#student activity

I have travelled from distance lands, namely Melbourne, Australia. In October of 2016, I completed a Master in Information Studies via Distance Education with Charles Sturt University, but I do not have a professional background in Libraries. I have spent most of my time working in the arts sectors in broadcasting, events management and booking/curation (I am also on hiatus from my community radio show on specialist music station). Coming to Longwood may seem a little left of field, but I have a huge interest in sustainability and grew up in a family that has small organic farms, generally keeps bees and sometimes orchids.

What is your favorite plant?

There is usually one favourite plant in each of the houses I lived in. The first thing that springs to mind is the huge Daphne plant near the front door of the house I grew up in that smelt amazing. In each of my shared houses, respectively, there was an old fig tree, grape vines (homemade wine is a hilarious process) and a thick, gnarled passionfruit vine. In my current Melbourne home there are some Mexican love vines that were a house warming gift that have turned into something a little bit epic (and I barely do anything to them- the best sort of plant), but I also like the native grevillea I planted out the front (the local council were giving out free plants that would assist the native ecosystem of the area).  I have tried to avoid buying plants in America as I cannot take them home to Australia....yet I have since fallen in love with a Dendrobium orchid, lovingly named Denny, that I bought at a Longwood Plant Sale.

My favorite orchid ‘Denny’ in all of his glory.

What is your favorite Garden? What is your favorite part of Longwood?

This is a pretty hard question- most gardens are pretty lovely. I am less of a fan of the formalized garden, unless it is useful. There is a Modern Art Museum in Melbourne called Heide, which was the property founded by John and Sunday Reed and home to artists, such as Sidney Nolan, Albert Tucker and Joy Hester. The grounds are sprawling, with sculptures nestled into paddocks and natural spaces, but the place that I love the most, is the house’s kitchen garden (which is just next door to the picnic area). It’s well maintained, companion planted and smells amazing.

For that reason I get a little extra pleasure from the Idea Garden in Longwood and, its own (limited) produce section- the fruit trees etc. It’s also a little less crowded than the Flower Garden Walk. The Meadow is also resplendent currently, so that’s a pretty tough pick.

What is the best part of being a student?

I like to learn new things- keeps the brain sharp. I am informed that this is a good thing, but the jury may still be out on this one. Thus far, it’s the only student experience that I have had which doesn’t have homework, which is vastly superior. One of the more excellent things about being a student at Longwood is the scavenging possibilities. I am currently snacking on roasted chestnuts, harvested from the trees out the front of the student housing. Free is always more delicious.

I bake often and made Eyeball Cake Pops for the staff Halloween Baking Contest. There were many free delicious treats and I won for “Best Halloween Presentation.”

What is your background in horticulture (or whatever field you are in)?

I have a background in neither horticulture, nor library work. I am here so that I can cease to be a hobbyist in either (although becoming a ‘full-blown’ librarian is more likely than a horticulturalist. Although killing fewer plants in the process of gardening is a personal goal).

Why did you want to come to Longwood and what do you think helped you get the position?

The adventure- it’s such a unique opportunity and experience. I get to practice my theoretical skills from my studies in an environment which is supportive. Specialist and unique collections, like the ones here, which spans the academic and archival, are pretty hard to come by, let alone work in. Also, experiencing a new country is not something I have done in a little while and Longwood, to put it simply, is quite stunning. Who wouldn’t want to come and live in this little slice of paradise for a little while (please note- views may change in the winter).

What do you do at work? Highlight your favorite project or what you do day-to-day.

I create order out of chaos. It’s a magical and mystical world of lists, which involved secret codes and strange rituals. There are old and musty tombs and mysterious objects that require dissemination. We answer questions-shine light into the unknown (and possibly haunted) places and provide you with things that you never knew you wanted (yet). We are magicians and truth warriors**.

**Which roughly translates into putting books on shelves and typing stuff into a computer. Occasionally I get to drive a golf cart.

What are your future plans or what is your intended career path?

It’s a career goal to work at the National Film and Sound Archive, as used to be an AV technician/editor for a national broadcaster. I really enjoy working in digital environments (information architecture is kind of fun), but I am hoping that these 9 months are going to be formative in regards to my future career path.

My first real snow experience...apparently I live in Narnia now.

My wreath that I created during our Christmas student activity.

Article by Clare Presser.

Bulbs come in all shapes and sizes: the larger bulbs pictured are Crown Imperials, also known as Fritillaria, along with Allium, which are known as Giant Onions.

Every fall at Longwood a mighty mission takes place, whereby a staggering 230,000 bulbs are individually planted! These bulbs spend the winter underground and bloom in the spring, to create Longwood’s famously spectacular springtime display. Last Thursday us students spent a day helping the team with this huge bulb-planting project, as one of our weekly activities.

Bulbs are underground batteries packed with energy and they help a plant to survive the harsh conditions of winter in a dormant state. The plant is then able to flower early in the year and harness the springtime light. The fall is the best time of year to plant spring flowering bulbs, as they are dormant at this stage of the year and at Longwood a mix of bulbs are planted including Tulips, Daffodils, Fritillarias and Alliums.

