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Msheireb Gardens

Msheireb Gardens

Growing a Greener Future, One Tree at a Time.

Nature is at the heart of Msheireb Downtown Doha. Through Msheireb Gardens, we celebrate the rich variety of trees and plants that shape our streets, public spaces, and gardens, creating a healthier, more sustainable, and more enjoyable urban environment.

Planting is one of the fundamental pillars of our vision for a greener city. Every tree and plant has been carefully selected for its ability to thrive in Qatar’s climate while enhancing biodiversity, improving air quality, providing natural shade, and supporting a resilient urban ecosystem.

Ajjur (Wild Cucumber)

Ajjur (Wild Cucumber)

Plant Care

  • Light: Full sun, loves heat
  • Soil: Fertile, well-drained, pH 6.0-7.5
  • Watering: Consistent moisture, 1-2″ per week
  • Planting: 12-24″ apart, warm soil
  • Harvest: 50-70 days, 12-18″ long

Interesting Facts

  • Actually a variety of muskmelon, not a true cucumber.
  • Extremely heat-tolerant and thrives in hot climates.
  • The fruit is never bitter, even when large.
  • Also known as Snake Melon or Armenian Cucumber

Broccoli

Broccoli

Plant Care

  • Light: Full sun (6-12 hrs)
  • Soil: Organically rich, well-drained, pH 6.0-7.0
  • Watering: Consistent moisture for head formation
  • Planting: 18″ apart, cool season crop
  • Harvest: 60-90 days, when head is tight

Interesting Facts

  • Native to the Mediterranean
  • Name comes from Italian “broccolo”
  • Rich in cancer-fighting sulforaphane
  • The “florets” are actually flower buds

Cabbage

Cabbage

Plant Care

  • Light: Full sun
  • Soil: Organically rich, well-drained, pH 6.0-6.8
  • Watering: Consistently moist
  • Planting: 12-18″ apart in rows 2′ apart
  • Harvest: 70-100 days after planting

Interesting Facts

  • Used in type 2 diabetes management
  • Cool-season crop
  • Rich in Vitamin C
  • Ancestor of broccoli and kale

Carrot

Carrot

Plant Care

  • Light: Full sun
  • Soil: Loose, sandy, stone-free
  • Watering: 1″ per week, consistent
  • Planting: Sow seeds 2-3″ apart in rows
  • Harvest: 60-80 days, when 1/2″ diameter

Interesting Facts

  • Originally purple or yellow, not orange
  • Can stay in ground through winter
  • High in beta-carotene
  • Part of the parsley family

Cauliflower

Cauliflower

Plant Care

  • Light: Full sun
  • Soil: Rich, moisture-retentive, pH 6.0-7.0
  • Watering: Evenly moist, avoid drying out
  • Planting: 18-24″ apart, heavy feeder
  • Harvest: 50-100 days, when head is firm

Interesting Facts

  • The “head” is an undeveloped flower
  • Comes in white, purple, and orange
  • Needs “blanching” to stay white
  • Very sensitive to temperature

Corn

Corn

Plant Care

  • Light: Full sun
  • Soil: Fertile, well-drained, pH 6.0-6.8
  • Watering: 1″ per week, especially during silking
  • Planting: 8-12″ apart in blocks for pollination
  • Harvest: 60-100 days, when kernels are milk

Interesting Facts

  • Corn is wind-pollinated, which is why it’s planted in blocks.
  • Each silk on an ear of corn leads to exactly one kernel.
  • Sweet corn is a genetic mutation of field corn that stores more sugar.
  • An average ear of corn has an even number of rows, usually 16.

Cucumber

Cucumber

Plant Care

  • Light: Full sun (6-8 hours)
  •  Soil: Well-drained, rich in organic matter
  •  Watering: Consistent moisture, avoid wetting leaves
  •  Support: Trellis or stakes for vining varieties
  •  Harvest: Pick when 6-8 inches long, dark green

Interesting Facts

  • Cucumbers are 95% water
  •  Botanically a fruit, not a vegetable
  •  Ancient crop cultivated for over 3,000 years
  •  Varieties include slicing, pickling, and seedless

Hot Pepper

Hot Pepper

Plant Care

Light: Full sun (6-8 hrs)
Soil: Well-drained, fertile, pH 6.0-6.8
Watering: Consistent moisture, 1″ per week
Planting: 12-18″ apart, warm soil
Harvest: 60-90 days, when color changes

Interesting Facts

• Contains capsaicin for heat
• Native to the Americas
• High in Vitamin A and C
• Scoville scale measures heat

Lettuce

Lettuce

Plant Care

  • Light: Full sun to partial shade
  • Soil: Loose, cool, well-drained
  • Watering: Frequent, shallow watering
  • Planting: 6-12″ apart, cool season
  • Harvest: 30-70 days, harvest outer leaves

Interesting Facts

• Related to the sunflower
• Ancient Egyptians first cultivated it
• Low in calories, high in water
• Bolts (flowers) in hot weather

