Garden Patience

A garden can look perfect and still feel wrong to live in and fixing that is where design becomes personal. We’re joined by Marisa K. Bradley of Marisa K. Bradley Garden Design, who creates outdoor spaces that support the way you actually move through your day. Starting with Audrey Hepburn’s line, “To plant a garden is to dream of tomorrow,” we dig into why gardening is the opposite of instant gratification and why patience, soil health, and natural systems matter more than quick cosmetic wins. If you’ve ever felt like you have a “black thumb,” Tanya says the quiet part out loud and Marissa shares the mindset that helps beginners keep things alive and keep going.

Marisa K. Bradley

• Website: http://www.mkbradley.com/
• Email: marisa@mkbradley.com
• Instagram: @marisakbradleygardens
• Tel: +1 415 846 9922

Midway through, we take a hard turn into true crime with the murder of Henry Novak and the chilling aftermath: a fabricated story, a chaotic scene, and a response that raises questions about police protocol, bias, and what “protecting the truth” looks like when the victim can’t advocate for himself. We talk through why first responders should prioritize medical triage, how accountability works under pressure, and why body cam footage can change outcomes.

Join us as we support the Slide Ranch this month!

We close by tracing Marissa’s roots back to Oregon and the grandmother who taught her composting, resilience, and the idea that individual choices add up in sustainability and climate impact. If you care about garden design, sustainable landscaping, outdoor living spaces, or the systems that shape our lives, this one stays with you. 

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Transcript

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Opening Montage

Voiceover 0:03

Tales from the Wild. Stories from the Heart. A journey into the mind and soul of fighter business professionals where they share their vision for the future. And hear from a different nonprofit organization every month as they create awareness of their goals and their needs. Dive into a world of untamed passion. As we join our host, Shireen Botha, for this month's episode of Friends from Wild Places.

Bookkeeping Ad And Cash Flow Fix

Shireen Botha 0:35

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Guest Invitation And Subscriber Perks

Shireen Botha 1:52

So, welcome back. You are listening to Friends from Wild Places with myself, Shireen, and my most amazing co-host, Tanya Scotece.

Tanya Scotece 2:01

Hello, how are you doing, Tanya? Hi, Shereen. Good, all is good here. Zooming in from right outside Miami, Florida, and uh a lot happening around, but all is good. But I just want to remind the listeners that at Friends from Wild Places, we have one guest per month, and uh perhaps they would like to be considered as a guest, a featured guest for Friends from Wild Places. So if someone is interested in sharing their journey, telling their story, uh, we get it out on all the platforms out there, including YouTube. So consider that. And we also have a paid subscription for as little as five dollars a month. You can get raw, unedited content, and we go a little bit deeper onto topics that our listeners like. So if there's a topic that our listener likes that maybe we want to explore further, drop us a line. We'd be happy to explore it further and uh even have you on the podcast. So super excited for today's uh podcast, Shireen. So I'll turn it back over to you to introduce our guest this morning. Yeah, thank you, Tanya.

Shireen Botha 3:05

So,

Marisa Bradley Joins The Show

Shireen Botha 3:06

yes, we have Marisa Bradley for the month. Uh Marisa is the owner of Marisa K. Bradley Garden Design. She designs gardens that feel as good as they look. Spaces that support the way you live, connect, and move through your day. She brings a deep love for plants, a respect for natural systems, and a belief that outdoor spaces should expand your living area by being both beautiful and practical. Her work is grounded in trust and transparency. She's part plot plant nerd, part designer, and fully committed to making your garden feel like a natural extension of your home, a place you truly want to be. Welcome, Marissa. It's so good to have you on the show.

Marisa K. Bradley 3:56

Thank you. I'm so excited to be here. You guys have quite a production here.

Tanya Scotece 4:01

Marisa, I I have such a black thumb. Like I could kill an air fern. I have like an actual air fern. I've killed cacti. So I am so excited for this podcast because I would like just to be able to, you know, keep something simple alive. And um, yeah, I want I'm anxious to hear so much. So super excited for today.

Marisa K. Bradley 4:22

We'll try to help you that with that, Tanya. Thank you. The blank room is a real thing, it's going around.

Shireen Botha 4:28

Oh

Audrey Hepburn Quote On Gardening

Shireen Botha 4:29

my gosh, you're gonna love this, Tanya. Um, I absolutely recommend Marissa being there, seeing how she works. It's it's truly um a thing to behold, if one can say that. So, with that said, let's do oh no. With that said, let's do quote of the day. So, Marissa, you have presented us with a really awesome quote um that I must say is very interesting and is very applicable to what we're talking about today. So, today we have a quote from Audrey Hepburn. She said to plant a garden is to dream of tomorrow. How's that? To plant a garden is to dream of tomorrow. So, Miss Mrs. Marissa, please could you tell us what this quote means to you and why?

