Passion for plants

During the Covid-19 lockdown, then 25-year-old Ghaidaa al Harthy found herself paying attention to something she had long taken for granted: the trees and plants surrounding her family home.
Today, that curiosity has grown into a community of more than 13,000 followers. Since then, the now 30-year-old has delivered educational gardening workshops to more than 700 participants across Oman, using her platform to promote gardening, sustainability and organic growing.
'My interest in plants began during the Covid-19 lockdown', she said. 'Growing up, our family home had a garden full of trees, but I never paid much attention to them. During the lockdown, I started appreciating nature more and developed a passion for plants'.
Eager to learn more, Al Harthy, who is an electronics engineer by profession, turned to online resources and began teaching herself the fundamentals of gardening.
'I taught myself. I never studied agriculture', she said. 'I spent my time watching gardening videos on YouTube and Instagram'.
What began as a personal hobby soon developed into something much larger. To document her journey, Al Harthy launched a dedicated Instagram account, @PlantwithGhaidaa.
'Initially, it was simply a way to keep gardening content separate from my personal account', she said. 'I documented everything I planted and followed gardening accounts online'.
Over time, the account grew into a community.
'Through Instagram, I have built a strong gardening community. People regularly contact me with questions, share their successes and ask for advice. Many tell me they have tried techniques I recommended and achieved positive results'.

The growing interest eventually led Al Harthy to launch gardening workshops, beginning with a small session for children during the pandemic.
The first workshop attracted just over a dozen participants, but demand grew quickly through word of mouth.
As participation increased, so did interest from adults. Today, Al Harthy offers gardening workshops for adults and children; and corporate team-building sessions The workshops are highly educational, covering topics ranging from planting schedules and soil preparation to watering techniques, plant diseases and diagnosing plant health through leaf symptoms.
'Gardening is an interconnected subject. You cannot understand planting without understanding soil and you cannot understand soil without understanding watering and maintenance'.
Beyond teaching gardening, Al Harthy also focuses on ecosystems and biodiversity.
'I don't only teach gardening', she said. 'I teach people about insects and ecosystems'.
Using tomatoes as an example, she explains how pollinators such as bees and butterflies play a critical role in food production.
'You need pollinators. You need to attract them by planting flowers. Most people don't realise their value until they're gone'.
Rather than relying on chemical pesticides, Al Harthy encourages gardeners to work with nature.
'There are beneficial insects and harmful insects. Many people immediately use chemicals, but nature already has a balance'.
That philosophy extends to Al Harthy's approach to gardening, with organic growing forming a central part of her message.
'All of my gardening methods are organic', she said. 'Organic gardening isn't difficult. It just requires patience'.

Her advocacy for gardening, however, goes beyond plants and ecosystems, 'When I first started, many people questioned why anyone would grow vegetables when they could buy them cheaply', she said.
'My response was always that gardening is about much more than cost. It is about health, sustainability and knowing where your food comes from'.
She believes growing even a small amount of food can change the way people think about what they consume.
'Even growing a single tomato can make a difference'.
Looking ahead, Al Harthy hopes to establish a dedicated gardening education centre in Oman, bringing together workshops, training programmes and a plant nursery under one roof.
'I encourage everyone to learn gardening, especially families', she said.
'It is a valuable activity that parents and children can enjoy together. Summer is the perfect time to learn the basics before the planting season begins in September. Learning in advance allows people to start planting with confidence when the season arrives'.
For now, she remains focused on helping more people discover the benefits of planting.
'We weren't created only to consume, eat, drink and sleep', she said. 'We are meant to cultivate the earth and contribute something'.