This garden is located in the Abode of Peace.
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Transcript:
Hello Listeners,
Today is February 20, and this is A Garden A Day with Mædunbroc Gardens.
Thank you for listening.
Today’s garden is located in the heart of one of the fastest growing cities in the world which makes it — the garden itself — under threat of extinction. Oh no. Where are we? Today, we are exploring Dar es Salaam Botanical Garden in the city of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Dar es Salaam translates to “Abode of Peace.” It’s the largest city in Tanzania with a population of more than 10 million inhabitants, and it’s one of the fastest growing cities in the world.
The city was established in 1865 or ’66 when Sultan Majid bin Said of Zanzibar began construction of the new city. After the Sultan’s death in 1870, the city fell into decline until the emergence of the German East Africa Company in 1887. The city became the commercial and administrative center of the German East Africa Company.
In 1893, Franz Ludwig Stuhlman, first Director of Agriculture for the German colonial government, established the 140 acre botanical garden.
The garden was first used for testing potential cash crops including sisal and coffee.
During World War I, British forces invaded East Africa, and the German government surrendered in 1916.
Under indirect British rule, the city of Dar es Salaam flourished. The territory gained independence from Britain in 1961 and merged with Zanzibar to create Tanzania in 1964. The city experienced another growth spurt in the 2000s and now boasts several skyscrapers, a healthy infrastructure and banking system, and a vibrant arts scene. Dar es Salaam is the largest city in Tanzania.
The botanical garden is nestled in the middle of the city, and many of the original buildings and structures from the garden’s initial creation remain.
Over time, the garden has evolved into a scientific and educational institution for research and conservation.
The garden has adopted eco-friendly objectives such as recycling and composting initiatives and rainwater harvesting and drip irrigation. They have also installed drought tolerant landscaping and solar panels for energy efficiency.
The garden fell into a bit of neglect, but since 2018, more attention has been given to the botanical garden. Though with the rapid growth of the city, the garden is possibly getting attention the wrong kind of attention from developers. If you have any information on this, please let me know. I would like to update this episode sometime in the future.
Today, visitors will enjoy a mix of native and exotic species including jacaranda, crimson flame trees, bougainvillea, hibiscus, and various palms.
The botanical garden is one of the few places to see the coco-de-mer palm tree outside of its native Seychelles.
The garden still grows cash crops such as rubber, teak, coffee, and cotton and includes more than 600 plant species.
Visitors will enjoy the Orchid House, Bonsai Garden, Reptile House, Butterfly Garden, a fernery, palm grove, and medicinal garden.
Dar es Salaam Botanical Garden is home to the Horticultural Society and is maintained by the Tanzanian government.
The garden is open Monday-Friday 9:00 to 5:00 and is closed on the weekends.
Well, that’s about it for today. I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s garden.
Thank you so much for listening. Join me tomorrow to find out where we are going next. I release a new episode every single day.
As a reminder, you can learn more about the gardens featured on A Garden a Day by clicking on the links in the notes or by visiting our website, agardenaday.com.
And If you like A Garden a Day, and I hope you do, please consider liking, subscribing, and telling your friends. If you are able, please also consider giving us a five-star review. It lets me know you like the show, and it also helps others find the podcast. I really do appreciate your support.
If all goes well, I will be right back here tomorrow. See you then!
To learn more about Dar es Salaam Botanical Garden, check out these links:
https://www.focuseastafricatours.com/blog/dar-es-salaam-botanical-garden/
https://www.exploretanzaniatours.com/top-8-things-to-do-in-dar-es-salaam/
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