#katia hougaard

[katiajewelbox]

Tomatoes are an international fruit (although many people think it's a vegetable!) but their homeland is in South America. Peru is home to the wild ancestor tomato 🍅 (Solanum pimpinellifolium) which was domesticated by indigenous people thousands of years ago. The wild species contains the genetic potential to help make domestic tomatoes more disease and pest resistant because it has had to adapt to these environmental challenges over many generations. The wild tomato is a small plant with red fruits no bigger than a pea, but through careful selective breeding humans have produced a dazzling rainbow 🌈 of diverse domestic tomato (Solanum lycopersicum).

#tomato#tomatoplant#tomatogreenhouse#greenhouse#jungle#peru#nativeamericanfood#southamerica

[aniruddha03]

Here is my another pic mix gif challenge by Katia Hougaard

Duke Mahad dal Freid rules the Duchy of Freid, an allied country of Asturia. He is the husband of the late Marlene Aston and the father of Chid Freid.

[katiajewelbox]

Dear fellow plant lovers,

Welcome to a new year of learning and inspiration with Katia Plant Scientist!

2024 marks the third year of my science communication social media initiative that I started back in 2021 as a way to share my passion for botany and gardening with the wider world. Over this time, I have learned much about writing engaging, informative, and entertaining short essays about plants as well as creating videos that virtually transport viewers into my own garden or biology lab to see the plants up close. I have also made many new friends and professional connections in the world of horticulture and plant science through my public pages.

In this new year, I plan to launch my new career path as a science communicator as soon as I complete my PhD thesis at Imperial College London. Please keep following my journey!

best wishes, Katia Hougaard January 1st, 2024

New profile photos feature original AI art made by DALL E based on concepts by Katia Hougaard.

[katiajewelbox]

Halloween Countdown Day 4

The curse of the Toxic Squash!

My 2023 pumpkin harvest includes Winter Luxury pumpkins, Patty Pan squash (Cucurbita pepo), Autumn Crown (C. moschata), Crown Prince, Candy Roaster, Hubbard, Ute, Turban, and Uchiki Kuri (all C. maxima).

A pumpkin patch is a wholesome Halloween sight, but there is evil lurking in the domain of squash… Toxic Squash Syndrome! Squash can develop unusually high concentrations of a naturally occurring toxin called cucurbitacin E. This toxin is a tetracyclic terpene whose smell and taste repel insect and mammal pests.

If humans consume too much cucurbitacin, they can suffer excruciating symptoms like diarrhoea, vomiting, and hair loss over a period of several days. Fortunately, it is easy to detect the toxin before consuming an unknown squash. Simply lick the raw squash pieces after the fruit is cut up. If they taste bitter, do not eat! It is important not to eat the bitter squash because poisoning can result from a small amount.

Wild squash species have higher cucurbitacin E levels than domesticated squash. The eldritch ornamental squash with bizarre shapes and patterns found in fall home décor were bred for looks rather than culinary use, so they have the wild squash genetics for high cucurbitacin E production. Other types of toxin-loaded squash and gourds, such as Calabash and Colocynths, are sometimes grown for ornamental use. People may consume these unusual squash due to ignorance, or experimentation with traditional medicinal uses of these species.

Toxic squash syndrome can be prevented by only eating squash from reputable sources, such as supermarkets and home vegetable gardens where there is no chance of cross pollination with wild squash species. The progeny of ornamental and edible squash may look like edible squash, but they contain the dangerously high levels of cucurbitacin E. If the only squash in the local vicinity are edible domesticated squash varieties, the seeds should be safe to save and grow for next year’s harvest. However, bitter squash can be caused by harsh environmental stress so always taste before cooking. Make sure your Halloween pumpkin soup and pie is a treat not a nasty trick!

