Before you gasp in horror, hear me out.
Over the past three months, with my neighbour and partner, I have created a small urban garden space with decking, a seating area and a vibrant display of plants and flowers. It is a peaceful retreat. Already I live in Leith, Timeout’s 4th Coolest Neighbourhood in the World, set in Edinburgh, Timeout’s Best City in the World.
Not bad for an area of dockland decay.
Now, I have my own little place of peace.
But this tiny garden has taught me one thing above all. That each plant is different – each requires different conditions, different watering regimes and different levels of exposure to direct sunlight.
There is no one size fits all in gardening.
Every gardener knows that.
When it comes to people it should be no different.
Everyone needs the right conditions in which to flourish.
Yet, in my experience we have not yet left the Industrial Revolution model in business and education.
Many still suffer because we have not created the right conditions for them to flourish.
It affects educational attainment in schools and productivity levels in business.
Disengagement at work, low attainment levels at school – all are signs that while we have learned how to ensure the best conditions for plants to thrive, we are still at an early stage when it comes to human development.
Do we treat plants with more consideration than people?
