Instructer Bios

Pam Baggett

Pam Baggett is a freelance garden writer, photographer, and designer whose work appears in Horticulture, The American Gardener, Fine Gardening, and the Better Homes and Gardens Special Interest Publication: Perennials. She is a recipient of the Quill and Trowel Award from the Garden Writers Association and has taught garden writing through Duke University and the North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville. She designed the entrance garden dedicated to xeric plants at the JC Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh, NC.

Dr. Richard Bitner

Dr. Richard L. Bitner is a practicing board-certified anesthesiologist. Dr. Bitner earned an M.D. at the University of Pennsylvania and is currently on the faculty of the Penn State Hershey Medical Center. He studied horticulture at Longwood Gardens, completing the Series I and Series II Certificates of Merit and has been a Plant Study Walk Instructor since 1993. He conducts the Ornamental Plant Labs for the Professional Gardener Students and is an instructor for the Conifers and Deciduous Flowering Shrubs II certificate courses. His writing and photographs have appeared in numerous national magazines. He is a member of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s Gold Medal Plant Award Committee. His book, Conifers for Gardens An Illustrated Enclyclopedia, was published by Timber Press in spring 2007.

Daniel Benarcik

Daniel Benarcik is a native of Wilmington, Delaware, and was raised in a family-owned retail florist business. He is a graduate of the University of Delaware. He gained horticulture experience at the Mt. Cuba Center, Imperial Nursery, and currently works at Chanticleer, an innovative public garden for both plants and design. He has taught classes for the Delaware Center for Horticulture, The Scott Arboretum, and the Pennsylvania Horticulture Society, and lectures frequently to garden clubs, arboreta, and horticulture institutions across the country.

Nancy Bosold

Nancy Bosold graduated from Pennsylvania State University with a B.S. in plant science. She is an extension agent with Penn State Cooperative Extension in southeast Pennsylvania specializing in turfgrass management. She provides educational programs and consultation for professional turf managers.

Dr. Jules Bruck

Dr. Jules Bruck, APLD received her Ph.D. in Agricultural Education from Texas A&M University. She is a certified member of the Association of Professional Landscape Designers (APLD). In 2006, she accepted a position as Assistant Professor of Landscape Design at the University of Delaware. In this new position, she challenges her students to understand the value of regionally appropriate planting, while at the same time, cultivating a broader aesthetic paradigm. The students can see the progress of sustainable techniques throughout the state thanks to the University of Delaware's Enhancing Delaware Highways program.

Andrew Bunting

Andrew Bunting has been Curator at the Scott Arboretum of Swarthmore College since 1993. After receiving a bachelor degree in plant and soil science from Southern Illinois University in 1986, he gained extensive international gardening experience when he gardened for Penelope Hobbhouse at Tintinhull House, in England, and for Gordon Collier at Titoki Point in New Zealand. Andrew developed Longwood’s Ornamental Vines Series II certificate course, which he taught for many years. He currently operates a garden design business, Fine Garden Creations, for private clients in the Delaware River Valley region.

Rob Cardillo

Formerly the Director of Photography at Organic Gardening Magazine, Rob Cardillo’s work now appears in Garden Design, Horticulture, Better Homes and Garden, and numerous other publications. His most recent books are A Guide to the Great Gardens of Philadelphia, Foliage and Fallscaping. His website is: www.robcardillo.com.

Pat Christopher

Pat Christopher earned a B.S. in biology and a M.S. in organic chemistry and received her horticulture training at the University of Delaware and Longwood Gardens. Pat teaches the Perennials I and Annuals I certificate courses and is an instructor for Longwood's Professional Gardener Training Program. She has studied and photographed gardens in many parts of the United States and in South America, Europe, and Asia. She lectures on gardening throughout the Mid-Atlantic region and writes for horticultural publications.

