Accra has been abuzz all long weekend long with The 2016 Ghana Garden & Flower Show. The Efua Sutherland Park is currently home to hundreds of potted plant varieties, blooming flowers, gardening and farming tools and equipment, fresh vegetables and locally processed foods.
The blooming idea
On their official website they explained the event as such: “The Ghana Garden and Flower Show is a flagship activity of the innovative Ghana Garden and Flower Movement that was initiated with the first edition of the Show in August 2013.
“The movement seeks to create awareness among Ghanaians about the commercial, aesthetic and psychological benefits of horticulture and floriculture…
“Ultimately, the aim of the Show is to encourage the harnessing of our flora and fauna for national development and improved livelihoods.”
To stay true to their mission, the organisers of the show did not just have vendors in the field display their products and services. They held workshops for both children and adults. They also had a conference to discuss the finer points of growing the horticulture industry in Ghana.
The Opening
The organisers took advantage of the long weekend (Monday was Eid ul Adhar) to hold the capital captivated on the beauty of flowers. The event is still on going and will end tomorrow, 14th September 2016. It has become an alternative for family outings as there are so much to see, do and eat.
In the weeks leading up to the event, the agency responsible for advertising the event, Stratcomm Africa planted little gardens in selected spots throughout the city to build appetite for the event.
The show opened on 8th September with speeches by invited guests including The Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Mrs Elizabeth Ofosu Agyare and the Malaysian High Commissioner to Ghana, Mr Cheong Loon-Lai.
Mrs. Ofusu Agyare who chaired the function, announced the rezoning of the 241.7-acre stretch of land from the Christainsborg Castle, near the Osu Klottey Lagoon, to the Culture Centre area in Accra for development as a tourism enclave.
The project, a part of the development of the Marine Drive Tourism Investment Plan will have hotels, restaurants, theatres, shopping malls, casinos and amusement parks. Horticulture, she noted will feature prominently in this undertaking.
Malaysia and Ghana
In a keynote address, Mr Cheong Loon-Lai said Ghana had a lot of potential in the ecotourism, horticulture and floriculture industry.
He said Malaysia, whose ecotourism is one of it’s leading foreign exchange earners, was ready to support Ghana to develop its potential.
“In 2015, Malaysia earned $15.5 billion from the ecotourism industry while about 25 million foreign tourists visited Malaysia,” he added.
He believed that Ghana could become the preferred destination in West Africa for ecotourism if we focused on growing the sector.
Growing Bigger and Better
Flowers weren’t all there was to see and it seems the event, in it’s third year seems to get better and bigger with age. This year’s schedule of events included a Party in the Park which went on until 1:00am. There was music and cocktails and finger food to keep the enthusiastic crowd busy all night.
A farmer’s market, featuring fresh, organic vegetables and processed foods. There were other events like Fashion in the Park, games, a conference, workshops, a jazz night and an awards night the industry service providers.
The hard working people of the Garden and flower movement also publish Bloom magazine. As a way to help encourage a love for gardening in Ghana. The first edition was published in 2014 and copies are available for purchase.
If you missed the last 4 days, you can still catch a little of the magic;they are open until tomorrow. We’re already anticipating next year’s event, hoping it will push the limits even farther still.