The Qur’anic Botanic Garden (QBG) has recently launched a free-of-charge ‘Home Garden Helpline’ service, which enables any member of the public to pose home gardening questions directly to QBG experts.
The QBG ‘Home Garden Helpline’ available on Mondays (9 am to 12:30 om) and Wednesdays (12:30 pm to 2:30 pm) via 3091 8519 is suitable for seasoned horticulturalists with experience in the field, as well as anyone interested in taking on gardening as a new hobby. To date, the service has generated a significant amount of interest among audiences in Qatar and the region and helped many kickstart their own home gardens, as well as improve the quality and quantity of their yield.
In addition to the positive impact that home gardening has on the environment and its contribution to food security, it also has a positive effect on mental well-being.
According to Consultant Psychiatrist and Director at the Behavioral Healthcare Center in Qatar, Dr Mamoun Mobayed, home gardening is an essential factor in helping overcome certain psychological issues.
It makes people feel hopeful and optimistic and the life cycle of the plant itself elicits a person’s meditative and reflective side. This brings forth feelings of gratitude, optimism, and creativity, and boosts the production of hormones associated with happiness.
In addition, gardening enhances mental and physical relaxation, increases patience, and improves both sleep and breathing, due to being in an open-air environment.
Maha Al Kuwari, one of the beneficiaries of the telephone line service, said that for her, the idea is excellent, as it contributes to raising awareness before any problem or injury occurs to the plant.
It also contributes to reducing agricultural costs by providing pre-purchase counselling, and finally increases the demand for agriculture, with the public being aware that there are entities keen on teaching agriculture, even from a distance, with a hotline.
QBG Director Fatima Al Khulaifi said they are happy to see the public’s positive response and high interest in the service. She said that the helpline aims to support the environmental development pillar of Qatar National Vision 2030 and protect global ecosystems, by enabling the community to be active contributors to the sustainable development of the planet.
She said that everything they do at QBG is about serving the country and the community.
This September, QBG is hosting a ‘Fun and Learn’ programme, which will teach primary school students about plant life and the environment.
QBG is a member of Qatar Foundation. More information on their upcoming events, competitions and activities can be found on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