David Culp

David Culp, past president of the Hardy Plant Society and a helleborus hybridizer, is a sales representative for Sunny Border Nurseries, Inc., the largest container perennial grower on the East Coast. A former buyer for Waterloo Gardens, he travels extensively for both Sunny Border Nurseries and his own interest, seeking new and unusual perennials to introduce. David lectures throughout the United States and contributes articles to a variety of horticultural magazines. His home garden is one of the treasures in our area and is a frequent stop for garden tour groups.

Marilyn Daly

Marilyn Daly is an Assistant Professor in the Biology Department at York College of Pennsylvania. She and her students annually conduct plant trials on her farm in Dallastown, Pennsylvania. She has been gardening with unusual annuals and tender perennials for over 20 years. She travels extensively, especially to South Africa, always searching for new and exciting plants that can be grown here. Her gardens, travels, and research have been featured in numerous magazines and newspapers, and in television and radio interviews. As she writes articles and gives lectures, she shares her knowledge of plants and her passion for the art and science of gardening.

Rick Darke

Rick Darke is a contextual design consultant, author, photographer and an internationally recognized authority on the use of grasses in public and private landscapes. Rick has authored and illustrated multiple award-winning books including The Color Encyclopedia of Ornamental Grasses (1999), The Timber Press Pocket Guide to Ornamental Grasses (2004), and The American Woodland Garden: Capturing the Spirit of the Deciduous Forest (2002). His latest and most comprehensive work, The Encyclopedia of Grasses for Livable Landscapes (2007) includes over 1000 of his photos of grasses in diverse landscapes around the world. Formerly Curator of Plants at Longwood Gardens, Rick has travelled extensively in both hemispheres in search of plants and ideas to enrich North American gardens. In 1998, the American Horticultural Society honored Rick with its Scientific Award, which recognizes individuals "who have enriched horticulture through outstanding and notable research." Further information is available at www.rickdarke.com

Roger Davis

Roger Davis is a senior gardener in the Outdoor Gardens division at Longwood. He has a horticulture degree from Clemson University. Roger is part of the team that specializes in the outdoor light displays in the Rose Arbor and Lilac area.

Dennis Donald

Dennis Donald has been a student of bonsai for over 35 years and is a member of the Brandywine Bonsai Society and the Delaware Valley Bonsai Study Group. He is one of the volunteers for the bonsai collection at Longwood Gardens. He is also a member of the board of Directors of the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum in Washington, DC. He has a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the University of Wisconsin and is retired from the Dupont Company where he was a research fellow.

Anna Francis

Anna B. Francis received her Master of Fine Arts Degree from Syracuse University. Anna's work has received numerous awards and has appeared nationally in museums, galleries, and other venues. She was a faculty member at the Silvermine Guild School of Art for ten years. She has been an instructor at Parsons School of Design, Special Programs at the Univ. of Pennsylvania, Chester Springs Studio, the Wayne Art Center, and the Chester County Art Association. She has published numerous art related articles.

Dr. John Frett

John Frett is Full Professor of Landscape Horticulture at the University of Delaware and coordinator of the University of Delaware Botanic Gardens. John Frett earned a Ph.D. in horticulture at the University of Georgia, where he studied under well-known plantsman Dr. Michael Dirr. He is an instructor at the University of Delaware and has taught for the Continuing Education program since 1987.

Carol Gangemi

Carol Gangemi (B.F.A. Moore College of Art and Design) has worked for forty years as a commercial artist. She taught at Moore College of Art and Design 1977-1984 and was Chairman of the Department of Graphic Design, 1981-1984. Other teaching assignments were at the University of Delaware and Wilmington College. She has attended several Masters workshops with botanical artist Jenny Phillips, and is a member of the American Society of Botanical Artists. Her work has been exhibited in numerous galleries and at the Philadelphia Flower Show.

DJ Garrity

DJ Garrity is known as a sculptor, painter and journeyman along the margins of abstract expression. His world is one of long vistas and boundless horizons from the Badlands of South Dakota, to the windswept edge of Western Ireland. The expressive influence of place and a deep empathy with the nuances of the human condition are signatory in his work and elicit an intuitive sense of unrestrained eloquence, a narrative of form, color and emotion. Garrity's work has been exhibited in Boston, South Dakota, Ireland, the Island of Nantucket and New Mexico. He currently spends a portion of each year in South Dakota, as Sculptor-In-Residence of Mount Rushmore National Memorial.

