Sazgar’s motherhood feelings are reflected in her blossoming flowers. Everyone around her is amazed by the infinite care she gives to her plants every day.
Sazgar Hassan, in her 30s and mother of two children, achieved diploma and baccalaureate degrees in horticulture in Sulaimaniyah. Her interaction with flowers and plants started since she joined the Bakrajo Technical Institute in 2011.
Sazgar has placed many shade flowers and plants at her home. Every morning at 8, before getting ready to go to the institute, she takes a look at them and starts watering them.
“I consider my flowers members of my family, the more you look after them the more they will thrive”, that’s what Sazgar said about taking care of her plants and flowers at home.
She added, “I water and spray them in the morning and in the evening, I always examine their leaves and change their soil. I feel a great peace of mind and travel to another world. Nothing makes me happier than seeing a plant growing a new leaf”.
When you enter the house you will come across various types of flowers and plants, such as Convolvulus, Alocasia, rubber plant, jinn's tongue, just to name a few. The plants are everywhere even in the fish tank.
“I choose flowers and plants carefully, for example it is important to have jinn's tongue at home, particularly in the bedroom, because it produces a substantial amount of oxygen and purifies the air”.
Sazgar is a graduate of the college of Agriculture, and this is one of the reasons why she loves her plants, not to forget that her educational background helps her deal with them scientifically.
Talking about her plants, with a smile on her face, she said, “Maranta (prayer plant) is one of the plants which people say die after a short time,
but I have it at home for over three years now, I have created a special formula to treat the plant’s illnesses”.
Different types of shade plants and flowers are decorating Sazgar’s kitchen. She has placed a pottery tank inside to provide the humidity required for the plants.
The flowers and plants, as Sazgar said, are creating a peaceful atmosphere inside the house. Visitors always ask her how these plants are in great shape.
“I have two children, the care and attention I give them is the same I give for my plants, and even one of my plants is the same age as one of my children.”
She added, “The plants are living creatures which can sense human feelings, my love to the flowers keeps them lively even if conditions inside my home are not convenient for some of the plants”.
Sazgar explained that her husband and children also love greenery and that every house should allocate a space for greenery to purify the air and clear the mind.
Frmesk Jaf, who has a master’s degree in psychotherapy, believes that “nature has a direct effect on psychological wellbeing, they reduce stress, therefore, people who spend more time in the nature, enjoy a better mental health.”
She said that “nowadays, more people are involved in technology and are affected by its negative aspects, which are leading to more mental problems." She added, “As psychotherapists, we advise patients to increase greenery inside their homes and spend more time outdoors, especially women, as they are more vulnerable to stress due to hormonal changes.”
Bayan Faraj, who runs a nursery in Sulaimaniyah city, said regarding women’s interest in buying flowers and plants, “I am doing this job for over 10 years, most of my customers are women”.
“Every month, dozens of women from different cities and towns come to my nursery to buy plants and flowers, and those who cannot come here in person, receive their orders via delivery service.”
Sazgar has been working inside the glass houses of Bakrajo Institute for 10 years, taking care of plants and flowers which students benefit from in their studies. Additionally, in recent years, selling these plants this has provided an income to the institute.
Every day, she goes to the 18-year-old glass houses of Bakrajo Institute with the same energy and enthusiasm, despite that the houses have become old and rusty, and even the hygrometer no longer works.
Sazgar said with sorrow, “In previous years, the institute several glass houses where plants were kept, but now there is only one left and students are using it for their studies”.
Sazgar Hassan while taking care of her plants and flowers Photo: Berivan Kamal
As she began to put scientifically-prepared soil in a pot, she said, “demand on agricultural departments is now lower, in recent years we had about 100 students annually, but the number has reduced to less than 20.”
Sazgar mixed three types of soil for a rubber plant and said, “this is how the plant would grow and take up essential nutrients from the soil.”
She also placed an amount of gravel at the bottom of the pot and took it to a shady place, “we will continue to water it for three days, so tht it grow fast.”
Sazgar indicated that “the majority of the staff at the institute are women, we all work together, and the students are also very active.”
According to Technical Institute statistics, the departments of protected cultivation, garden designing, nutrition sciences and quality control has 11 male students and that 50 female students.