Marisa K. Bradley 5:29

Well, I think that there's just some people want this immediate satisfaction in their life. And a garden is the exact opposite of that. You really have to think about uh what this dream is going to look like in three years, five years, ten years, fifty years, a hundred years when you're planting a tree. So you really have to focus on what is what what you what you want for the future. Um, and it can be very, very saddening and disappointing to plant, you know, sprinkle some seeds in the ground and they don't come up. Um, and that that's just a part of life too, and a part of the dream that sometimes things don't come to actual actualization, but you you try again. You just try, try, try again. Um so, and just thinking about gardens and how lovely they are, how much hope and inspiration they give people, knowing that um, you know, tough times, gardens have been there for people. Um, you know, in World War, world wars, all the wars, people planting their gardens outside, you know, with the hopes that they're gonna be able to sow their own food, um, which is a fabulous thing about gardens, also. I mean, there's just so much to dream about when you're thinking about a garden. Beauty, functionality, efficiencies, science, little nature, little bugs, the things that are living in the garden and sustaining the soil and how many, how many things are living in that soil? So um, yeah, it's all about. I mean, and then Audrey just says it very well. To plant a garden is to dream of tomorrow. It's just much more succinct than what I just said. So take that.

Tanya Scotece 7:17

What came first? Did the quote come first and your passion, or did the passion and then you found the quote? Which which came first for you?

Marisa K. Bradley 7:25

The passion came first.

Tanya Scotece 7:27

The passion first, then you found the quote.

Marisa K. Bradley 7:29

Then I found the quote, and then I was like, I actually don't know that much about Audrey Hepburn. And so I went and did a deep dive on Audrey and I was like, Yes, I love her too. So iconic. Yes, that can be my quote then.

Shireen Botha 7:45

I love that beautiful, yes, I love that. Thank you for sharing, Marissa. Um, that is an absolutely inspiring quote for all of us that love to be in our gardens and want to spend some time and um and really invest. Um, I know I have, I might not be doing that much uh of late just because I'm always on the move. Uh, but once upon a time I had a garden, and once upon a time I was pretty good at it. And well, you know, maybe when I settle down again, uh, I will definitely get a little bit into my garden again. But for now, I just love seeing other people's gardens that I come to visit, like yourself. So,

True Crime Case Henry Novak

Shireen Botha 8:29

listeners, let's get into our true crime case of the day. You know it, you know myself and Tanya absolutely love to keep up to date with some of the most curious, interesting, heartbreaking, um, shocking true crime cases that are going on right now. And I think one of them, which uh, if you haven't heard of it, I'm going to give you the lowdown. This one was uh wow, this one was took the words right out of my mouth when this happened. I didn't know what to say, so let me tell you about it. So the murder of Henry Novak. Basically, Henry Novak was an 18-year-old British-Polish finance student attending the University of Southampton. He was described by loved ones as kind, inclusive, and ambitious. On December the 3rd, 2025, Henry was walking home along alone from a night out. He was confronted by Vikram Digwa, who was 23. Digwa stabbed Henry five times with an 8-inch ceremonial ski knife, a kerpin. One blow fatally pierced Henry's chest. The twist is when the police arrived, Digwer fabricated a wicked lie. He claimed Henry had racially abused him and assaulted him. But leaving the killer, police handcuffed and arrested the dying teenager instead of giving him medical aid. Henry pleaded that he had been stabbed and couldn't breathe, and an officer actually replied, I don't think you have, mate. Henry lost consciousness in cuffs and died at the scene. Video evidence from Henry's own phone completely debunked Digwer's story. Digwer was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 21 years. His mother was also jailed for trying to hide the weapon. The case sparked massive public outrage regarding the police protocol and systematic bias in high stress situations. So basically, this case is terrifying because the true villainy didn't stop when the weapon was pulled. It continued when the killer weaponized a false narrative to manipulate the authorities. And then in a high-stakes, chaotic environment, how do we protect the truth when the real victim is unable to speak for himself? And what does this say about the vulnerabilities of modern law enforcement protocols? This is worldwide. This is not just a USA thing. This is not just a British UK thing. This happens in South Africa as well. Um, and so this is a really good question. Uh so I'm gonna leave it to you ladies. Um, let's talk about it, shall we?

Police Protocol And False Narratives

Shireen Botha 11:30

Tanya, what do you think?