Karl Gercens

Karl Gercens is a section gardener responsible for many of the changing displays in the Longwood conservatories. Originally from Mississippi, Karl has worked at Walt Disney World in Florida and Filoli Estate in California before coming to Longwood. Karl has visited hundreds of gardens to gain inspiration and new ideas and currently changes his container designs to match the season at hand.

Dr. Ed Gilman

Dr. Ed Gilman received his PhD from Rutgers University and has been on the faculty as professor in the Environmental Horticulture Department at the University of Florida since 1986. He teaches arboriculture, conducts research on planting and pruning and works extensively with industry. He is the author of six books on trees and landscape plants, many software programs, and web sites that have received numerous awards. He received the Educators Award in 2003 for sustained excellence in publishing and teaching timely information on tree care.

Jane Godshalk

Jane is a gardener and plant lover who has become a passionate flower arranger. She won a Silver Medal at the 2004 Chelsea Flower Show and has won awards at several other shows. Jane has completed the Longwood Certificate of Merit in Ornamental Plants, Certificate of Merit in Floral Design, and Mansion House School of Floral Design's Master Design Trends. She has studied with many top designers from Europe and South Africa.

Gordon Hayward

Gordon Hayward is a garden designer, lecturer, and writer. He, his wife Mary, and son Nate, have been creating an extensive garden for the past several years around their 200-year-old farmhouse in southern Vermont. Over this period of time, Gordon has published over fifty articles for Horticulture and other gardening magazines, chronicling his practical approach to garden design. He and Mary have led eight garden tours to England. He lectures across the country and works with his crew of six to install his garden designs. To learn more about Gordon, his books, and his garden in Vermont, visit his website at www.haywardgardens.com.

Robert Herald

Robert Herald owns a garden business. He was Longwood’s Curatorial Assistant and a Section Gardener in the Hillside section. Robert received his B.S. in botany from Iowa State University. He has been a lecturer for the Millersville Native Plant Conference and an instructor at the Scott Arboretum of Swarthmore College.

Kirk Himelick

Kirk Himelick earned a M.S. in horticulture and a Master of Landscape Architecture at the University of Illinois. Kirk has taught landscape design courses at the University of Illinois, the University of Delaware, and Longwood Gardens where he teaches the Certificate of Merit course, Small Flowering Trees. Kirk was employed in the Education Department at Longwood Gardens for over 15 years and is currently a self-employed landscape designer, and teaches Small Flowering Trees for the Continuing Education program.

Jeff Jabco

Jeff Jabco is Director of Grounds and Assistant Director of Horticulture for the Scott Arboretum at Swarthmore College. Jeff earned a Master of Science degree in horticulture and plant pathology from North Carolina State University. He was an extension agent for six years and is owner of Countrie Greene, a landscape design and construction business.

Tim Jennings

Tim Jennings is the Longwood Gardens horticulturist responsible for the Outdoor Waterlily Display. A graduate of Longwood's Professional Gardener Training Program, he and Pat Nutt have taught several popular water gardening courses at Longwood.

Marty Kromer

Marty Kromer earned a M.S. degree through the Longwood Program at the University of Delaware. He has since developed a horticultural consulting and design firm, Garden Signatures, in Kennett Square, and is also the Plant Curator of the Philadelphia Zoo.

Mike Leventry

Mike Leventry is the Integrated Pest Management Technician at Longwood Gardens. One of his primary responsibilities is to track and maintain the health of Longwood's 500+ hemlock specimens. Mike earned a B.S. in plant protection from the University of Delaware, where he also concentrated in ornamental horticulture and education.

Dan Long

Dan Long owns and operates Brushwood Nursery, a mail order company. He studied horticulture at the University of Delaware and has been involved in horticulture for over 20 years in propagation at various local horticulture companies. He grows more than 250 vines and climbers of many genera and species.

