Dream in Horticulture: New York Botanical Garden Hosts 4th Annual NYC-Area Green Industry Intern Field Day

Green Industry Intern Field Day BBQ Celebration & Networking at event's conclusion, photo courtesy NYBG

Affectionately referred to as the Hortie Hoopla, I’ve attended and covered the groundbreaking event for Garden Glamour since its premiere: The New York Botanical Garden Hosts 'Hortie Hoopla' Premiere because I passionately believed in its mission and genuinely wanted these plant wizards to succeed in a profession/career/calling that becomes ever more critical to our world’s art, health, and sustainable food supply. Hortie Hoopla is a fun way to learn and network with a community of talented green industry professionals. 

Tri-state - or “road-warrior” horticultural interns are invited to attend the New York Botanical Garden’s (NYBG)  School of Professional Horticulture for its Fourth Annual NYC-Area Green Industry Intern Field Day on Wednesday, July 20 from 11 a.m. to dusk.

This free annual event for horticultural interns features remarks from top horticulturists and garden designers, the chance to visit The New York Botanical Garden's outdoor plant collections, and speak with horticultural curators, participate in a challenging but fun plant ID contest, a BBQ, plus perhaps most importantly, the time to network and create industry contacts with the pros, along with more than a hundred attendees.  Here, interns discover career avenues and opportunities that many didn't know existed or was possible.  If you can dream it in horticulture, working with plants; you can do it…Learn how.

PROGRAM OF EVENTS

11 a.m.
Check-In and On-Site Registration, Ross Gallery
Self-guided viewing of exhibition Impressionism: American Gardens on Canvas

Lunch On Your Own (Pine Tree Café is open all afternoon, or venture to nearby Arthur Avenue for some unforgettable Italian fare, or bring your own)

12:30–3 p.m.
Presentations in Ross Hall by Charles M. Yurgalevitch, Ken Druse, Karen Washington, and Quill Teal-Sullivan
Keynote Speaker: Kelly Norris, Director of Horticulture, Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden
3–4 p.m.
Visit with NYBG Horticulture Curators at: Native Plant Garden, Thain Family Forest, and Azalea Garden
Plant ID Contest
4–5 p.m
Visit with NYBG Horticulture Curators at: The Judy and Michael Steinhardt Maple Collection and The Burn Family Lilac Collection
Plant ID Contest
5 p.m.
BBQ in Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden with prizes for Plant ID Contest, and more.


SPEAKERS

Ken Druse 

Ken Druse, photo courtesy NYBG

Ken Druse is an internationally recognized author, award-winning photographer, and acknowledged founder of the natural gardening movement. The New York Times calls his books "bibles for serious gardeners." A popular speaker, Ken can also be heard on his podcast and public radio show Ken Druse Real Dirt.

Ken is one of my personal, hort heros; arguably, he’s singlehandedly dazzled and delighted the intern audience at Hortie Hoopla since the launch of the program he helped give birth to with his insight and vision.

Karen Washington 

Karen Washington, photo courtesy NYBG

Karen Washington is a community gardener and board member of The New York Botanical Garden. As a community activist once called "urban farming's de facto godmother" by The New York Times, Karen has been instrumental in advocating for community gardening and expanding access to food in the Bronx. She is the founder of Black Urban Growers and Rise & Root Farm, and a board member of Just Food and the New York City Community Garden Coalition. I’ve been inspired to hear Karen speak and attended some of her instructional classes -- believe me, she’s a force of nature -- a hort and community treasure.

Quill Teal-Sullivan 

Quill Teal-Sullivan, photo courtesy NYBG

Quill Teal-Sullivan is the garden manager at Meadowburn Farm in Vernon, New Jersey. A lifelong gardener, she played a key role in rehabilitating the historic Helena Rutherfurd Ely Garden at Meadowburn and currently oversees its care.

Kelly D. Norris 

Kelly D. Norris, photo courtesy of NYBG

Kelly D. Norris is a nurseryman and the first Director of Horticulture at the newly revitalized Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden. A compelling speaker, Kelly is also the award-winning author of Timber Press publication: A Guide to Bearded Irises: Cultivating the Rainbow for Beginners and Enthusiasts and Plants with Style.

