MYKITA’s Post

Echinacea (Medicinal, edible, pollinator, native plant) and one of no joke, HUNDREDS of Monarch butterfly caterpillars in the Red Bull coporate pollinator & edible garden. Gardening at work? One of THE biggest enticements to get folks back in an office. At Snap Inc. staff released butterflies from the custom Lepidopterium while grabbing a cappuccino and cookie from the employee airstream coffee bar. Butterflies and flowers make people not only happier at work, but more creative and productive when they return to their desks. More corporate office headquarters and resorts need these programs in place - and extinction-threatened pollinators, need them, too.

Yesterday, as I was harvesting my ewédú leave (jute) from our kitchen garden, the thought of how I learned the gardening skill from my mother flooded my heart. ♥️My love for gardening, nhenn..... it's on another level. Ewédú (jute), Ewé-ìròkó (Ugwu) Èfó tètè (African Spinach), gúre (waterleaf), Shoko, efinrin (scent leaf), márúgbósáyán (curry leaf),ewúro (bitter leaf) are all present in our kitchen garden 🫣 Gardening skills have been a source of benefit for my family, from connecting us to nature and providing organic vegetables. I keep imagining how my mother's absence is still parenting me🤔. The skill that I acquired from her years ago is still very much alive to be transferred to my children too. This is the reason behind the book "ABSENT BUT PRESENT: MASTERING REMOTE PARENTING" I started writing last week. In the book, I will explore ♓ Understanding the Impact of Parental Absence on parenting. ♓ Building and Maintaining Strong Connections. ♓ Essential Skills for Remote Parenting. ♓ Leveraging Technology for Remote Parenting. ♓ Practical Tips and Strategies. ♓ Handling Emergencies from Afar. ♓ The Future of Remote Parenting. ♓ And many more. Anticipate! ©️ Ayooluwa Adedeji The Parenting Guru #ayooluwaadedeji #successfulparentsacademy #parentingtips #parenting

Do good things or bad things come in threes? 1. I woke up and switched off the alarm clock this morning as I thought it was Saturday, alas, it wasn't! 2. I bombed it to make an early train for my meet up with Suzanne Martin, only to arrive at the platform 20 minutes early as I'd checked the train times coming out of, and not going into, Glasgow! 3. I got set up outside this afternoon to deliver my monthly live gardening clinic for GLASGLOW GIRLS CLUB - not sure I can count this as one calamity as it was a catalogue of them: my fancy new mic sounded muffled; Facebook wouldn't let me log in to go live; when I used a different browser the camera had me mirrored the other way round so when I moved left, I was moving right on screen (very confusing). So I moved from laptop to recording on mobile: the footage uploaded sideways; the sound cut out, and I had to record the whole thing again, racing against the descending darkness! Laura Maginess and I have exchanged 362 voice notes this afternoon in fits of laughter about this calamity! But on the flip side, 1. I had the most fabulous meet-up with Suzanne Martin, owner of Westender Magazine, this morning (despite the train time mix up)! So good to chat all things magazine publishing with a fellow female editor and publisher. 2. I've had (gulp!) an email this afternoon from the MacDaddy of Scottish gardening about a possible collaboration! Holy moly, I'll be a shaking wreck if it happens as this man is an utter horticultural hero, a true gardening great! Big thanks to George Anderson for his support on this one! 3. And thirdly, well, the third good thing today hasn't yet happened so can I wish for a hundred new subscribers to Scotland Grows Magazine please, or another fabulous collaboration (I'm always open those), or 21 horticultural suppliers wanting to advertise in the next issue of Scotland Grows magazine as it's our 21st edition, or 1000 downloads of the podcast, Scotland Grows Show, or someone else to rake up and bag all the leaves in my garden to get this year's leafmould compost cooking, or....what else could I wish to happen today? Best answers wins Linkedin today!

