A desert all...
For the weary, a strip of cafés with refreshments and snacks are available, with upside-down umbrellas to provide shade, as well as bedecked benches and swings with posies spread out along the premises of the park.
To attempt to lower the temperature of this open-air wonder, trees have been planted along the perimeter to serve as shade and as windbreakers. “A Bollywood movie Hamari Adhuri
Kahani was filmed in the expanse to romanticize and explore the softer side of Dubai, which is otherwise known for its soaring skyscrapers and teetering towers,” shares Cezar Sta. Maria, our friend and guide for the day, a Dubai resident for years and is revenue manager for the Bonnington Hotel.
The crowning glory and a sight to behold was the Emirates Airbus A380 absolutely enveloped in blooms – yes, even the logo is spelled out with buds – and matched with a totally populated and completely propagated landing strip. This structure received the Guiness Book of World Records Award for the largest floral arrangement in late 2016.
The garden follows a different theme each season, which ensures that even veteran visitors will have a brand-new experience on each visit.
“The park places a prime focus on annual and seasonal flowers,” Cezar further explains.
Equally entertaining were the people from various walks of life we encountered as we roamed around the arena of colors and fragrances.
An adult couple was clingy and sappy as they took turns taking pictures of one other, and even bothered others to take more shots of them together in sweet poses; restless friends who argued which angle was best for their selfies; young parents who wanted more keepsakes, to the irritation of the kids who just wanted to go and explore; and even a glamor girl forever fussing with her hair, makeup, dress, shoes and accessories – for a selfportrait, aiming to eclipse the magic of the floral backdrop.
We spotted older botanists who scrutinized the plants beyond their beauty, film buffs who seemed to recreate some movie scenes through the panning of their video cameras, aircraft enthusiasts who marvelled at the plane and would-be artists who continuously tried to capture the spirit of the landscapes on their sketch pads.
On the way home, we reminisced the day, with the lingering scents of the flowers, soon starting to miss this jewel of Eden in the middle of a desert.