#katia_plantscientist #pumpkinpatch #toxic #squash

[katiajewelbox]

Happy Pi Day from Katia Plant Scientist! Pi Day is March 14th, which is a mathematical pun on the date written out as 3/14. Pi is the mathematical constant defined as the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter, and this constant is approximately 3.14159. Pi has many more decimals than this of course, because it is an irrational number that cannot be expressed as the ratio of two integers. Pi has an endless string of decimals that never repeat or fall into a predictable pattern. This is where the idea of "Pi Day" originates. This quirky mathematical holiday has been celebrated since 1988 by making and eating pies as well as holding math-based quizzes and competitions. Contests where students and math enthusiasts recite as many decimals of Pi as possible are a popular Pi Day activity. This is my homemade pumpkin pie from Thanksgiving dinner, featuring Crown Prince pumpkin as the main ingredient and garnished with pecan nuts. A math joke that is in fact a Mom Joke and not a Dad Joke because my Mom used this with me as a mnemonic ... Q. What’s wrong with the equation 'pi r squared?' A. Pi are round. Cake are square. #katia_plantscientist #piday #pie #dinner #STEM #mathematics #math #mathisfun #mathjokes #mathskills #numbers #NumberPi #March14th #redwine #dinnertable #pumpkinpie #science

[katiajewelbox]

Dear Tumblr friends,

Thank you for the birthday greetings! As you can see from the photo, I had a lovely dinner at home.

I'm taking a hiatus from my personal social media for the foreseeable future. I'll be back at the start of each month with some Escaflowne goodies and other surprises.

Additionally, I will continue to post to my public social media presence Katia Plant Scientist on Facebook, Youtube, TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram. Please give my science communication page a "like" if you haven't already! I am available via Messenger and Whatsapp as well as email if you'd like to catch up. Let me know if you'd like my contact info via PM. Take care and see you next month.

best wishes, Katia H

[katiajewelbox]

Today is my birthday, and I'd like to share a very special birthday gift I received from my good friend Jonathan "Jonny" Middleton, who goes by @shin_jonny0613 on Instagram.

This is Jonny's art for his original story set in the world of Pokemon. Playing Pokemon games as kids helped inspire both Jonny and me to be curious about nature and get interested in learning how to identify plants and animals. Here is his description of the character:

"The character shown here is named Katia. She’s a long time friend of the main character and is several years older. Residing in the Galar region (the Pokémon world’s equivalent to the United Kingdom), the relationship between Jonny and Katia was through mutual hobbies and interests via the internet at first. But after the death of Jonny’s Sceptile during the Groudon/Kyogre rampage; she decided to invite the main character over to Galar and spend a few days with her at her estate to cheer him up after losing his dear Pokémon. She’s a gardener by trade and a Pokémon botanist as her occupation. So much so that she built a huge greenhouse and personal lab which acts as a wildlife sanctuary for various types of Pokémon (notably Grass type Pokémon).

As she greets the main character’s arrival, she’s accomaccompanied by her two main Pokémon companions. Coiled up around a tree is one of her strongest Pokémon; Serperior (Royal Pokémon). And on her right is the Grass type Eeveelution; Leafeon (Verdant Pokémon). Both are pure Grass types and both are some of the oldest Pokémon that Katia has raised since her childhood years. The Bulbasaur (Seed Pokémon) was found abandoned and alone until she found him and took em to the greenhouse sanctuary. The Bulbasaur was eventually gifted to Jonny by Katia and was given the name Malus (named after the apple genus), but the main character will have to battle her first to see if he’s capable of raising him."

[katiajewelbox]

It's my birthday today!

[katiajewelbox]

If anyone is in Austin Texas this week, you are invited to my research talk on the plant immune system!

[katiajewelbox]

Time for coffee in Oxford!

[katiajewelbox]

Happy International Sloth Day 2023! Take time to learn about these adorable and fascinating mammals of Central and South America today, and draw inspiration from their peaceful energy efficient lifestyles.

If you love sloths and want to learn more about them, or even help them through volunteering or donations, please check out the following organisations saving sloths and promoting conservation of their natural habitats.

https://slothconservation.org/https://www.aiunau.org/en/home-2/https://toucanrescueranch.org/https://greenfundsuriname.org/

[katiajewelbox]

Join me for Katia Plant Scientist's *first* live and in-person public event - "The World of Seeds" Branch Out workshop at the Garden Museum of London!

