The new year has begun...

Palmen Garten/Cactus house, Frankfurt, Germany
From my trip to Germany 2011

One year of Longwood Gardens has passed! It has been quite an adventure. To end the year, I decided to go to Germany to explore possible options after Longwood. It was a great experience in so many ways. I have much more to think about and will keep you posted.

The third round of classes will begin in a few days. The next set of classes are said to be the most arduous. The classes include Floriculture, Soil science, Fruit and Vegetable culture, Aboriculture, Conservatory plants, and Landscape design and construction. Along with all of those classes, my class will be organizing the symposium sale for a fundraiser that goes towards our trip to China. This will be a very busy year. I am excited about the future and hope to hone in on a more defined goal as to where I go after the Professional Gardener program at Longwood.

Stay posted!

Bromeliad Christmas tree #1

Christmas has officially started at Longwood Gardens. I had the opportunity to work in the Tropical area of the conservatory with an enjoyable team! I helped put together two bromeliad Christmas trees. I only have a couple more weeks before my junior class gets a break to enjoy Christmas with our families. Till then, we will be finishing up our classes.

Besides finishing up classes, I am preparing to go to Germany December 17th to explore urban parks, the Berlin botanic, and of course some art museums! It will be pretty exciting. Stay posted!

Bromeliad Christmas tree #2

My herbaceous garden

 On another note, my vegetable garden is still giving me some Arugula, parsley, and scallions!

Put some flowers on your table!

Round table center piece

 Now our PG class is half way through the last three month semester this year.  Midterms are complete!

The classes this semester are very exciting, giving us the opportunity to be creative. I have posted five of the floral designs I had the opportunity to make so far this semester. I have enjoyed every moment of this class.

Weave design

This semester a famous Finland floral designer came to Longwood and we got to watch his work. It was a thrill and he has so many great ideas.

Besides flowers, our landscape design class is getting us set for designing and creating a garden at Longwood based on light and sustainability. More on that later!

Till next time, enjoy the fall weather!

One of my first arrangements 

Focal-point

Long table centerpiece

The leaves haven't changed colors yet... but there is fall color in my garden!

Summer has quickly passed by and now the warm loving crops have left empty spaces in my vegetable garden. Those empty spaces are slowly being filled by Arugula, Kohlrabi, radishes, and swiss chard.

Despite the change in weather, my herbaceous garden still has beautiful color.  The herbaceous garden is showing more color then ever. The plants that are still performing are the Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii 'Goldsturm', Symphyotrichum novae-angliae 'Purple Dome', and Agastache 'Purple Haze'. All of these are very easy to grow plants and I can not wait to see how they do next year!

Two weeks ago, classes started for my junior class. All of us will be in class for six months, until we are in our next work rotations. We are taking Landscape Design, Floral Design, Business management, Greenhouse management, and Plant propagation. Also, I was able to take a continuing education class on edible plants and perennials. These classes have been much more exciting than our previous set of classes.

With all of this said, I hope everyone gets dirty in their gardens as long as the cold allows and gets a chance to do a little fall hibernation!

Edible gardens, New Jersey bogs, and healthy bees!

My Vegetable Garden!! 

The heat has arrived in Kennett Square and now the tomatoes in my garden are coming fast! It feels amazing not to buy any vegetables from the grocery store, except an occasional onion. I love enjoying home cooked meals from the garden.

Rosemary zucchini cakes and potatoes!

Oh yeah! These are from the garden!

I have had the chance to work with some italian honey bees. Let me just say, I would never be able to keep up with these ladies. 

My herbaceous garden! Yes, that is my corn.

Pitcher Plants at the New Jersey Bog!

This past month, I went to the pine barrens and examined some of the native flora with our masterful guide Jeff Jabco. We saw dwarf forests, bogs, blueberry farms, and of course the beach. With all the adventures, it has given me some time to appreciate the beauty of nature.

Bring on the heat!

View from the south end of my garden!

Classes have ended, the heat has been turned up, and the PG class of 2012 is back in work rotations. This gives us a little more time to play in our gardens.  Now that the weather is warming up, some of my plants are getting very excited!

Relax with my plants!!

Tomato MADNESS!!!.... Can you say homemade  Pasta sauce!

My bee balm, asters, rudbeckia, and grasses are becoming very happy and should be shooting off their blooms by late July to August!

All of my vegetables have been doing very well, especially my bloody butcher corn and tomatoes. I have bushes of basil and started making some homemade pesto! That was a very delicious decision.

Come visit and I'll cook you a dinner from my garden!

Updated Garden pics!!

My Herbaceaous plot!

My summer container!

Sit down and relax with the plants!

Tomato trellis

Entrance to my veggie plot!!