“Unlike short-lived tulip gardens in Srinagar and Muzaffarabad, Dubai’s Miracle Garden with 150 million flowers enthuses visitors for 7 months in a year”
Iftikhar Gilani
In the heart of Dubai, a city synonymous with architectural marvels and grandiose opulence, lies an unexpected sanctuary of natural beauty that defies the arid desert it harbours.
Dubai, a sheikhdom in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has always defied logic. Without oil, agriculture, industry or human resources, it has made a name for itself as one of the richest states in the region’s economy. With the same logic, it has created a wonder garden in the desert, with a living tapestry of vibrant colours and scents spread over 72,000 square metres that could easily be described as a reborn Eden.
In contrast to the tulip gardens in Srinagar and Muzaffarabad, which only bloom for a month and a half, this garden in the desert delights visitors with a carpet of flowers lasting almost seven months. According to the operators, the gates of the garden open from November to May. For five months it shuts doors to visitors to protect the delicate flowers from the harshness of the Gulf summer.
The seasonal changes also ensure that no two visits are the same, as there is a new theme to discover every year. Currently, visitors are enchanted by a flower castle, a flower clock with timekeeping and even an aeroplane dressed as a flower.
Opened on Valentine’s Day 2013, the floral wonderland with over 150 million flowers breathes life into the most imaginative shapes and structures. The garden has earned a reputation for being a canvas where botany meets creativity.
The garden is also a choreographed masterpiece of flowering plants, from marigolds to petunias and geraniums to roses, blooming in concert to form intricate patterns, designs and even architectural icons such as a full-scale floral replica of the Burj Khalifa. Hearts, stars and pyramids rise from the earth, a testament to human ingenuity.
The garden has also set and broken records. According to Guinness World Records, the garden has the largest flower installation, the largest flower wall and even the largest indoor butterfly oasis. But these honours are just the backdrop for the personal experiences of wonder that visitors take home with them.
The plentiful entertainment includes live shows, musical fountains and a smorgasbord of food stalls provide a feast for all the senses.
Abdel Naser, a manager, says the Miracle Garden is more than just an attraction. “It is an experience where the beauty of nature is presented in a symphony of colours and human innovation is showcased through botanical artistry,” he said.
The garden’s umbrella tunnel, with its ceiling of upturned umbrellas, is a crowd favourite, creating the illusion of a living rainforest. This canopy leads to Lake Park, where the reflections of the flower villas dazzle the eye, creating a mirage of colour against the desert sky.
A highlight for aviation fans is the Emirates A380 flower installation, a colossal homage to the superjumbo, consisting of over half a million living plants and flowers. For the young and young at heart, the Smurf Village brings the popular characters to life in their mushroom-shaped houses, along with floral sculptures of classic Disney characters.
Each year has its theme. Last year’s theme was the FIFA World Cup, with the Smurfs wearing the jerseys of the participating nations. A new water wheel complements the two existing ones and makes the garden even more attractive.
The Miracle Garden is a symbol of optimism and resilience and a lesson for landscape conservationists in Kashmir across the Line of Control. Such a garden can be replicated in Srinagar with fewer resources than in Dubai to inspire visitors, generate revenue and divert tourism from the overcrowded Mughal gardens. Tulip gardens with their short life have not been able to replicate Shalimar, Nishat or Royal Spring.
The Dubai Miracle Garden is not only a feast for the eyes, but also a retreat for the soul, a place where the desert truly blooms and the impossible seems within reach. It is the spirit of Dubai itself – ambitious, innovative and breathtaking.
As the sun sinks behind the horizon and casts a golden glow over a sea of flowers, you cannot help but marvel at this oasis of beauty. The Dubai Miracle Garden is a living love letter to the world, a place where the desert blooms not only with flowers but also with hope, joy and the promise of renewal.
“We are eager to see the smiles and sparkle in the eyes of visitors who will be delighted by what the garden has to offer,” says Naser as we leave the oasis and return to the bustling city of Dubai.
Miracle garden in Dubai showcases an aeroplane shaped flowers. Photos/Iftikhar Gilani
Flowers and creepers create the shape of a wonderland castle in Dubai’s miracle garden.
Tourists and visitors clicking photos of the wonderland castle in Dubai’s Miracle Garden.
A clock of flowers in the Dubai’s Miracle Garden.
A castle covered in flowers and creepers in Dubai’s miracle garden.
Heart shaped figures of flowers and creepers in Dubai’s miracle garden.
Flowers of different colours adorn the enclosures in Dubai’s miracle garden.
A plane shaped flowers and creepers attract tourists and visitors in Dubai’s miracle garden.—–