Learn about the biology of seeds while gaining hands-on experience setting up seed germination and planting seeds. As well as gaining useful knowledge on seed evolution and anatomy, you will take home up to four pots of vegetables and herbs to grow in your own windowsill or garden at home. The workshop will also include an exhibition of exotic seeds from around the world from the museum's historic collections.

Join me at the Garden Museum's Clore Learning Space on Thursday May 9th, 2024, at 11:00 am to 1:00 pm. The workshop is appropriate for adults and kids aged 8 or older. We can accommodate around 20 people at the workshop, and it is "first come, first served". Participation in the workshop is included with admission to the museum. The Garden Museum is well worth a look for plant lovers of all ages, so make sure to budget time to check out the exhibits and gardens at the venue.

Hope to see you there, and stay curious about plants!

Garden Museum info:

Address

Lambeth Palace Road

London, SE1 7LB

020 7401 8865

Opening Hours

Open Monday – Sunday

10am – 5pm

Adult: £15

Friends and Patrons of the Museum: Free

Senior citizen: £12

Student: £8.50

Unemployed: £8.50

Art Pass: £7.50

Child (6 and under): free

Child (7-18): £8.50

Family 1 (1 adult, 1 child): £18

Family 2 (2 adults, 2 children): £35

Members of the Community Access Scheme: Free

#katia_plantscientist #plants #botany #plantbiology #plantscience #gardening #learning #education #communityengagement #outreach #sciencecommunication #workshop #interactive #liveandinperson #liveevent #inpersonevent #seeds #gardeningtips #gardenmuseum #centrallondon #london #londonevents #germination

[katiajewelbox]

Wishing all plant lovers a joyful Summer Solstice and First Day of Summer 2023 in the Northern Hemisphere!

May you have success in all your gardening and other botanical projects this season.

#katia_plantscientist#summer#summervibes#summersolstice#firstdayofsummer#daylillies#portrait#orange#alohaprint#warmcolours

[katiajewelbox]

Halloween Countdown Day 2

Dr. Zerlina Euphorbia the Mad Plant Scientist

Meet my first terrifying costume character of 2023 - a rage-filled botanist who seeks revenge against those who cut off her research funding and spread misinformation about the aims of her work on genetically modified plants!

Dr. Euphorbia was once an earnest woman in science who wanted to use genetic modification of plants to help solve the problem of world hunger and climate change, but as she was slighted and stymied at every stage of her career she eventually became jaded and bitter. Now, she cares not for public approval or philanthropic goals. She works in a secret lab and greenhouse developing genetically modified plants for EVIL purposes!

Do you dare enter the lair of Dr. Euphorbia? You may end up as the next meal of her giant Nepenthes plant or as fertiliser for her garden...

#Halloween#madscientist#halloweencostume#sciencefiction#science#plants#botany#labcoat#legs#darkmakeup#scary#femininerage

[katiajewelbox]

Happy Birthday to my favourite Escaflowne character Dilandau Albatou!

I created this fan art in their honour. The inspiration for this fan art came from the scene where Dilandau is looking imposing in a throne room, but I wanted to convey that this image of power and confidence may not be as unshakeable as it seems... What dark secrets reside behind the curtains of Dilandau's life?

This fan art features my original artwork of Dilandau, made with pen and ink / colour pencils. The background is a generic Baroque era painting inspired throne with draperies made in DALL-E AI and recoloured to make Dilandau more vibrant. I added a few final edits in Canva. Although I am generally not for AI art, I think we can learn to skilfully incorporate it into original human-created art.

[katiajewelbox]

Check out the  interview I recently did with horticulturalist Daniel Fuller for his educational podcast "Plants Grow Here". In this chat, I give an introduction to the plant immune system and how plants deal with environmental stress at the biological level. This is highly recommended for all plant lovers who want to understand the stresses our green friends endure. I would love to work more with Daniel in the future and explain more plant science topics on his show.