Mint

Mint

Plant Care

  • Light: Full sun to partial shade (4-6 hours)
  • Soil: Well-draining, moist soil
  • Watering: Keep soil consistently moist
  • Temperature: 65-75°F (18-24°C)
  • Harvesting: Regular harvesting keeps plants bushy
  • Maintenance: Divide containers regularly; pinch flowers

Interesting Facts

  • Over 600 mint species • exist worldwide
  • Mint spreads rapidly via underground runners
  • Used for thousands of years in medicine
  • Peppermint & spearmint are most popular
  • Aids digestion and freshens breath
  • Grows well indoors and outdoors

Okra

Okra

Plant Care

  • Light: Full sun, loves heat
  • Soil: Fertile, well-drained, pH 6.5-7.0
  •  Watering: 1″ per week, drought tolerant
  • Planting: 12-18″ apart, warm soil
  •  Harvest: 50-60 days, pods 2-3″ long

Interesting Facts

  • Related to hibiscus and cotton
  • Lady’s Fingers” is a common name
  • Seeds can be used as coffee substitute
  • High in mucilage (thickener)

Parsley

Parsley

Plant Care

  • Light: Full sun to partial shade
  •  Soil: Rich, well-drained, moist
  •  Watering: Deeply once a week, keep moist
  •  Planting: 6-10″ apart, slow to germinate
  •  Harvest: Snip outer stalks as needed

Interesting Facts

  • Used as a breath freshener
  •  High in Vitamin K
  •  Biennial plant
  •  Host for swallowtail butterflies

Pumpkin

Pumpkin

Plant Care

  • Light: Full sun
  • Soil: Fertile, well-drained, pH 6.0-6.8
  • Watering: 1″ per week, deep watering
  • Planting: 2-5 feet apart (vines), warm soil
  • Harvest: 90-120 days, when rind is hard

Interesting Facts

  • White pumpkins are often called ‘Ghost Pumpkins’ or ‘Casper’ pumpkins.
  • They have the same nutritional value as orange pumpkins.
  • The white skin is thinner and easier to carve or paint.
  • They are excellent for both decorative and culinary uses

Radish

Radish

Plant Care

  • Light: Full sun to partial shade
  •  Soil: Loose, well-drained, pH 6.0-7.0
  •  Watering: Evenly moist, prevent woodiness
  •  Planting: Sow seeds 1″ apart, 1/2″ deep
  •  Harvest: 20-30 days (very fast)

Interesting Facts

  • One of the fastest-growing vegetables
  •  Edible seed pods and leaves
  • Used in crop rotation
  • Relieves digestive issues

Spinach

Spinach

Plant Care

  • Light: Full sun to partial shade
  • Soil: Rich, moist, nitrogen-heavy
  •  Watering: Consistently moist
  •  Planting: 3-6″ apart, sow in early spring
  •  Harvest: 37-45 days, harvest leaves

Interesting Facts

  • High in iron and calcium
  •  Popeye’s favorite vegetable
  •  Best grown in cool weather
  •  Native to ancient Persia

Sweet Pepper

Sweet Pepper

Plant Care

  • Light: Full sun
  • Soil: Well-drained, rich in organic matter, pH 6.0-7.0
  • Watering: Consistent, 1-2″ per week
  • Planting: 18-24″ apart
  • Harvest: 60-90 days, when full size/color

Interesting Facts

  • Sweet peppers contain little to no capsaicin, making them non-spicy.
  • They are exceptionally high in Vitamin C.
  • Green peppers are just unripe versions of red, yellow, or orange ones.
  • Botanically, they are fruits, but culinary they are vegetables.

Sweet Potato

Sweet Potato

Plant Care

  • Light: Full sun, loves heat
  • Soil: Loose, well-drained, sandy loam
  • Watering: Regularly, especially during dry spells
  • Planting: Grow from slips (rooted sprouts)
  • Harvest: After 100-120 days, before first frost

Interesting Facts

  • Not related to common – potatoes or yams
  • The leaves and shoots are also edible
  • Rich in beta-carotene and Vitamin A
  • Can grow as a beautiful ornamental vine

Thyme

Thyme

Plant Care

  • Light: Full sun
  • Soil: Sandy, well-drained, pH 6.0-8.0
  • Watering: Drought-tolerant, water when dry
  • Planting: 12-24″ apart
  • Harvest: 70-90 days, cut stems as needed

Interesting Facts

  • Ancient Greeks used thyme in their baths and burnt it as incense.
  • It was associated with courage in the Middle Ages.
  • Honey from bees that visit thyme flowers is world-famous.
  • Contains thymol, a powerful natural antiseptic.

Tomato

Tomato

Plant Care

  • Light: Full sun (6-8 hours daily)
  • Soil: Fertile, well-drained, pH 6.0-6.8
  • Watering: Consistent moisture, 1-2″ per week
  • Planting: 18-24″ apart, bury stems deep
  • Harvest: 60-100 days, when fully colored

Interesting Facts

  • Botanically a fruit, but culinary classified as a vegetable.
  • Tomatoes are native to western South America.
  • There are over 10,000 varieties of tomatoes worldwide.
  • The first tomatoes brought to Europe were yellow and called ‘golden apples’