The first plant that I ever had to care for professionally was a houseplant. Like some unloved botanic Shrek, my Begonia rex was livid green and metallic purple, with prickly, hairy stems and distorted leaves. I remember thinking at the time that it seemed a less than auspicious start to a career in horticulture; however, several years and many thousands of plants later I was surprised to find, when I actually bothered to stop and take a second look, that I was utterly delighted and captivated by the little brute and that over time it had quietly grown on me.
This, I believe, is one of the main problems with houseplants. Unless they are our own we rarely give them the second look they deserve and yet we expect them to work harder and to withstand more abuse than any other type of plant. As soon as we put them in our shops, offices and homes, we expect houseplants to become static things, like ornaments to be dusted, able to survive without the light, food, water and air that we immediately associate with their outdoor cousins. Our mysterious and dysfunctional relationship with houseplants even extends to their common names; Dumb Cane, Devil's backbone, Cast Iron plant, Mother-in-law's tongue.
And yet, given the right conditions and a modicum of care, houseplants are capable of remarkable things. While it may come as no surprise that indoor plants will make a room feel more homely and pleasant, recent research has shown that they can also remove toxins from the air, assist in convalescence and reduce stress levels and absenteeism while also increasing creativity and productivity in the workplace. Luckily, once you've decided to allow houseplants into your life, there's plenty of help available that should allow you to make your indoor planting schemes a success. The UAE is full of offices, malls, hotels and shops where professionally maintained displays exist that can be matched to the conditions you have at home in order to give you a clue about what plant to put where.
And what better time to consider your indoor options; the summer's heat is forcing us indoors, where we can nurture relationships with plants that we can tend to all year long, regardless of the weather.
Miraculously, my first living room in Abu Dhabi shared something in common with the cafe area at the Emirates Palace hotel. Unfortunately that was the low level of light and not the acres of luxurious space. However, I was soon able to create a further similarity by noticing that Zanzibar Gems (Zamioculcas zamiifolia) were thriving in the most unpromising circumstances. Lush, architectural and glossy with muscular stems like chicken drumsticks when they're established, Zamioculcas is one of those plants that can make even the most junior of indoor gardeners look like a professional.
Another is the Cast Iron plant, Aspidistra elatior. Satirised by George Orwell as a symbol of middle class respectability, Aspidistra's reputation has undergone something of a rehabilitation in recent years. As with all houseplants, the choice of pot can make or break a plant; however, when it's partnered with the right container and planted en masse, Aspidistra can create a chic and contemporary display with sleek, racing-green leaves that can be polished to a lacquer-like gloss with the gentle and judicious application of olive oil.
Other tough-as-old-boots old timers for the beginner - or if you're cursed with difficult interior conditions - include the Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum spp.), Mother-in-law's tongue or Snake Plant (Sansevieria trifasciata and Sansevieria trifasciata laurentii), Lady Palm (Rhapis excelsa) and members of the Philodendron family, which can be grown either as hanging and trailing plants or trained up a moss-covered pole or other support to create a column of greenery.
When buying for indoors, the same rules apply as when buying plants for your garden; how much light will they get, how often will you be able to water them, how hot or dry is the room? Light is obviously a key concern because without it your plants will die. This is often a problem with rooms in the UAE where the sun is so strong that blinds and curtains are frequently left closed for most of the day. I find the presence of plants in rooms that are permanently gloomy distinctly odd and would advise that you not waste your money (and the life of a perfectly good plant) but suggest that you buy a lamp or ornament instead.
Many houseplants will come with labels indicating how much light they will need and are categorised as requiring anything from full sun to light shade. Placing anything in a window with full sun here will result in your luscious plant soon withering into a gnarled vine so I would not recommend it. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the best rooms for plants are usually the best rooms for people, being airy and suffused with bright but indirect sunlight for most of the day. If you're lucky enough to have one of these the houseplant world is your oyster.
garden@thenational.ae
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TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
Fourth-round clashes for British players
- Andy Murray (1) v Benoit Paire, Centre Court (not before 4pm)
- Johanna Konta (6) v Caroline Garcia (21), Court 1 (4pm)
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
Schedule for Asia Cup
Sept 15: Bangladesh v Sri Lanka (Dubai)
Sept 16: Pakistan v Qualifier (Dubai)
Sept 17: Sri Lanka v Afghanistan (Abu Dhabi)
Sept 18: India v Qualifier (Dubai)
Sept 19: India v Pakistan (Dubai)
Sept 20: Bangladesh v Afghanistan (Abu Dhabi) Super Four
Sept 21: Group A Winner v Group B Runner-up (Dubai)
Sept 21: Group B Winner v Group A Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)
Sept 23: Group A Winner v Group A Runner-up (Dubai)
Sept 23: Group B Winner v Group B Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)
Sept 25: Group A Winner v Group B Winner (Dubai)
Sept 26: Group A Runner-up v Group B Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)
Sept 28: Final (Dubai)
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Meydan race card
6.30pm: Baniyas (PA) Group 2 Dh125,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,200m
7.40pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,400m
8.15pm: Handicap (TB) Dh170,000 (D) 1,900m
8.50pm: Rated Conditions (TB) Dh240,000 (D) 1,600m
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) Dh175,000 (D)1,200m
10pm: Handicap (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,400m
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
What is graphene?
Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.
It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.
It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.
It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.
Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.
The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.
The%20Letter%20Writer
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GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
Brief scores
Barcelona 2
Pique 36', Alena 87'
Villarreal 0
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The biog
First Job: Abu Dhabi Department of Petroleum in 1974
Current role: Chairperson of Al Maskari Holding since 2008
Career high: Regularly cited on Forbes list of 100 most powerful Arab Businesswomen
Achievement: Helped establish Al Maskari Medical Centre in 1969 in Abu Dhabi’s Western Region
Future plan: Will now concentrate on her charitable work
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
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The Limehouse Golem
Director: Juan Carlos Medina
Cast: Olivia Cooke, Bill Nighy, Douglas Booth
Three stars
How to get exposure to gold
Although you can buy gold easily on the Dubai markets, the problem with buying physical bars, coins or jewellery is that you then have storage, security and insurance issues.
A far easier option is to invest in a low-cost exchange traded fund (ETF) that invests in the precious metal instead, for example, ETFS Physical Gold (PHAU) and iShares Physical Gold (SGLN) both track physical gold. The VanEck Vectors Gold Miners ETF invests directly in mining companies.
Alternatively, BlackRock Gold & General seeks to achieve long-term capital growth primarily through an actively managed portfolio of gold mining, commodity and precious-metal related shares. Its largest portfolio holdings include gold miners Newcrest Mining, Barrick Gold Corp, Agnico Eagle Mines and the NewMont Goldcorp.
Brave investors could take on the added risk of buying individual gold mining stocks, many of which have performed wonderfully well lately.
London-listed Centamin is up more than 70 per cent in just three months, although in a sign of its volatility, it is down 5 per cent on two years ago. Trans-Siberian Gold, listed on London's alternative investment market (AIM) for small stocks, has seen its share price almost quadruple from 34p to 124p over the same period, but do not assume this kind of runaway growth can continue for long
However, buying individual equities like these is highly risky, as their share prices can crash just as quickly, which isn't what what you want from a supposedly safe haven.
BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
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The five pillars of Islam
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Emergency phone numbers in the UAE
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries