Gardening was first, my profession. Then it became a hobby. This blog has two parts:
1) Gardening in Oman-myProfession
2) Gardening in America-myHobby
Gardening in Oman-myProfession
My job as an Agricultural Engineer in the Sultanate of Oman trained me in the area of irrigation and landscaping. I was introduced to an array of tropical/desert ornamental trees, shrubs, ground covers, climbers, foliage and flowering plants that beautify grounds of big buildings, homes, parks, highway road sides and roundabouts. The trees I’ve planted in Oman in the mid ’80s are now prominent parts of the Sultanate’s landscape.
I did landscaping for the Sultan’s palaces, ministry buildings, hospital grounds, stadiums, highway islands and roundabouts, private homes and many more.
I consider that job as one of my best contribution to the world, hence that made it on my list of life accomplishments.
The following are some of the landscaping projects I was involved with among many.
Landscaping the Clocktower Roundabout, 1985
The Clocktower roundabout is located near the Seeb International Airport. It is one of the most prominent site in Muscat, Sultanate of Oman. I take pride in having a part in this famous architectural structure.
A roundabout, also called an island, traffic circle and rotary is a type of circular intersection or junction in which the traffic flows almost continuously in one direction around a central island. The Clocktower roundabout occupies a huge space and the garden in the island is a park which can be accessed by pedestrians through an underground tunnel. 
Landscaping the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex (Bausher Football Stadium, 1985)
Bausher Stadium is the biggest and most modern football stadium in Oman. It is equipped with giant pop-up sprinklers with automatic control systems. My college friend Engr. Samuel Robeniol who recruited me to work in Oman was the main engineer of the project. The sod used for the football turf was airlifted from Texas.
The stadium has a capacity of 40,000 and is the home of Oman National Football team. It the the venue of the Gulf Cup in 1996.
In white shirt, waving is my friend Engr. Samuel Robeniol.
The football field at Bausher Stadium.
“Seeb Garden”. This private garden is complete with man-made waterfalls and stream, giant bird cage and a petting zoo. It is owned by Mr. Maqbool Hamed, CEO of Oman Holdings International (OHI), my employer.
My hardworking men from India, Bangladesh and Pakistan. They taught me how to speak Urdu and introduced me to Indian cuisine. 
OHI landscaping supervisors: From left: Engr. Anselmo Cudal. (He stayed in Oman and is still working there as a manager of a prominent landscaping company. Engr. Samuel Robeniol. (He recruited and trained me for the job. He moved to America, joined the military then studied to become a nurse in New York.)Engr. Antonio Veloso, (moved back to the Philippines and later invented an organic foliar fertilizer that boost crop production.) And yours truly, (migrated to America, went to seminary to become a pastor.)
Oman is a desert country. Every tree that we planted is equipped with either sprinkler or drip irrigation system for efficient maintenance.
I extremely enjoyed my landscaping job in Oman. I’d like to visit that wonderful country again and maybe identify some of the trees I planted there some 30 years ago.
After my two-year stint at OHI landscaping, I was employed as an irrigation technician at Sultan Qaboos University, College of Agriculture. I was assigned at the university farm assisting in the training of Omani nationals in the area of irrigation. 
The soil in the university farm was rocky and sandy. We had to improve the soil
texture by importing “sweet soil” from the wadis (river beds).
My next blog will feature my winning garden in West Chicago. Here is a preview of that beautiful garden.
myJOURNEY 