Since I began my career as a Landscape Designer over 15 years ago, it has been an ongoing passion of mine to support others in this industry. One way to accomplish this goal is this Cross Pollinator’s Corner in the Gardens ALIVE Design monthly newsletter. These articles also get posted to the Gardens ALIVE Design blog page for use of reference. Feel free to use the search bar to find great resources, landscape sub-contractors, tips, and tricks.
Another way to provide mentorship is to host students as job shadow experiences. Many of my incredible clients have assisted in these job shadows and I’d like to take this moment to thank you again for your generosity and hospitality in having a student along to your meeting! Students learn firsthand so many valuable insights and can begin to formulate career paths based on real life examples.
Through the Washington State Nursery and Landscape Association, I also volunteer on a committee titled ‘Promoting Careers in Horticulture’. Thanks to grant funding, we were able to produce three videos for use on social media sites to share the highlights and life stories of professionals in our industry. In the video featured this month, meet Anju Neilju, a friend, fellow Certified Professional Horticulturist, and Landscape Designer. She has a wonderful life story and enticing career sneak peeks.
It has been a joy to mentor Anju and also encourage her to step into this role and be a voice for other professionals in our industry. It is with honor that this article highlights not only Anju but also other industry professionals, Laura Wildfong and Andrew Barker. The video was produced by Matt Perez and he and his team (including his wonderful wife Jacquie) were awesome to work with. Finally, we were looking for a location to shoot this video and it was decided that my landscape and home had all of the pieces that were needed. Enjoy this glimpse into life at Gardens ALIVE Design!
Should you or someone you know be interested in a career in horticulture, be sure and send them my way! The horticulture industry is filled with wonderful people (both clients and colleagues!), exciting work, lifelong learning and fulfilling attributes. It is true that more people should – as the video says – ‘Plant your future in horticulture today!’
Stay tuned for 2 additional career highlight videos to come in future newsletters.