Peter Lindtner

Peter Lindtner has been a gardener at Hagley Museum for 31 years. He has a masters degree in horticulture from Czechoslovakia, and a masters degree in plant science from the University of Delaware. Peter combines his scientific knowledge with his extensive gardening experience to create wonderful gardens and help others grow in their skills as well.

Dr. Bob Lyons

Dr. Lyons is presently the Program Director for the Longwood Graduate Program in Public Horticulture and Professor of Landscape Horticulture at the University of Delaware. He has taught courses in herbaceous plant materials, their diversity, and use in the landscape while on the faculty of Virginia Tech, North Carolina State University, and the University of Delaware. He co-founded and became the first Director of the Virginia Tech Horticulture Gardens during his tenure from 1981 - 1998. His teaching awards include the Wine Award for undergraduate teaching at Virginia Tech, the Chadwick Award from the American Nursery and Landscape Association, and the Outstanding Educator Award from the American Society for Horticultural Science. He has been a photographer for over 25 years and has published widely in homeowner, commercial, and educational publications (print and electronic); he has exhibited and lectured nationally about horticultural photography, and has received awards from the Garden Writers Association of America for both his photography and writings.

Betty Mackey

Betty Mackey has created and produced two multimedia CD’s (2006) on Papercrete Troughs, and Moments in the Garden on container gardening. She is the editor of the books Creating and Planting Garden Troughs, and Creating and Planting Alpine Gardens. She has shared her knowledge of trough making at the Philadelphia Flower Show.

Bob Mulrooney

Bob Mulrooney has been the Extension Plant Pathologist at the University of Delaware Cooperative Extension Service for the past 30 years. He has responsibility for the Plant Diagnostic Clinic at the University of Delaware and talks and writes about diseases of ornamentals as well as agronomic crops and vegetables. He has spoken at regional meetings on disease identification and control on ornamental plants as well as being an instructor in the University of Delaware Ornamental Horticulture Short Course Program. He is a contributor to the Wilmington News Journal's Delaware Gardener weekly column, and Ornamentals Hotline Newsletter for horticulture professionals published weekly during the season by Cooperative Extension. He has also done research on controlling powdery mildew on dogwood and black spot on rose.

Dr. Lisa Murphy

Dr. Lisa Murphy received her B.S. in biological sciences from Stanford University and her VMD from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. She currently holds the position of Assistant Professor of Toxicology in the Department of Pathobiology at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Veterinary Medicine and is the vice-president of the Pennsylvania Veterinary Medical Association. In addition to emergency preparedness and disaster response, Dr. Murphy's special areas of interest include exotic and aquatic animal medicine. She is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association's Veterinary Medical Assistance Team (VMAT) and responded to both the World Trade Center disaster and Hurricane Katrina.

Patrick Nutt

Patrick Nutt was a major influence in the development of Longwood's outdoor water gardens. Patrick came to Longwood in 1957 from Malabar Farm in Ohio after training at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, England and has retired. He remains active as a knowledgeable resource.

Helen Olena

Helen Olena is a Penn State Master Gardener and high school biology teacher. She grows gourds in her home garden and is an active member of the Pennsylvania Gourd Society.

Russ Parsons

Russ Parsons is the food and wine columnist for the Los Angeles Times, and one of the nation’s foremost food journalists. He is author of the best-selling How to Read a French Fry, which was highly praised by the New York Times, as well as Julia Child. His most recent book, How to Pick a Peach, is still a popular seller in bookstores nationwide. He has won every major food writing award for his articles on the food and agriculture business, consumerism, and cooking. He has been writing professionally for over thirty years on topics as diverse as high school football, cops and courts, rodeos, and country music.

Alan Petravich

Alan Petravich is the Senior Gardener in research at Longwood Gardens. His work deals with a great variety of plants both under glass and in the nursery. He received a B.S. in biology from Penn State University with an emphasis on botany and a minor in theater. Alan then completed an M.S. in ornamental horticulture at Penn State. He was a grower for Trail Gardens Inc. in Pottsville, PA for three years before joining the staff at Longwood.