Tanya Scotece 11:33

Well, you know, when I hear of these type of cases, as far as you know, dying by a stab wound, right? I mean, what what I sit back and just kind of observe and try to reflect on is the amount of force that is required to physically stab somebody. I mean, to actually penetrate, you know, you're going through skin, muscles, you know, almost piercing like vital organs to cause a death. It to me it's fascinating because usually when one has that much, if you want to call it anger or level of energy to even to conclude the act, let's say it there, right? Without any um, you know, if you don't even know the person, it's not like you're revenging against somebody or you have a vendetta. So just to go up to somebody and literally stab them, to me, it's it's quite interesting as far as the mind, right? The the mind, how it works and what the um, you know, what are the circumstances. So again, what the case though, as you described, Shereen, is you know, that the police arrive and you know you have a dying man on one side and the story of the actual perpetrator, and they believe the perpetrator and they handcuff the dying man. That's where it's kind of um you know interesting. I mean, I'm a law-abiding citizen, actually just received a ticket uh 20 minutes ago for for speeding, mind you. Um, and you know, it's interesting that, you know, as law enforcements, you know, come upon us, most people, you know, we fear law enforcement or you know, you abide by the law, hand over the necessary documents. So I find it interesting that in that moment that this perpetrator is able to fabricate this story, stick to it, and you know, his mom is helping him, and you know, the man um you know dies as a result of it. It's just it's a very tragic situation all the way around. Um, so yeah, just um just sad, very, very sad. How about you, Barista?

Marisa K. Bradley 13:42

His mom was helping him, which kind of shows that this guy was probably enabled his whole life to, you know, break the rules. He felt justified, he felt okay lying. Like he has a system that has worked for him, his mom has been supporting him, his mom. I mean, I'm just assuming that this was happening. Um, but that's what it feels like to me that he just feels he felt like I've done this on a lower level. And I know my mom will support me. I know I have support. I you know can get away with these things. Um, so it's just so uh so much of a relief to know that he didn't get away with it. Um, what year was this in, by the way?

Shireen Botha 14:26

This year. It happened this year. 2075.

Marisa K. Bradley 14:30

Oh my goodness, that's shocking.

Shireen Botha 14:32

Yeah, it's scary. Um, because where is the the conscious of the mom and the and and the perpetrator? Like you've just stabbed someone, you know he's injured, and he could be fatally injured. You in the back of your mind, are you not thinking, oh my gosh, if this guy dies, I I could be put away for murder. I don't want that. Let's just make sure he gets some medical um on him immediately to try and save his life if necessary. I wouldn't be trying to, oh, you know, he attacked me. I'd be like, listen, just he's been stabbed. You need to help him, he's injured, get him to the hospital or something. He was so interested in protecting himself, you're right. And it's quite scary that he stuck to it. He didn't feel bad after a while. He had no guilty feeling um of okay, maybe you know, this guy could survive. I don't want him to die, you know. None of that happened. But what I wanted to say was, I absolutely think that we could be better when it comes to the police and the authorities. We could be better in in the sense of coming on scene and making sure first and foremost, if there's anybody injured, that they get the you know AMC emergency vehicle there immediately to sort out the wounds, make sure they're not life-threatening, take them to the hospital if necessary, if not, then let's do the next step. Take them to the police station, investigate, ask questions, you know, that you've there's steps here. And I I feel like that's a lot of it. Yeah, yeah.

Marisa K. Bradley 16:19

They missed it. Shocking that the police just didn't did not respond, it did not treat all equally, you know, innocent until proven guilty. And like the body cam footage is really something that is gonna change the way our whole society functions.

Shireen Botha 16:37

Oh my gosh. I was absolutely shocked that the policeman said, What did you say? Oh, um, what? Oh no, you didn't, mate, or something like that. Um that was that was absolutely shocking. Oh, I don't think you have, mate, was his words. Instead of going, oh, where about? Show me, you know, instead of handcuffing them, sitting him up, feeling his clothes, seeing where there's wetness, then going, you know, deeper, call the ambulance. I think this guy is stabbed. Doesn't matter who stabbed who at that point. So yeah, that was very sad. I think they could really do better. Um, but yes.

Marisa K. Bradley 17:18

Yeah, you're not the judge as a policeman. This is not your job to judge so and what um you said that he was accused of racism. What were the races of each of the perpetrator and the attacker? Or the victim, excuse me.

