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Educational Experiences

Meet the Professional Gardener Class of 2012

With the start of the new year Longwood Gardens welcomed a class of 10 new Professional Gardener students.

“This PG class is one of our most geographically diverse classes since the program’s start in 1970,” says Domestic & International Studies Coordinator Brian W. Trader, Ph.D. “Because most of the individuals in the Class of 2012 already have a strong foundation in horticulture and a variety of experience, Longwood should be graduating a group of extraordinary PGs in two years.”

Read the interviews below to “meet” a few members of the PG class of 2012 that has traveled from all over the country, including New Mexico, Oregon, Nebraska and Arizona, to study with Longwood’s gardeners and staff.

Aubrey Smith – Mesa, AZ
Q: What is your favorite place in the Gardens or plant you have seen so far in your first few weeks?
A: The coolest things I saw in my first week were the recycling and composting efforts Longwood has made. It is great to be a part of such a environmentally conscious organization.

Q: What do you hope to get out of the experience of being a Longwood Gardens Professional Gardener student?
A: I hope to get a well rounded education within Horticulture. To be able to experience the many areas of Longwood is a wonderful opportunity that I believe will allow me to grow and succeed. While there is so much to learn here I am most excited for the chance to work with the Perimeter and Education Departments. I am very interested in land stewardship, sustainability and all that stuff… I hope to gain an understanding of the ecology of the area and the management and conservation efforts being made. Eventually I hope to work in youth garden education with the goal of teaching the importance of the natural world to future generations.

Daniel Feeser – Harrisburg, PA
Q: What is your favorite place in the Gardens or plant you have seen so far in your first few weeks?
A: During my first week as a PG Student at Longwood, I have not only been inspired by the colors and textures of the plants, but the energy and talent presented by the Longwood staff and supervisors. I am so thankful to have this amazing opportunity!

Q: What do you hope to get out of the experience of being a Longwood Gardens Professional Gardener student?
A: At Longwood I plan to gain the horticulture knowledge needed to help educate others through design. Longwood Gardens is an amazing educational tool that may bring horticulture to urban settings that lacks plant life and natural grounds.

Mariel Tribby – Albuquerque, NM
Q: Being that Longwood Gardens is a public garden, you’re going to be working outside and in the Conservatory while our members visit. Can you briefly explain what knowledge you hope to share with our members?
A: I want to share what I learn here with visitors, whether it's information on a plant or some of Longwood's history. Sharing knowledge and interacting with visitors is very rewarding, especially since they often have something to share with you. I can also offer my perspective of the garden and what areas I find most interesting. I can let them know about the PG program and other educational programs at Longwood. It's particularly important to share Longwood's work to become more sustainable, since the Garden is leading the way in this area.

Genealle Visagorskis – Ashland, OR
Q: What do you hope to get out of the experience of being a Longwood Gardens Professional Gardener student?
A: I hope to learn all about fine gardening from practicing, professional gardeners. I want to get my hands dirty, learn appropriate pruning techniques, and how to make a garden thrive. It is my dream to be a great gardener one day. I would love to work at a public garden or private estate. I especially love wildflowers, perennials, bulbs, and grasses. Before being accepted into the PG Program I had started taking Horticulture Therapy courses through Portland Community College. I am excited to learn more about that profession as well. The American Horticultural Therapy Association is right down the road in King of Prussia!

Q: Being that Longwood Gardens is a public garden, you’re going to be working outside and in the Conservatory while our members visit. Can you briefly explain what knowledge you hope to share with our members?
A: I’m so excited to be working in a position, at a place, where the knowledge I’m learning and sharing is something I’m truly passionate about. Coming from Southern Oregon I can talk a bit about water-wise planting and growing hardy, drought tolerant plants. I’m also extremely interested in sustainability, composting, and companion planting.

David Matter – Dornsife, PA
Q: This isn’t your first experience at Longwood Gardens, can you explain what other roles and positions you’ve had at Longwood, and why you decided to become a PG student?
A: I’ve been at Longwood since May of 2009. From May to December, I worked in the gardens as an outdoor display intern. I feel it was a good prerequisite prior to beginning the PG program, and I feel so honored to have been selected to be a part of the PG class of 2012. I rotated throughout the gardens working with the gardeners in their areas. It was a great experience. I’m excited to really envelope myself in horticulture. I’m hoping to take advantage of my time here and learn as much as I can over the next two years. I have a strong interest in native /meadow style gardens, but I’m really hoping to receive a better understanding of horticulture as a whole.

Kaitlyn Sterner – Kutztown, PA
Q: What do you hope to get out of the experience of being a Longwood Gardens Professional Gardener student?

A: I hope to learn and be exposed to unique horticultural practices that I am unfamiliar with and then share the knowledge that I obtain with people in the public. My main focus while I am here is vegetable production and I hope to learn about more innovative and practical ways to grow produce and sell it directly to the public.I enjoy talking to people and I love horticulture. So Longwood gardens is the place where I can get the most satisfaction out of the two things that I love, by educating people about a field that I am very familiar with.

Jessica Whitehead – Wilmington, DE
Q: What is your favorite place in the Gardens or plant you have seen so far in your first few weeks?
A: I really loved touring the Pierce-DuPont house with Sandy Reber and getting a full history of Longwood. I also love all of Longwood’s tree houses and getting a tour of the perimeter lands, which I hadn’t seen much of before.

Q: What is your favorite place in the Gardens or plant you have seen so far in your first few weeks?
A: I am so excited to learning from and work with all of the staff, volunteers and fellow students here. By the time I graduate, I hope to have a really solid base of horticultural & plant knowledge and to have formed connections with horticulturalists throughout the region. I’m particularly interested in community and urban gardening, vegetable gardening, native plants and ecosystems, and the educational aspects of public horticulture.

Tune In: Put a face to all these names by clicking here to watch Longwood’s video interview with the PG Class of 2012.

About the Professional Gardener Program
The Professional Gardener Program at Longwood Gardens is a two-year, tuition-free program that trains exceptionally motivated students for careers in public gardening, commercial horticultural, estate gardens and more. Students work in all horticultural areas of the garden and receive classroom instruction from Longwood staff and outside instructors representing six different colleges and universities. . Interested in our Professional Gardener program? Click here to download an application and to learn more.

The PG Class of 2012:
Diandre Berthiaume - Nashua, NH
Daniel Feeser – Harrisburg, PA
Neal Hansum – Omaha, NE
Michael Keeney – Quarryville, PA
David Matter – Dornsife, PA
Aubrey Smith – Mesa, AZ
Kaitlyn Sterner – Kutztown, PA
Mariel Tribby – Albuquerque, NM
Jessica Whitehead – Wilmington, DE
Genealle Visagorskis – Ashland, OR