Linda Piotrowski

Linda Piotrowski has a professional degree in dance movement, and draws from her extensive background in Eastern and Western dance forms. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, she has been involved in the research and practice of meditative movement as an art form and "healing" therapy for over a decade.

Thomas Purviance

Prior to involvement in the orchid profession, Tom Purviance was Director of Alumni and Development Programs at Westminster Choir College in Princeton NJ. Orchid growing began as “hobby” with two hundred orchids in the home. The passion (addiction) continued and resulted in construction of an 8x16 foot greenhouse in 1986 which was quickly filled. A freestanding 28X32 foot greenhouse was constructed and the seeds that resulted in Parkside Orchid Nursery were sown. Parkside has grown to be one of the largest orchid nurseries in the northeastern United States with five greenhouses, spanning over 14,000 square feet of growing space. Maintaining an interesting and varied inventory for the serious grower requires Tom to travel extensively to secure plants directly from the growers. These include frequent trips to South America, Central America, Hawaii and Asia.

Benny Rigoroso

Benny Rigoroso is a senior maintenance electrician and has been at Longwood for several years. He has been in the electrical trade for over 20 years and has an Associates Degree from Stevens Technology in Lancaster, PA.

John Ritterson

Previously a senior gardener at Longwood Gardens for four and a half years, he has a B.S. in ornamental horticulture from the University of Delaware. He is a volunteer with many horticultural institutions and does consulting for the gardening community. John is also a Longwood Certificate of Merit Series I and II graduate.

Joyce Rondinella

Joyce Rondinella is a graduate of Longwood Gardens Professional Gardener Training Program. She is also a graduate of Longwood’s Certificate of Merit in Ornamental Plants Series I and II programs. Joyce has a bachelor of science degree in horticulture from Temple University. Joyce is currently the Senior Gardener in charge of the Tropical Display in Longwood’s Conservatory. Her role includes instructing Professional Gardener Training Program students with hands-on ornamental plant courses. Joyce has cultivated an extensive home garden, including many tropical plants pushing the zone limit. Joyce always finds time for traveling adventures from the South American Amazon to visiting many gardens throughout Europe and the United States.

Eileen Rosen

Eileen Rosen has extensive experience teaching botanical, scientific, natural, and medical illustration. She received her B.S. in art education from Moore College of Art and Design in Philadelphia, and has taken graduate courses at the Philadelphia College of Art and Design. Her work has appeared in guide books, textbooks, and magazines. She is a member of the Guild of Natural and Scientific Illustrators, the Colored Pencil Society, and the American Society for Botanical Artists.

Dr. John Salventi

Prior to involvement in the orchid profession, John Salventi was a health-care professional with more than 20 years of hospital management experience at the Lehigh Valley Hospital. Orchid growing began as “hobby” with two hundred orchids in a bow-window. The passion (addiction) continued and resulted in construction of an 8x16 foot lean-to greenhouse in 1986 which was quickly filled. A free-standing 28X32 foot greenhouse was constructed and the seeds that resulted in Parkside Orchid Nursery were sown. Parkside has grown to be one of the largest orchid nurseries in the northeastern United States with five greenhouses, spanning over 14,000 square feet of growing space. Maintaining an interesting and varied inventory for the serious grower requires John to travel extensively to secure plants directly from the growers. These include frequent trips to South America, Central America, Hawaii and Asia.

Scott Scarfone

Scott C. Scarfone, ASLA, is currently a senior associate with LDR International, Inc./HNTB, an international urban design, planning and landscape architecture firm. Scott is a registered landscape architect and certified professional horticulturist. He is currently finalizing his Certificate of Ornamental Plants II at Longwood Gardens. Prior to joining LDR in 1997, Scott served as Director of Design – Build for five years with a major, award-winning Washington, D.C. area landscape contractor. As a project manager for LDR/HNTB, some of Scott’s most notable local projects include the revitalization of the Christina Riverfront urban district in Wilmington, Delaware.