Called "one of the rising stars of American horticulture," he was one of the young horticulturists featured in Ken Druse's 2013 article, “The New Generation,” for Organic Life Magazine. Kelly is an expert on marketing horticulture to emerging demographics.

Sponsors who generously donate to the BBQ so that the food and drink is free to attendees deserve a shout out!  These green supporters include:

• Mario Bulfamante & Sons
• Landcraft Environments, Ltd.
• NY State Arborists Association 
• Trees New York
• The Bronx Brewery 
• Bartlett Tree Experts
• Riverside Park Conservancy
• Floral Landscape Services

To register for the Green Industry Field Day, Hortie Hoopla, email Eric Lieberman with the name and email address of each attendee and your organization at elieberman@nybg.org or
call 718.817.8580.

 

The 3rd Annual, NYBG NYC-Area, Green Industries Intern Field Day Registration still open for the horticultural event of the summer 7/22/15

New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) and the School of Professional Horticulture (SoPH) invite all Green professional interns and an accompanying staff member to participate in the third annual Green Industries Intern Field Day tomorrow, Wednesday, July 22, at 10 a.m. for Hortie Hoopla III.

This Free event includes a full day of informative and inspiring sessions, including remarks from top horticulturists and garden designers, a career information session over lunch, tours of the beautiful gardens and Conservatory at NYBG, a plant ID contest, capped off with a BBQ in the early evening in the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden.  

This event is for horticultural interns (18 and older), accompanied by one staff member from each organization.  Plans and a schedule can also be found at: http://www.nybg.org/edu/soph/hortiehoopla.php

Registration is required.  To register: Contact Eric Lieberman: elieberman@nybg.org or 718.817.8580.

Send the names and email addresses of each intern and staff person attending.  Don’t forget to include the organization you work with.  

Hortie Hoopla III - Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Check-ins begin at 9:30 am in the Ross Gallery with talks beginning at 10 am in the Ross Lecture Hall.

My Stories – Five inspiring bios by successful horticulturists who started as interns:

Karen Daubmann, Associate Vice President for Exhibitions and Public Engagement

Heather Liljengren, Supervising Seed Collector/Field Taxonomist, NYC Parks Greenbelt Native Plant Center

Rebecca McMackin, Director of Horticulture, Brooklyn Bridge Park

Jason Sheets, Brooklyn/Queens Regional Director, New York Restoration Project

Thomas Smarr, Director of Horticulture, Friends of the High Line

Thoughts on the Future of Horticulture – Ken Druse, award-winning garden writer, photographer, author of 20 books, and host of the weekly radio program Ken Druse/Real Dirt

Keynote Address: Keep Growing! An Abbreviated Anatomy of Cultivating Yourself and the Craft of Horticulture – Jared Barnes, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Horticulture, S.F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, TX

12–1 p.m. — Career Information Session and Lunch

The Career Information Session and Lunch take place in the Support for Science Pfizer Science building’s lobby and terrace, respectively.

Following the lunch are the Garden Visits that will take place from 1 to 4 pm.  

The nearly 200 attendees expected at this year’s Green Industries Hortie Hoopla III will break into smaller garden visit groups, cleverly broken into cohorts based on the attendees astrological sign. (Did NYBG determine the astrological couplings are compatible or simpatico??)  It’s in the stars!

Aries or Leo, will start at the (1) Native Plant Garden entrance pavilion

Sagittarius & Taurus – start at the (2) Thain Family Forest entrance, just past the Native Plant Garden entrance

Virgo & Capricorn – start at the (3) Azalea Garden entrance

Gemini & Libra – (4) Perennial Garden entrance

Aquarius & Cancer – (5) Conservatory - Palm Dome

Scorpio & Pisces – (6) Conservatory - Casa Azul

This is a great way to meet new people, and who knows, it might lead to some exciting things.  A job or a romance is not out of the question - after all, astrology is a kind of science too - albeit a pseudo-science - but based on relationships… And then there’s that magic - not unlike horticulture or botany or taxonomy or gardens....

There are a total of five gardens to visit.  

