B.S. - Ornamental Horticulture and Landscape Design, 1970 Area of emphasis: Ornamental Horticulture

I have been very fortunate to have had the opportunity to attend The University of Tennessee and study ornamental horticulture. The education and experience I received during my time at UT opened many doors for me. I was the first student from Tennessee accepted to the Longwood Gardens Summer Internship Program. My UT professors were interested in my success and encouraged me constantly.

I worked for some excellent professors during my time in the Horticulture Department and gained valuable experience from these true professionals. A fellow student and I maintained the greenhouses during the weekends and that paid for our board. We lived in a room off from the head house of the greenhouse and it was kind of neat having the Agriculture Campus as our backyard. We propagated plants for the professors and gathered plants that they used in their classes. The education I received in Ornamental Horticulture from UT was excellent in my opinion. I say that because I finished with the first prize from Longwood Gardens at the end of the summer of 1969, and I was competing with students from universities from all over the USA.

When I graduated and started work as a greenhouse pot plant grower at Joy’s Wholesale Greenhouses I stayed in touch with my professors and my school. UT has always been there for me and has helped me with anything I needed information on throughout my career. I have attended numerous educational short courses and have been encouraged to supply information on my profession and share my opinions on what is important to future students in this program.

The University of Tennessee Gardens is one of my favorite places to visit with my staff. It is a great educational opportunity for us all.