Roman Mozgovyi sees more than most people when he walks through Luxembourg's forests and fields.
The environmental studies and computer studies graduate is well acquainted with plants and their properties.
Two years ago, Mozgovyi and his wife fled the war in Ukraine, arriving in Luxembourg as refugees. Mozgovyi struggled to find work in his field as he could not speak the right languages for the Grand Duchy. He is currently learning English and French, while he works as a gardener. His experiences in Luxembourg's privately-owned gardens, however, have taken him down a new career path.
Mozgovyi was surprised at the high number of poisonous or invasive plants he discovered in many gardens, and even more surprised that the owners weren't even aware of the plants growing in their gardens. He said people reacted with surprise when he informed them that the attractive flowers were actually poisonous species.
He is fascinated by all types of plants, including poisonous ones, and says they are not the issue here. People need to be more informed about what is growing on their property, because knowledge can help protect.
These experiences inspired Mozgovyi to write a book. "Dangerous Neigbours: Poisonous and Aggressive Plants of Luxembourg" is the culmination of over a year's work, and describes plants he has seen in Luxembourg. Next, he is planning to write a children's book on the same topic to raise awareness of poisonous or useful plants from a young age.