At each garden, there will be one “Mystery Plant” to identify.  A 6th Mystery Plant will be in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory Exhibition House, where the pyramid-like glass structure is located.

Also at each garden on the tour there will be three School of Professional Horticulture students who will talk to the guests/attendees about the hort sites and the plants there.  

This year’s elite SoPH students hail from around the globe, represent the best of what horticulture’s future leaders will be, and are fully engaged in the rigors of SoPH’s exclusive study program.  The attendees are sure to be inspired by them.  

While it’s true that I’m again a SoPH instructor this semester and wear my heartful admiration for the students on my sleeve for all to see, anyone - not just those like me who work with them - can readily see their “hort nobility” in the making..  

 

Attendees can also see the blockbuster Frida Kahlo Art Garden Life exhibition. (check out the NYBG website at http://www.nybg.org/frida/. ) For those with smart phones, check out the app http://www.nybg.org/fridamobile/.  There will be time to visit this exhibit between 4 and 5:30 pm.  

Everyone agrees that there's probably no better way to bond than over food and drink. So after all the more formal, educational and informative program elements featured throughout Hortie Hoopla, there's the chance to network and meet new and interesting people who share a common interest: a successful career in horticulture.  

Charles Yurgalevitch & Alexandria Bogo (2014)

The BBQ at the Family Garden starts around 5:30 pm after the conclusion of the garden tours.  Here’s where the real fun and games get going - amid the luscious, vibrant gardens there, in the picnic area - fueled by homegrown food - some from the Bronx’s famed Italian food nirvana better known as Arthur Avenue and beer from The Bronx Brewery.

Launched in July 2013, The New York Botanical Garden Hosts 'Hortie Hoopla ... the Green event was established to better inform young people interested in a career in horticulture, ecology, landscape design, and ecological restoration about the myriad possibilities and opportunities. Geared toward people who want to improve our environment and the world by working with plants, the event gathered more than 80 attendees from the East Coast.

Doubling the size in just one year, the 2014 event attracted about 160 attendees, demonstrating that horticulture and green jobs offer an exciting, burgeoning career option and further - interested candidates were keen to learn about changing opportunities and the chance to network with other green professionals.  Garden Encore: The Second Annual NYC Green Industry …

Few - if any - institution other than NYBG and its SoPH program has the reach and reputation to produce a program of this caliber.  

Hortie Hoopla is the brainchild of Charles Yurgalevitch, Ph.D., Director of the School of Professional Horticulture and SoPH’s dedicated and tireless advocate of the students and the exciting field of horticulture. (see the August 2013 overview post of the first Green Industry Hortie Hoopla)

 

The Garden extends its special thanks go to this year’s sponsors for their generous support that allows them to provide the free lunch and BBQ.

·        Mario Bulfamante & Sons

·        Landcraft Environments, Ltd.

·        Metro Hort Group

·        Town & Gardens, Ltd.

·        NY State Arborists Association

·        NY State Turf & Landscape Association

·        Carl Schurz Park Volunteers

·        Trees New York

·        The Bronx Brewery

·        Bruce James & Pamela Moulton -- my Landscape Design Alumni Group and Metro Hort      associates.  Kudos to you!  What a good example.  Perhaps next year the LDSA can provide sponsorship..

Any anyone who is keen to support the diverse group of future green industry professionals can invest in this program.

See you at the Garden.  

Register Now for The New York Botanical Garden's 14th Annual Winter Lecture Series

Hot off the press (seriously) - and before many of you darling garden enthusiasts receive notice in the Post -- here is the The New York Botanical Garden announcement of its 14^th Annual Winter Lecture Series 

Being all things spot-on, do you think the NYBG visionaries launched the Lecture series to coordinate with the calendar years?
It is uncanny how the lecture series coordinates so nicely with year: 14 in 2014...

The Lecture Series is Presented by Adult Education and the School of Professional Horticulture.  

How much do we love these two garden educators?

Before the holiday festivities and the winter solstice have you hibernated or celebrating beyond reach, get out your 2014 calendars and digital schedules for three Thursdays: 
January 30, February 20, and March 20.

