Introduction to Public Horticulture

Be yourself; Everyone else is already taken. “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.”

— Chinese Proverb.

The search for the perfect program was a success! I found out that there isn’t a perfect program out there, and that I would need to make my own. Public Horticulture in Auburn was a good fit for me because of the flexibility it will allow. The program specifies that I take certain horticulture classes, go on two trips to conferences, complete an internship, and conduct a research study in order to graduate. Because I graduate with bachelors in horticulture from Auburn, some of the requirements are satisfied already. This will allow me to look into other programs that will help me understand my subject for research better. Which leads me into…

My area of research is going to focus on ‘local foods’. It is something that has interested me for sometime and has always been at the root of my interest in horticulture. I hope to explore what barriers there are in the local food economy and how can the public move past those barriers to create a richer local food economy. The subject of sustainability plays a major role in the whole topic and is a driving force for the research. Sustainable social, economic, and environmental practices should be the goal and I think will be required as we move forward as a planet.

The APGA conference is one of the required trips for the Public Horticulture program. The theme of this years conference was ‘Thrive Together, Diversity Grows Gardens’. “From the valuable plant collections of the U.S. National Arboretum, to the “outdoor museums” of the Smithsonian, the pristine garden rooms at Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens, and the United States Botanic Garden, one of the oldest botanic gardens in North America, the 2019 host gardens will inspire and spark dynamic exchanges that celebrate diversity of thought, experience, and contributions through horticultural practices and public engagement.” (2019.publicgardens.org) Our small group was made up of Emily Bornstein who also started the Public Horticulture program this summer as well, Dr. Robinson our program director, and me. We traveled to Washington DC together and all stayed in the Omni-Shorem hotel where the conference was being held. Our conference schedule lasted from a Sunday to the next Saturday in April, one day for travel on each end.