One of the main display areas for bulbs at Longwood, is the Flower Garden Walk, which is an historic pair of parallel borders, which are the length of two football fields. Each spring this area hosts a mix of bulbs, which are planted in blocks of colour, following the spectrum of the rainbow. In order to achieve such a large scale planting, a design is drawn up a year in advance and detailed orders are placed for the delivery of the bulbs. It then takes over a week of intense work kneeling down, for a large team of staff, students, and volunteers to first lay-out the bulbs and plant each one individually. Guests are always delighted to see the vast planting process and some ask whether we simply dump soil on top of the bulbs once we lay them out? However we reassure them that each individual bulb is dug in, 6 inches deep, using a trowel in order to maintain the pattern and design.

Curiously we started our day of bulb-planting, with an area of bare soil and having planted the bulbs, we also ended the day with bare soil. Come the Spring, the Flower Garden Walk will be ablaze with colour and we will be able to see the results of this hard work and the blooms of this buried treasure.

Here we are planting a mix of Tulips and Daffodils.

To ensure correct spacing of the bulbs, when laying them out, we use a pre-cut measuring stick. It is a tricky skill to keep the rows straight and uniform!

Fellow interns Spencer, Clare, Myself and Nathan, after a busy day laying out bulbs.

Thirsty work planting, on a warm October day.

The front entrance

Every week I’m grateful for the varied learning opportunities offered to students at Longwood and this week was no different! We had the opportunity to go on an all-day student trip to the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx, NYC! 

From the NYBG website: “The New York Botanical Garden is an iconic living museum, a major educational institution, and a renowned plant research and conservation organization. Founded in 1891 and now a National Historic Landmark, it is one of the greatest botanical gardens in the world and the largest in any city in the United States.”

After napping on the bus, bumping along in city traffic, and enjoying wonderful shortbread cookies from our fellow intern, Nathan, we arrived at the garden gate. I was surprised to discover that, although we were in the middle of NYC, you would’ve never known while standing in this expansive green space. Even in Central Park, you can see buildings in the distance, but that was not my experience at the NYBG.

We were warmly greeted by staff members and were presented with two tour options. Though I’m not a horticulture student, I chose to accompany the group that toured the NYBG’s native plant garden and learned about their efforts to keep that area as close to natural beauty as possible, while also maintaining a well-groomed, picturesque environment. Like Longwood, they maintain a lovely meadow garden and forested area, so it was neat to compare the similarities and differences between how both Longwood and NYBG staff care for these spaces. After the tour, we went our separate ways in smaller groups and explored all the NYBG has to offer!

The Mertz Library, with its rather impressive exterior.                        

The only conservatory I’ve visited is Longwood’s so, to be honest, I did not know what to expect of the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory. Let me just say, I was floored. While touring, I fell in love with the high, domed ceilings and detailed, arching glass and limestone. It truly is the Victorian-style crown jewel of the garden. I think my favorite design aspect of the conservatory’s permanent collection was the raised levels in the tropical room, which allow guests to view the space from both the ground and the “canopy.” I also enjoyed the intimacy and organization of the collection – its intentionality was impressive, as it was set-up like a museum for plants.

The soaring, domed ceiling of the Palm House took my breath away!

My favorite of the Chihuly pieces was Macchia Forest, a series of lotus leaf-like fountain bowls underneath cascading arbors.

We were lucky enough to visit while the CHIHULY exhibition was on display throughout the garden and, I have to say, that was my favorite part of the experience! This exhibition showcases more than 20 installations and includes context about the artistic process and career of Dale Chihuly. The interplay between the botanically-inspired glass sculptures, the flora, and the water features was striking and imaginative. The NYBG website frames it best, calling the gardens a “living canvas” for the Chihuly installations. 

The bright Sol del Citron installation stands out against the limestone of the Conservatory.

The Sapphire Star bursts into view on a sweeping lawn.

These detailed forms in the Glasshouse Fiori installation mimic surrounding flora so well I didn’t realize, upon first glance, that they were glass!

I was pleasantly surprised by the number of Chiluly pieces on display in the outdoor gardens, conservatory, and library and tried my best to see them all. Also on display during our visit were nature-inspired poems by elementary and middle school writing contest winners. As a former English student and lover of poetry, I felt this was a wonderful, emotional, compliment to the sights of the garden and Chihuly’s bright, organically arranged installations.

We became so engrossed in exploring the garden that, before we knew it, it was time to depart. I could have stayed for hours more, if only to take a breath and enjoy the atmosphere of this, clearly, well-loved garden.

The Everett Children's Adventure Garden was filled with whimsical pumpkin and scarecrow displays. Who said children’s gardens are only for kids?

The iconic view of the domed Palm House from the waterlily pools. This is the scene I will likely remember the most from this trip.

Moving to a new country to learn English can feel pretty intimidating at first. The Irish Dance Party provides the perfect, low-pressure setting where language students from all over the world can connect. By laughing, listening, and learning simple dance steps together, classroom walls melt away in an afternoon of pure fun.