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Dubai Home and Garden

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MIRACLE GARDEN

What is the Miracle Garden?

A garden that features a range of enormous structures that range from windmills, peacocks, little fairy story houses and even a small Burj Khalifa! All of these structures have been studded with a myriad of flowers that grow for at least 6 months of the year. The phrase riot of colour springs to mind although with the liberal use of reds in between lilacs and light pinks, combined with the Middle Eastern music wafting from overhead speakers, the result is not always a perfect harmony!

Miracle_Garden

Why go to the Miracle Garden?

It’s unlikely you’ll have seen household flowers planted on this scale before. It’s an interesting, short outing that can really only be appreciated in these cooler months we are having. The Miracle Garden has been written about as a feat of engineering in our dry city in the local and international press. Go and see what all the fuss is about. It makes for a very easy outing if you have relatives that don’t want to walk too much.

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Where is the Miracle Garden?

About 7 km from the Arabian Ranches in an area called Dubai Land, easily spotted by the motor bike about to ride off into the sky. Getting to the Miracle Garden doesn’t quite take a miracle but it is signposted very badly! You need to be on Um Suqeuim road going in the direction of the Arabian Ranches. If you are coming from the Arabian Ranches you can do a u turn just past the new Safa Community School (looks a little like a cruise ship) Then turn right AFTER the sign that says Miracle Garden which is after the Dubiotech sign.  Follow a straight path across the SMALL roundabouts and look out for the tiny signs that point to the Miracle Garden. There is plenty of parking.

Can you eat and drink at the Miracle Garden?

Yes, there is quite a large circular area set aside for refreshments in the Miracle Garden. The roof of which is again studded with flowers, this time in hanging baskets. There are modern tables and chairs and quite an eclectic range of food. My father opted for Kadak chai and vegetable samosa, but there was Saj breads, pizza and shwarmas. The whole concept reminded me of a mini Global Village food court on a much smaller scale. I had an artisanal Earl Grey tea for Dhs 10 (but there is only Rainbow milk to accompany – are you getting the picture?!)

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How much is it to enter the Miracle Garden?

A slightly steep Dhs 30 for everyone apart from children under 3, very elderly people and the disabled. Parking is free however. Go and see for yourself and then try and find the fabulous Greenheart Organic farm shop about 5 minutes drive away and stock up on delicious mustard greens and fresh kales, very reasonably priced.

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Has this Honest Review inspired you to go the Miracle Garden or give it a miss? Would love to know, so do drop me a comment!

Thanks Monica

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PHOTO SHOOT IN YOUR VILLA WHAT DO YOU NEED TO KNOW

 Photo Shoot your residence doindubai

When you agree to a photo shoot in your villa what happens?

DoinDubai can now tell you what it would be like to have a photo shoot in your villa; I accepted the opportunity last week.

How many people are involved in a Photo Shoot ?

A veritable cast of characters including the clients, the agency who commissions the work and the production house who actually do the photo shoot. So in terms of job titles, expect a Creative Director, an Art Director, Account Managers, Producers, Stylists, Manicurists, Models and the all-important Photographer. All in all expect there to be roughly 15 people in your villa for most of the shoot.

What are the timings for a Photo Shoot 

We were informed beforehand that the first person would arrive for the photo shoot at 7am and the photo shoot would continue untill 5pm the same day. The first person arrived at 6.55am and the photo shoot went on a little longer than planned. We finally got our villa back around 6.30pm the same day.

Will your possessions like furniture and personal items be safe during a Photo shoot?

Our photo shoot crew handled all our personal effects and large pieces of furniture very carefully and we had no damage. It is mentioned in the contract you sign that any damage will be made good, but we didn’t need to test that. I put my own chargers, handbags, wallets etc upstairs out of sight but also in a place I could get to them if I needed them. Your villa is a base that is turned into a set you won’t recognize so there is a lot of moving and rearranging of furniture that happens, best not to look too closely. The crew did take photos of how things were beforehand  so they were able to replace everything into its original place once the photo shoot was over.

Feeding the crewWhat about food and drink for all these people?

Generally they bring all their own supplies to the photo shoot, but I did make our crew a strong coffee first thing in the morning. It might be a good idea for you to have a supply of paper plates, plastic cups and large black bin bags as a lot of rubbish is generated! They called out for pizza at lunch time and brought croissants and Danish pastries with them in the morning. I made sure I had a spare large water drum in our filter.

Can you move around your home freely while the shoot is happening?

NO! This won’t be possible, you don’t have to leave but with so many people often in one room it won’t be possible for you to wander around and see what’s going on, in fact you’ll get in the way. Later in the afternoon, we couldn’t really leave our kitchen as at that point our tv room was the location for the shoot, the pathway to the rest of the house.

Do the crew bring much with them in terms of equipment?

YES, I was really surprised at how much “kit” is required to take a few photos. Large suitcases, multiple stands, screen and lighting equipment will be standard.  In fact the photographer dropped off most of his equipment the night before, so be prepared with some space!

Is it worth it?

I would say YES and payment happens on the day of the shoot! Although I wouldn’t personally do this on a regular basis as your villa really isn’t your own whilst wear and tear will really takes it toll. I also don’t think it’s a good idea to leave the villa while the photo shoot is happening. Do have your maid or a good helper on hand just in case. People tend to be a little less careful than you would be with surfaces of tables and dressers etc, so have some large cloths around if they are eating at your coffee table! Do think about how the shoot will impact your pets (and vice versa!) we were lucky! The crew loved Leila, our Jack Russel, but this may not be the case with all pets and crews.

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I am sure many people have thought about this but aren’t aware of exactly what’s involved so please share this article.

Would you like to earn some extra cash by offerring your villa as a location for a shoot? Then make sure you have subscribed to DoinDubai and leave me a comment in the box below asking for the details of the company you can register your villa, flat, restaurant or any space !

It’s a great experience and I will publish the final photos when I am allowed to! Thanks. Think about following DoinDubai on Twitter to get up to the minute happenings or Instagram if you more of a pictures person!

Monica

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