Dr. Casey Sclar

Dr. Casey Sclar has been employed in the green industry for over 20 years. He holds a B.S. degree in ornamental horticulture from Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo, and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in entomology from Colorado State University. Casey is Longwood's Integrated Pest Management Coordinator and is responsible for solving the indoor and outdoor pest, disease, and weed problems. He has taught IPM at several local universities. Casey also performs applied research and writes for several popular, scientific, and trade publications.

Nancy Gingrich Shenk

Nancy is a graduate of the Rittners Floral School in Boston, MA and the Dutch Masters's Design School in Lisse, Holland. She has spent over 30 years in the floral industry and owned her own custom design studio for 20 years. Nancy's floral creations have been featured in Bride's, House & Garden, and Colonial Homes magazines. She was a member of the floral design team for the inaugurations of former Presidents Ronald Reagan and George Bush, and the unveiling of the restored Statue of Liberty.

Jim Sutton

Jim Sutton graduated from Penn State with a degree in ornamental horticulture and worked at Longwood Gardens for 10 years. He has also worked as a private estate gardener and floral designer for parties, weddings, and large charity events. He has completed the Series I Certificate of Merit from Longwood, is an avid home gardener, and loves to bake and entertain.

Roger Swain

Roger Swain, “the man with the red suspenders”, is recognized by millions as host of The Victory Garden, television’s longest-running gardening show. For fifteen years Roger planted and pruned, harvested and chatted with PBS viewers across the country. More recently, he co-hosted People, Places and Plants on HGTV, a show celebrating New England gardens and gardeners, and features Roger’s commentary, “Food for Thought.” Biologist, gardener, writer and storyteller, Roger Swain earned a Ph.D. from Harvard. He later became the Science Editor of Horticulture magazine in 1978, and readers have been enjoying Roger’s essays ever since. Roger is the author of five books: Earthly Pleasures, Field Days, The Practical Gardener, Saving Graces, and Groundwork. Roger Swain received the American Horticultural Society Award for Writing in 1992, and in 1996 he was awarded the Massachusetts Horticultural Society Gold Medal for his “power to inspire others.” When he is not editing Horticulture, filming the TV series or meeting with gardeners across the country, Roger can be found at work in the orchard and gardens of his New Hampshire farm.

Midori Tanimune

Midori Tanimune is an Ikebana artist ranked at the Somu level by the Sogetsu School in Tokyo. She has taught for over 30 years in the Mid-Atlantic region and teaches at the Delaware Art Museum. Midori has exhibited and conducted demonstrations at the Philadelphia Flower Show, Longwood Gardens, the Fairmount Park Japanese Tea House, Morris and Scott Arboreta, the Philadelphia Horticulture Society, the Delaware Center for Horticulture, the Sogetsu International Convention in Denver, CO, and at the Ikebana Convention in Nagoya, Japan.

Nick Tomlan

Nick Tomlan is currently a Senior Gardener in Longwood’s Idea Garden. He started at Longwood in 2000 as a Groundskeeper, and progressed to Gardener positions in the Main Fountain Garden section and the Longwood Nursery. Nick graduated from the University of Delaware with a bachelor of science degree in plant science with a concentration in ornamental horticulture. His current responsibilities include caring for perennials, grasses, roses, groundcovers, vines, the Outdoor Children’s Garden, and the Idea Garden Container Area.

Paul Van Meter

Paul Van Meter is a landscape gardener and designer working from his Usona Gardens offices in Reading, Pennsylvania. Paul studied horticulture and landscape architecture at Penn State University. His recent work has brought him into collaboration with the Oehme, van Sweden & Associates design firm on a variety of garden projects. Paul operates Flowers by Van Meter in West Reading, Pennsylvania.

Scott Wade

Scott Wade is the State coordinator of the Champion Tree Program with the Pennsylvania Forestry Association. He is a member of the internet-based Eastern Native Tree Society, and has found and measured many champion trees.