What began as a simple vegetable patch in the late 1970s has blossomed into a small sanctuary for nature. Karim and Naseem Salem, members of the Manchester Dawoodi Bohra community, have transformed their urban garden into a haven for biodiversity — welcoming birds, bees, and butterflies.
Their garden began around 197, shortly after they moved from East Africa to the UK. Their new home offered something remarkable — a large garden space. Initially divided between a play area for their children and a patch for growing basic vegetables like onions, potatoes, and cabbages, the garden eventually grew into something more.
For Naseem, a biology graduate, the roots of this passion go back to her childhood in Africa, where she first experimented with planting seeds at home and at school. Later, it was TV programmes on urban allotment gardening that sparked her interest. With Karim’s enthusiastic participation, the couple embraced gardening, seeing both the joy and purpose in it.
Today, their garden is alive with colour and life. They grow apples, pears, cherries, plums, raspberries, and strawberries, along with herbs and vegetables such as mint, coriander, tomatoes, spring onions, and green garlic. The harvest is mostly enjoyed at home in season and shared with family and friends. Their flowers — from roses and jasmine to tulips and dahlias — offer beauty and attract pollinators, completing the ecosystem.
But it’s not only a place of cultivation. With a bird feeder and water station installed, the garden has become a refuge for wildlife: robins, starlings, pigeons, squirrels, bees, and butterflies now find food, water, and shelter here. In an urban setting where biodiversity is often under threat, their efforts show how a modest green space can support a thriving ecosystem.
For Karim, one moment in particular stands out: watching several species of birds gathering around the water feeder, drinking side by side in peace. “It reminds me of our thaal, where community members of all kinds come together to share food. There’s no conflict — just unity and harmony.”
Naseem finds her joy in the garden’s rhythms — in the arrival of migratory birds, the re-emergence of blooms with each season. “It reconnects me to the wonders of the natural world,” she says. “Even in the city, we’re never truly disconnected from nature — we just have to make space for it.”
Now in their later years, the couple remains as dedicated as ever. Gardening provides daily exercise, outdoor connection, and a sense of peace. More than that, it has inspired their children and grandchildren to adopt similar values — to grow, to nurture, and to respect the natural world.