Garden enthusiasts, landscape design professionals, NYBG Members, and horticulturists fill these reservations very fast, so those who may not fall into these plant-lover tribes, shouldn't wait to register for a seat at these memorable, informative NYBG lectures.

Speakers Dates:

Brian J. Huntley - Thursday, January 30

Kim Wilkie - Thursday, February 20

Thomas Rainer - Thursday, March 20

Time: 10 a.m.–12 p.m.

Location:

Ross Hall

The New York Botanical Garden

2900 Southern Blvd.

Bronx, NY 10458

The essence of a successful garden lies in its ability to inspire as well as to satisfy the inner souls of the creator and the visitor. This year’s lineup of exceptional speakers share their insights on both the functionality of gardens— ranging from preserving natural landscapes with indigenous flora to interpreting spaces based on physical as well as metaphysical parameters— and the emotional value of designing gardens that reflect personal passions and aspirations. Join us for a fascinating lecture series that will expand your mind and enhance your appreciation of gardens.

Kirstenbosch: The Most Beautiful Garden in Africa

Thursday, January 30 • 10 a.m.–12 p.m.

The name Kirstenbosch resonates around the gardening world as the home of a  niquely beautiful flora in a setting of unsurpassed beauty. Situated at the southern  tip of Africa, it is the flagship of South Africa’s network of nine National Botanical Gardens and has had a major influence on biodiversity science and conservation across Africa.

In this richly illustrated lecture, Kirstenbosch expert Brian J. Huntley will describe the long history of botanical exploration in southern Africa, and the remarkable personalities and plants contributing to this botanic treasure, which has received 33 gold medals in 38 years at the Chelsea Flower Show. Emeritus Professor Brian J. Huntley is a world-renowned conservation scientist and a key figure in post-Apartheid conservation across southern Africa. A former CEO of the South African National Biodiversity Institute and the National Botanical Institute, he now consults on global conservation projects for the UN and most recently authored Kirstenbosch: The Most Beautiful Garden in Africa.

Sculpting the Land

Thursday, February 20 • 10 a.m.–12 p.m.

In his own words, Kim Wilkie is a landscape architect who loves mud. He works in  he ancient British tradition of sculpting huge landforms out of clay and chalk and clothing them in grass. Drawing on history, insights, and experience, Wilkie will talk about these traditions and show examples of his renowned work from  Heveningham Hall in Suffolk to Boughton in Northamptonshire. He will also show

how the ideas can be translated into small urban spaces. Kim Wilkie studied history at Oxford and landscape architecture at the University of California, Berkeley,

before setting up his landscape studio in London in 1989.

He collaborates with architects and landscape architects on public gardens and on  private estate gardens in the U.K. and around the world such as the Victoria and

Albert Museum Garden in London and the Villa La Pietra in Florence. He combines designing with the muddy practicalities of running a small farm in Hampshire, where he is now based. His 2012 book, Led by the Land, chronicles his landscape philosophy and work.

Designing with Native Plants

Thursday, March 20 • 10 a.m.–12 p.m.

A passionate advocate for an ecologically expressive design aesthetic that interprets rather than imitates nature, Thomas Rainer will critique current approaches to designing with native plants and present a bold, alternative design aesthetic based on artful interpretations of native plant communities. Rainer will discuss his process of distilling native communities into striking, adaptable patterns—particularly in urban and suburban sites that have little in common with the native plants that once flourished there—and creating lush, dynamic plantings that can be replicated in any setting.

Thomas Rainer is an accomplished landscape architect who teaches in the George Washington University Landscape Design program and writes on gardens and landscaping at Grounded Design, his award-winning blog. He has designed more than 100 gardens as well as landscapes for the U.S. Capitol grounds, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, and The New York Botanical Garden.

Registration:

Register at http://www.nybg.org/adulted/ or call 800.322.NYBG (6924).

Each lecture: $31/$35 (Member /Non-Member)

The series: $84/$95 (Member /Non-Member)

Seating is limited, so please register early. Registration will be accepted at the door only if seating is available.

CEUs: Each lecture is approved for two credit hours by the: American Institute of Architects, the Association of Professional Landscape Designers, and the Landscape Architecture Continuing Education System.

Funded in part by the Barbara Cushin