You may or may not be aware of a native plant movement amongst many gardeners, or at the very least a move away from invasive planting that destroy the natural habitats of insects and other wildlife, and greatly harms our agrictultural economy and drives prices up at the grocery store. I read an interesting quote from @The Allegheny Understory that said, "“Pretty” just doesn’t cut it when a species is destroying our ecosystem." Excellent quote. It brought to mind a very recent conversation I had with someone in a plant group. When someone posed the question, "Where can I get a sign to post in my yard that explains my native garden?" someone responded: Temu for $4. I did (of course) respond asking people to NOT buy from Temu (with a little edumacation thrown in ;) I can't help myself. Sorry/not sorry, but people need to know.) I found this ironic. In a discussion about native gardens, (which involves doing a LOT of work to protect our native plants and wildlife) this Temu recommendation reminded me that, as a materialistic society, we are not prepared to protect our communities and the livelhoods of our fellow humans when we shop for products? If our planting makes a difference in the world, surely how we spend our hard-earned money does to! Sweat-shop labor, potentially harmful paints and materials, subsidized around the world transportation (bad bad bad for the environment) are what we compromise when we put cheap as our driving motivation. The response back from that member was that everywhere sells Chinese products. Here's the thing about that: One, lots of places sell non-Chinese things if you care enough to take the time to look. Even on Amazon, you can find out with 2 clicks where the seller is located. Two, even if your purchase comes from overseas, pick a country with safety laws or a seller with fair-trade practices, not one with human rights violations and one that steals our country's inventions and designs. Three, if you can literally only get an item that is made in China, let's NOT skip the American stores, warehouses and so on that employ folks who pay taxes here and give back to our communities. Money spent in China stays in China. Let's not make it "Money earned in America also goes to China." So I am stealing the quotation from The Allegheny Understory, but with a twist. “Cheap” just doesn’t cut it when the undercutting and counterfeiting is destroying our economy. Please shop - and plant - with a conscience.

#TheIWGS Water Garden Symposium is being held in the UK from July 16th – 20th based out of Reading. The event includes visits to major ornamental and botanic gardens, including Kew, RHS Wisley (shown below), and the national collection of #waterlilies at Bennetts Watergardens in Dorset. An Education Day will feature presentations from international experts.   We are expecting 100 – 150 attendees from around the world, and already have registrations from the UK, USA, Europe, China and Mexico. With a mix of professional waterplant growers; retailers and wholesalers in aquatics; representatives from botanic gardens and curated collections; landscapers; researchers; hybridizers; and enthusiast gardeners - it will be a great opportunity for networking between the world’s watergardeners.   The theme: The pivotal role of ponds in greening our gardens   With wildlife struggling from habitat loss, pollution, and weather extremes, our gardens have become vital refuges. In addition to the wide range of plants, fish, dragonflies and other water organisms that thrive in our garden #ponds, many wildlife groups note their value in encouraging and supporting amphibians and bird life too. How do we encourage gardeners to create diverse and beneficial water features? And how can the industry play its part in supporting biodiversity and becoming more sustainable, responding to environmental concerns?   For the Education Day we have already signed up: -       One of Germany’s leading proponents of Natural Swimming Ponds -       An experienced designer and builder of water gardens from the UK -       A researcher reporting on pond management’s effects on biodiversity Further speakers will be announced over the coming weeks.   Other events on our Education Day include a Grower Panel and a Hybridizer Panel, where experts from around the world will discuss the latest issues, and take questions from the audience.   We have Poster Presentations, where those carrying out research or investigations into aquatic plants, water gardening, water quality, and related topics, can present their results in an easily digestible format. There is still time left to submit an abstract, please consider contributing.   Registration for the full event is now open, and ticket sales for the Education Day will be released on 11th June   For full details, head to https://lnkd.in/dKi7YYen 

[Gardens4All] "Analysis of the Compatibility of Therapeutic Gardening According to the Target Group"! 📘 We're excited to unveil a brand new chapter in our Handbook of Therapeutical Gardening and Horticulture, designed by Synthesis. This handbook is a key result of the Erasmus+ project Gardens4All. 🌱 🔍 What to Expect: - Understanding Individuality: We examine demographic, cultural, and personal factors impacting the success of therapeutic gardening interventions. - Real-World Insights: Learn from successful case studies and participate in role-playing scenarios. - Expert Guidance: Gain insights from seasoned horticultural therapists to create customised programmes. Why Therapeutic Gardening? Engaging with plants and nature can profoundly impact physical, mental, and emotional well-being. This chapter focuses on how to tailor these therapeutic gardening programmes to meet the unique needs of various target groups, ensuring inclusivity and effectiveness. Ready to unlock the healing power of nature and create impactful gardening experiences? Let's cultivate a mindset of receptiveness and inclusivity together! 🌟💚 #TherapeuticGardening #Horticulture #Wellbeing #Inclusion #GreenTherapy #ErasmusPlus #Gardens4All

