal. The
entire project cost nearly forty million Dirhams or eleven million U.S.dollars.
This garden is operated by City Land and Real Estate Development. Most of the plants are south American flowers like Petunias. Sixty different varieties of flowers like petunias, geraniums,
marigolds are seen. This garden is closed during summer, from June to
September.
This garden is watered by Dubai Municipality
at night. Nearly two lakh gallons of treated waste water is supplied. There are
many star attractions like the heart-shaped archways, grand floral castle,
Umbrella tunnel, Smurf Village and characters of Disney Land, all done in
floral form. The floral structures are changed every season to attract visitors
to get a different experience. This garden has all facilities like Open
parking, VIP parking, sitting areas, prayer room, battery cars, retail and
commercial kiosks. There is an amphitheater for live performances and
theatrical shows.
This garden won international recognition by
winning many prestigious awards. This garden has thirty restaurants, cafes, and
kiosks like Starbucks, Gelato, Hardie, and Toyland. It has many toy shops and
souvenir stalls. Gift items like souvenirs, mugs, keychains, magnets, post
cards, toys, hats and Arabian clothes, accessories, handicraft items are sold
in these shops. Adjacent to this garden there is a Butterfly Garden established
in 2015. It is spread over 6,673 sq.mts with fifteen thousand free flying butterflies from twenty-six species in ten climate-controlled domes.
In 2013 the Miracle Garden was given Guinness World record for having the largest vertical garden. In
April 2015, this garden received the prestigious award “Moselle Award” on the
occasion of the International Garden Tourism Awards. The super Jumbo Jet double-decker life-size
model of Air Bus A-380 received the Guinness Book of world records title in
2016.
The floral
arches at the entrance with bright colors appear as welcome arches inviting
visitors to see a wonder world of flowers shaped in beautiful shapes. The
umbrella Tunnel with a ceiling of upside-down umbrellas arranged in rings separated
by bands of flowers matching the colors of each umbrella is an attractive spot
with a medley of colored chairs for visitors to sit and relax. The umbrellas of
various colors like blue, white, red, orange, green, pink, yellow and violet is
a very beautiful spectacle. The green plants between the sections of ceiling appear
like a rain forest. The floral castle made of red and green with pink and red towers
and spires is an enchanted kingdom surrounded by daisies and sunflowers. The fort with green
and red hues is another worth-seeing site with magnificent spires and towers.
The 15-meterp-floral sundial is another wondrous sight. The 3-D floral characters
like the giant mushrooms, humanoid ants, flowered-powered cars and rose-laden
swans surprise visitors very much.
The huge 12-meter-high floral teddy bear made
of green, red, white flowers with a yellow nose is another wonderful floral art. The sunflower area beside the
sitting area around the lake park presents relaxing views of fountains and
flowers. The floating lady figure dressed in pink and green lies in the air
with outstretched arms with her long hair dangling to the ground. She is seen
floating above a field of pink and white petunia flowers, as if feeling
heavenly bliss. As per the licensing
deal between the Dubai Miracle Garden and the Walt Disney Company, a topiary of
Mickey Mouse was unveiled in 2018. Floral figures of other Disney characters
like Minni Mouse, Pluto, Donald Duck, Daisy duck, Goofy, Huey, Dewey, and Louie
were installed later that year.
Likewise for
children, the Smurf Village presents a very comic and amusing world of Smurfs
in various postures. Smurfs are small blue creatures who live in
mushroom-shaped houses. The depiction of Smurfs world is based on Belgian
comics and T.V. Smurf stories. The magical skills and talent of floral artists
and topiary artists are seen in shaping plants and flowers in various shapes
like floral teddy bear, villas, horse, elephant and pea-cock figures, villas,
the floating lady, the tea kettle with a cup, the floral heart tunnel and the
floral castle.
The heart
tunnel features a dozen heart-shaped structures made of thousands of flowers in
green, red, violet, pink and yellow arches functions as a passage way
throughout the garden. The hill-top point of the garden gives a beautiful view
of the entire garden. The Miracle Garden is indeed the city’s gift with a
message that Nature should be protected, and sustainability of surroundings is the
prime need of the whole world.
It is
described as a “Little Piece of Eden”, “a floral extravaganza of unmatched
proportions”. It is the largest natural garden in the world. It won the Guiness
World Record three times. Its Disney Avenue has the biggest and tallest topiary
in the world. Its Airbus A-380 is the largest floral installation. It includes
the largest butterfly garden in the world.
Paradoxically
this garden is grown in the heart of a desert. The Miracle Garden also stands
as a good example of the efficient use of water and energy. It also figured in
many popular movies. To know the wonders of Nature everyone should visit this
garden at least once in a lifetime.
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29th January, 2024 Somaseshu Gutala
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