Shireen Botha 17:34

Well, first of all, I just want to say, Tanya, you're right. It happened in December the third, twenty twenty five. Sorry, I needed to correct myself. That happened in December 2025. But the perpetrator was claiming um that Henry had uh become r racially aggressive towards him and abused him and assaulted him first, and hence he reacted. That was basically what the perpetrator Digwa w said to the authorities when they arrived. But obviously that wasn't true because he was found guilty. That was crazy.

Marisa K. Bradley 18:19

So they were different races, but what races were they?

Shireen Botha 18:23

Oh yes. Uh so the Henry Novak was uh British Polish. And I believe Digua was Tanya doesn't say specifically here. I believe he was I'm not sure what he actually was identified as. As. And I don't want to miss state.

Marisa K. Bradley 18:48

Okay, a just curious about it.

Shireen Botha 18:50

No, no, you're right. It's a somewhat Asian. No, not Asian. I've got the wrong words. There's a specific word I'm looking for, and I can't think of it now. Maybe I'll think of it later. Yeah. Let's move on, ladies and gents.

Marissa’s Oregon Roots And Grandma

Shireen Botha 19:06

Um, we're having a little bit of some video technical issues here, which is bothering me. So if you see me, if you're watching us, listeners, and you're watching the YouTube version, you'll see sometimes I'm like creeping up close to the camera because the camera wants to blur out every few moments, which um I should actually just get a new camera. Um, but anyway, let's just move on from that.

Marisa K. Bradley 19:30

So yeah, that's it's not you, it's her.

Shireen Botha 19:34

Yeah, the camera needs it's time, camera. You need to be replaced. All right, let's move on. Um, listeners, we want to get more into Marissa Bradley, don't we? So, with that said, let's start at the beginning of your story, Marissa. Every entrepreneur has a baseline of experiences that shapes how they eventually run a business. So you are originally from Oregon, but have called California home for over 15 years. How did growing up in the Pacific Northwest influence your deep connection to natural systems, plants, and outdoor spaces?

Marisa K. Bradley 20:14

Uh, you know, I grew up with um my grandma just down the road, and she was a child of the Great Depression. Um so, you know, growing up in the 80s uh really shows you, you know, your, you know, sugared cereal, mac and cheese, all the processed food, McDonald's, plastic everywhere. Um, you know, everybody thought plastic was the most fabulous thing. My mom loved it. And my grandma was the one who was really like, we're gonna be composting and uh, you know, go outside and weed and had her own garden. And so she's the one who really kind of brought me to the earth and made me feel um, you know, understand that everybody on an individual level does make a difference. And I think that that's uh when you know, you look at the mass production of plastic and the and you know, consumption of greenhouse gases, I think that that comes back to that idea too, that everybody can make their individual footprint um smaller or bigger, you know, depending on what your desire is. So um yeah, grandma. I blame it all on grandma.

Tanya Scotece 21:35

Marissa,

Oregon Pronunciation And Closing

Tanya Scotece 21:36

you know what's so funny? I remember I was in the fifth grade and I had to do a project on a state. And I picked, as I like to say, Oregon, right? Oregon. That was my that was my state that I picked. And many, many years later, most recently, um, I met a friend, Elizabeth Fournier. She's known as the Green Reaper, um, and she's from Boring, Oregon. And when I met her and I had her come into my classes at Miami Nade College, she corrected me and she's like, Tanya, we don't pronounce it Oregon. We pronounce it, she says, like the inch, like the instrument, organ, organ. So every time I say organ, I'm like, it just it's so funny because I see this extra like organ or organ, right? So then she's from boring, right? So my students were like, why are you making fun of where she's from? I'm like, the name of the place. I'm not making fun of where she's from. So I gotta ask, are you from near boring, organ? Or not?

Marisa K. Bradley 22:33

So as long as you don't say Oregon, that's you know, Oregon, Oregon Oregon, or no gone. Like there's just or it's a soft ending. I'm fine with any of that. Um, but I am not near from near Oregon, boring, Oregon. You're gonna cut me all messed up now. That is uh about an hour and a half away. I'm from St. Helens, Oregon, which if you remember, there was a Mount St. Helens that was a volcano and it blew up. Um, and so we it's it's actually Mount St. Helens is across the river in Washington, and we used to be able to see the top of it. And once it blew up, now we cannot see the top of it anymore. Um, so and it's just outside of Portland. Um, but I've actually never been to Boring. Maybe forget the. I'm sure it's beautiful. We can find something to do out there.

Tanya Scotece 23:32

Tune in next week for part two from Friends from Wild Places.

Voiceover 23:37

You've been listening to Friends from Wild Places with Shireen Botha. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast from the links to catch every episode and unleash your passion.