Summer Solstice, garden updates and exciting senior roles With the summer solstice just passed I can't help but share my excitement about my garden updates. For those who may not know, I am an avid gardener and take pride in growing my own vegetables. This year, my garden boasts a variety of produce including courgettes, cabbage, two types of tomatoes, broccoli, and cauliflower. One valuable lesson I've learned through gardening is the importance of patience and nurturing. It takes time, care, sunlight, and yes, even conversations with my plants, to see them thrive. For instance, last year I eagerly planted a Romanesco seedling. If you have ever seen this outer space-like vegetable the idea of me growing one was very unlikely but exciting all the same. Much to my initial disappointment, there were no signs of it throughout the summer and the entire year. It wasn't until early January this year, amid the freezing winter, that I stumbled upon a small Romanesco broccoli that had emerged after seven months of waiting. And like recruitment, this serves as a meaningful reminder that some things require time and nurturing to reach their full potential. In exactly the same way I like to build and nurture my relationships with my candidates and clients to make sure the job is a right fit for both you cannot rush these things. As we wrap up the week, I am excited to share some senior-level job opportunities that I am currently recruiting for in collaboration with my colleagues Kevin Croasdale and Katharine Tinker-Switzer. If any of these roles pique your interest, or if you know someone in your network who might be a perfect fit, please don't hesitate to get in touch. Director of Fundraising – First Days Recruitment - £55,000 Head of Philanthropy – Royal College of Physicians - £50,000 - £60,000 Head of Development – Opera Holland Park - £50,000 - £55,000 Wishing you all a wonderful weekend ahead. #SummerGardening #PatiencePaysOff #JobOpportunities #CareerGrowth

INSPIRING INTEREST IN LOCAL GARDENING & LOCAL FOOD I stopped in a hair salon a few days ago looking for a gift for a family member. I got to talking with the two young gals working there & was obsessed with one of their nails- jelly textural elements & hue (pictured on the left here). I complimented her & she was super happy to share the name of the nail salon she goes to & let me take a photo of her nails. I leaned in & revealed my case is hopeless & that though I love such gorgeous styled nails it wouldn’t be practical for my ‘situation’. My ‘situation’ being that I’m now out in our little garden multiple times a day working with seeds, plants & dirt & as much as I love looking at those gorgeous styled nails they would be completely impractical for me. I proceeded to show her the picture on the right of me recently in our balcony garden & she was completely wow’d & her response compelled the other gal to come running to see the photo. They both were so intrigued, wanted to know what neighborhood I live in & what was up with this growing activity. As I walked out & promised to return, I thought about these young women working in beauty industry & how completely fascinated they were with my gardening photos & how if I had a community garden or CSA I could imagine enlisting them immediately as volunteers or customers. With those nails they might not be doing hard gardening work but for the community gardening projects I envision working on in the future, there is need for incredibly diverse skillsets & volunteer input. Finding ways for people who are inspired by this activity but quite literally might not want to get their hands dirty will be so important too- taking photos, doing some social media coverage, bagging veggies, creating labels, maintaining volunteer communication lists, fixing snacks etc. A community gardening project should naturally attract people ready to show up to get their hands dirty. I’m hoping to shape my own understanding of how such projects can also enlist the support & help of people who want to see such activities grow in the community, who want to buy & eat ecological & locally grown veggies but who themselves might not be interested in actual gardening work. @citykitchengarden on IG #urbancommunications #urbangarden #urbangardening #communitygardening

Wildlife Gardening Virtual Symposium 15 Jan 2025 | Virtual Symposium | £1 - £25 | 💡 The UK, like most other countries worldwide, has seen significant loss of its plants, animals and fungi. The State of Nature reports that the UK is now one of the most nature-depleted countries on Earth, with species declining by an average of 19% over the past 50 years. This makes nature-friendly gardening more important than ever as our gardens can provide a haven for the wildlife that visit or reside within them. Wildlife Gardening is now a popular approach, with members of the British public trying to do what they can to give our wildlife a helping hand. This also makes it a business opportunity, with pollinator seed mixes, insect hotels and bird feeders commonly stocked throughout garden centres and online retailers. But how do we know that our wildlife gardening practices are actually beneficial for nature? The management of habitats that isn’t informed by scientific evidence is at best a matter of hear-say, and at worst, can be mis-informed and counter-productive. The Wildlife Gardening Virtual Symposium will provide a platform for scientists researching wildlife gardening to share their work and help us all take an evidence-based approach to how we manage our gardens for wildlife This event will be hosted by the Wildlife Gardening Forum and feature four presentations that focus on research into wildlife gardening. The presentations will be recorded and shared with those who booked alongside Q&A transcripts and relevant links following the event via a password-protected website. Reserve your space now https://lnkd.in/e5sp2D5y

🐝Bees and Beyond: Ecosystem Services at a Garden Scale 05 Sep 2024 | entoLIVE | Free | 🗣️ Free webinar with Dr Linda Birkin exploring the importance of gardens for the wider environment in which they are nestled. Gardening success and invertebrate activity are deeply intertwined, for better or worse! Demonstrating that the beneficial side of this relationship vastly outweighs the negative is hugely important for maximising the ecological value of gardens - as well as improving horticultural outcomes. Pollination and pest control are the easiest of these 'ecosystem services' to illustrate at garden scales. These Buzz Club projects aim to highlight both in practical and entertaining ways. https://lnkd.in/eDfHTbVK