I was nervous organising my first Meet-Up, would people turn up, would they feel engaged enough to stay through the event. In the end, people did show up and we truly had an amazing time.
Introductions were made among local guides and Naija garden lovers. I had arranged for a guide to take us round the large area. The idea of this first green hands meetup was to raise awareness on gardening in Abuja and get participants ready to help put the many gardens in Abuja on the map. We agreed that this would be a lot of work which we could make easier by starting in an area that has a cluster of several street gardens.
Our guide was very knowledgable and he made the tour very interesting. The garden had several very old and interesting palms, ornamental plants and very beautiful scenery. Sarius Palmetum has over 400 species of palms, one of the largest in West Africa, with some of the palms originating from Malaysia and thriving in Abuja.
Ornamental plants like several anthurium, cacti, succulents and several seedlings were on display. Fellow plant geeks were transported to a different world with the many beautiful plants on display for public viewing and for purchase.
Friends and some local guides were kind enough to come with refreshments, seeds and plants for everyone. There was enough to go round. We all agreed that gardening is a passion not just for old retired ladies, but also for the young and for every gender. Everyone should be involved on making their environment more green and beautiful.
I will be hosting the Abuja Green Hands 2.0 soon, next time a Geo walk and actual mapping of the gardens in an area already identified in Abuja.
Thank you to all who showed their support and turned up. Special thanks to @U-royFelixA for all the encouragement, guidance and tips. Thanks also to @TraciC for organizing the fabulous Abuja Connect Live and for encouraging Local Guides to host more events.
