Botany: The study of plants and their associated science.
I grew up in a family that loves to garden. I remember so many mornings helping my mum identify weeds from seedlings, so many visits to grandparents and coming home with bundles of food, so many Saturdays helping my dad mulch and rake and mow. Not to mention, it was a point of pride to my parents that they could recognise native plants from memory, and that they had cultivated an outdoor space for us all.
Naturally, creating that kind of outdoor space is more than just botany, but it was a springboard for me into the wonderful world of plants.
Now that I'm older, I find myself more curious about the inner workings of plants - their structure, their biochemistry, their adaptations, their function. The way plants grow, how they tune into the rhythms of the world around them, the way they seem to provide endlessly when cared for properly, it all seemed like magic when I was young.
And now, I want to understand that magic.
Case Studies