BRYCE LANE BIOGRAPHY
Bryce Lane discovered his passion for plants and telling others about them working at a small Massachusetts garden center through high school and college. After earning his BS in Plant Science at the University of Massachusetts and MS in Ornamental Horticulture at The Ohio State University, he came to the Department of Horticultural Science at NC State University as a lecturer in 1981. Bryce also served as the department’s Undergraduate Coordinator from 1987 to 2014. He spent 34 years teaching and advising over 20,000 students. He was the recipient of numerous local, regional, and national teaching awards. Bryce retired in 2014, but still teaches part-time in the department.
From 2003 to 2014 Bryce hosted and produced a three-time, Emmy winning, UNC TV public television show called In the Garden With Bryce Lane. The show focused on all things home gardening and served all levels of gardeners.
He now spends his time giving horticulture talks, doing leadership, and communication training, teaching part-time at NC State, and at the JC Raulston Arboretum. He has worked closely for years with North Carolina Extension and the NC Nursery and Landscape Association. An avid gardener, Bryce has gardened on the same one quarter acre plot for 40 years. He and his wife of 46 years also spend plenty of time with their 6 grandchildren. You can find out more about Bryce by visiting his website.
SHOW NOTES
Early exposure to plants by spending time outside
His passion for plants and developing soft skills by working at a local nursery in Massachusetts called Hadley Garden Center
Encouragement to go to graduate school and what mentors saw
Experiences in teaching at The Ohio State University and working with Dr. Steven Still
The decision to not pursue a PhD and advice for students
Rising from lecturer to undergraduate program coordinator at NC State
Honing the craft of teaching students with tools, techniques, and artistry
Early criticism from other professors over his teaching style
Core skills for improving teaching others about plants
Motivation and creating an environment where if students choose to engage they will learn
The power of story and the importance of authenticity
His friendship with the late JC Raulston, JC’s role as a teacher and observational scientist, and naming Styrax japonicus ‘Emerald Pagoda’
Fostering curiosity and bringing a chainsaw into the classroom
Having a roadmap as an educator, and the minutiae of teaching techniques like outlines, analogies, and Powerpoint
Teaching in retirement and hosting gardening classes with the JC Raulston Arboretum
Lessons learned from transitioning online during COVID
Hosting and producing In the Garden with Bryce Lane for 10 years and winning three Midsouth Regional Emmy Awards
How Bryce approaches goals and objectives
Using Google and apps to learn about plants
Soil Science for Gardeners: Working with Nature to Build Soil Health by Robert Pavlis
The myth of how much plant growth/dry weight comes from photosynthesis versus the soil
Propagating more horticulturists by not holding back and sharing plants with children