25. Scott Beuerlein on Zoos and Botanic Gardens

Scott Beuerlein Biography

Scott Beuerlein is the Manager of Botanical Garden Outreach at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden. He runs the Zoo’s Botanical Garden educational programs, including three symposiums. He is involved in most of the department’s other outreach and with the plant trialing.  

Scott is a 1982 graduate of Xavier University, earning a B.A. in Communication Arts. He is an ONLA Certified Landscape Technician and an ISA Certified Arborist.  Scott is also a garden writer and horticultural speaker. He has published hundreds of articles and columns in several gardening and green industry publications. He currently pens two columns in each issue of Horticulture Magazine—the (usually, hopefully!) humorous Deep Roots column and the Garden Views series of interviews. Scott is a partner in the long running and highly respected GardenRant blog and posts about twice a month, including a spirited and sometimes passive-aggressive sparring of wits with garden writer Marianne Wilburn in a series of letters.   

Scott has received the following recognition for his horticultural efforts:

• 2022 Silver Medal for blogs from the International Association of Garden Communicators 

• 2020 Silver Medal for Magazine Article from the International Association of Garden Communicators 

• 2020, Garden Clubs of America’s Club Horticulture Commendation

• 2019, two Gold Medals for articles from the International Association of Garden Communicators 

• 2019, the Civic Garden Center of Cincinnati’s Building Community Award

• 2018, the Citation Award from the Garden Clubs of Ohio 

• 2018, the Johnny Appleseed Award from Taking Root

• 2015, named “One to Watch” by Cincinnati Magazine

• In 2012, his garden received the Garden Recognition Award from the Cincinnati Horticulture Society

Scott is the currently serving as:

• Board Member of Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum

• Chair of the Boone County Arboretum Collections Committee

• Member of the Cincinnati Urban Forestry Board

• Member of the Green Industry Conference committee 

• Member of the Perennial Plant Association’s Education Committee

• Judge on the 2021 GardenComm Awards Committee 

Previously, Scott has served as:

• Chairman of Taking Root, a tree planting initiative

• Chairman of the Cincinnati Flower Growers Association

• President of the Northern Kentucky Urban and Community Forestry Council

Learn more about Scott by visiting his website, by reading his articles on GardenRant and Horticulture Magazine, and learning from the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanic Garden's website where there are additional resources, including event details, trialing program brochures, and the plant for pollinators initiative.

SHOW NOTES

• The early passion for plants from a family of gardeners, and that passion rekindled when he had his first house

• Starting a landscape company and eventually delving deeper into ornamental horticulture

• Leaving Delta Airlines in 2008 to pursue his passion full-time and led him to his current role at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanic Garden

• The prevalence of second-career individuals in horticulture and their diverse experiences

• Pretending to teach people about plants as a kid

• His role at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanic Garden involves communication, teaching, and sharing the importance of horticulture with the world

• A shoutout to Steve Foltz

• The success of symposiums at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanic Garden and the importance of information exchange within the horticultural community.

• Plant trials to assess the success of various plants in their urban environment

• Soil improvement techniques include removing heavy subsoil clay, backfilling with commercial topsoil blended with sand and compost, and creating raised beds

• The importance of not walking on the soil to maintain its loose structure and achieve rapid plant establishment.

• The commercial blend for topsoil typically includes clay, sand, and pine fines, with a focus on planting heavily and using liquid fertilizers for initial establishment.

• How limited space led to a unique display/trial approach

• The addition of a two-acre botanical garden on a nearby school campus at Rockdale Academy in Avondale and how it provided room for more scientific, side-by-side plant trialing

• The zoo's involvement in community projects with projects funded by local organizations

• Core principles of horticulture and zoos including diversity of projects, doing projects the same way each time, and use of shade trees

• How horticulture is involved in planning for new projects at the zoo

• Creating a sense of place for zoo exhibits

• How the zoo uses plants to keep animals happy

• The story of Fiona the hippo

• How more zoos should integrate horticulture more

• The significance of ArbNet accreditation levels based on collections, policies, education programs, and research, highlighting their achievement of level four on the first try.

• Botanical Gardens Conservation International (BGCI)

• Scott’s approach to writing and his contributions to GardenRant and Horticulture Magazine

• Scott's interview column in Horticulture Magazine, where he engages with influential figures in horticulture and offers a sneak peek into the industry's professionals

• Enjoying the gardening experience

• The daily practice of walking through his garden to center himself, providing a quiet moment of reflection and appreciation for the work he has done.

• The connection between people and plants

• The impact of plants on hospital patients

• How small actions like planting a pollinator garden or conservation at home can make a better environment

• Favorite horticulture book is Hugh Johnson's Principles of Gardening, a comprehensive and readable book that covers the history, science, and various aspects of horticulture

• The challenge of gardening with a bad back

• Challenging the common belief that planting small trees results in faster and better growth compared to larger trees

• The importance of sharing knowledge about soil and how success in gardening is strongly tied to the initial soil preparation and plant choice

• How to propagate more horticulturists by exposing children to good horticulture through programs and community spaces

• Learn more about Scott by visiting his website, by reading his articles on GardenRant and Horticulture Magazine, and learning from the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanic Garden's website where there are additional resources, including event details, trialing program brochures, and the plant for pollinators initiative.

24. Janet Draper on Creativity at Smithsonian Gardens

Janet Draper Bio

Janet Draper has been the sole gardener for Smithsonian’s Mary Livingston Ripley Garden for 26 years.   This tiny 1/3 of an acre garden is located on the National Mall and is open 24 hours a day to visitors from around the globe.  Janet’s roles in the garden include everything from design and maintenance to cleaning the fountain and answering questions from visitors.  Janet’s approach is to try to do something different every year to challenge herself and to keep educating visitors about the amazing diversity of plants! 

Janet was raised in a rural farming community in Indiana and always knew she wanted to do something with plants. She pursued a bachelor’s in horticulture from Purdue University in 1987. Afterwards, she sought addition training with a series of internships that took her further than she could ever have imagined. She worked at Mt. Cuba Center for the Study of Native Piedmont Plants in Greenville, Delaware before it was open to the public; Kurt Bluemel’s nursery in neighboring Maryland where she learned the European approach to running a nursery, the famed perennial nursery of Countess von Stein-Zeppelin in Germany’s Black Forest, and Beth Chatto at her amazing Nursery and Garden in Elmstead Market, England. 

Once back in the States, she continued to gain experience at numerous nurseries from Long Island to Illinois.  After nearly a decade of working in perennial nurseries, she then started putting plants in the ground instead of little black plastic pots as an estate gardener and contractor for Oehme van Sweden where she helped install and maintain their designs.  She also helped co-found the Annapolis Horticulture Society. You can learn more by visiting Smithsonian Gardens, by contacting Janet at her email address drapeja@si.edu, and by following Smithsonian Gardens on Instagram.

Show Notes

• Janet shares childhood experiences with gardening and her family's influence and early fascination with growing plants like cotton, Job's Tears, and peanuts

• Janet talks about studying horticulture at Purdue and the influence of early mentors

• Recommendations to gain hands-on experience and pursue internships

• Her first internship at Mt. Cuba Center

• Valuable lessons learned at Kurt Blumel Nursery

• Lessons on learning plants and the importance of saying "I don't know"

• Differences in horticulture education between the US and Europe and changes she would make

• American Landscape Institute (ALI)

• Her time in Germany working at Helen von Stein-Zeppelin’s nursery

• The importance of hands-on learning and being open to new experiences

• Working at Beth Chatto’s Plants and Gardens

• Meeting Christopher Lloyd and seeing exciting colors at Great Dixter

• Contrasting Beth Chatto and Christopher Lloyd’s approaches to combining plants

• Discussing the influence of both Beth's naturalistic approach and Christopher's bold use of color

• Janet discusses bouncing between different horticultural roles and eventually moving to Annapolis

• Founding the Annapolis Horticulture Society and its continued success

• The transition from private estate work to the public setting of the National Mall

• The story of the Mary Livingston Ripley Garden at Smithsonian Gardens and how it used to be a road

• How the garden was designed as raised planters for handicapped accessibility

• Janet’s approach to garden planning, emphasizing color coordination, texture, and form by flying by the seat of her pants

• Combining plants with a triangulation method by starting with a core plant, then adding three plants for texture, repeating the process to build outwards

• Experimenting with new and unique plant varieties

• Challenges and benefits of planning and adjusting on the go

• Janet's Access database for tracking plants and their characteristics

• Challenges during President Obama's first inauguration and how support from community, volunteers, industry friends, and the public led to restoration

• Increased activity on social media to reach a broader audience by sharing knowledge, beauty, and the joy of gardening with the public

• Janet's day-to-day adventures and how the garden dictates what needs to be done

• The dynamic nature of public horticulture and the joy of working in the garden

• The challenge of keeping the garden fresh and interesting after many years and adapting to the changing climate and finding plants that thrive in the heat and humidity of Washington, D.C.

• The myth of closing down the garden in winter

• How gardening is an evolving science

• Planting what is not in your neighbor’s yard and oaks and embracing diversity

• Janet shares her passion for the Perennial Plant Association, emphasizing its role in fostering collaboration, information sharing, and learning within the horticulture industry

• How to propagate more horticulturists by finding passionate people and youth interested in plants and investing in them

• Learn more by visiting Smithsonian Gardens , contact Janet at her email address drapeja@si.edu, and follow Smithsonian Gardens on Instagram.