Plant sciences alumna (’21) thrives in creating innovative outdoor spaces as a landscape designer

Where are you from, and why did you choose to attend the Herbert College of Agriculture?

I am from Paris, Tennessee. My interest in horticulture began to grow after I visited Cheekwood Botanical Gardens and Art Museum in Nashville. Shortly after that, I knew I wanted to major in Plant Sciences. I wanted to stay in-state and find a great program, so I chose Herbert. It also did not hurt that my older sibling was already attending UT, Knoxville!

What degree did you pursue and why?

I pursued a Plant Sciences degree with a concentration in Sustainable Landscape Design. I started in the Public Horticulture concentration because I loved public gardens and could see myself working in such a beautiful environment. However, after two internships in the field, I realized design would be a better fit for me long term.

Can you tell us about your current job and what a typical day in your life looks like?

I work at Earthadelic as a landscape designer. I spend most of my days conceptualizing, drafting, and rendering all kinds of outdoor spaces: residential landscaping, pools, patios, outdoor kitchens, retaining walls, and so much more! When I’m not in the office, I go out to new projects to discuss what the client wants, present design documents, or visit active jobsites on projects being installed. I am grateful to be able to have a good balance of office and field work; it certainly keeps me on my toes!

What do you enjoy most about the work you do?

I love the collaboration between myself and other designers and sales consultants. We get to work together to bring our clients’ dreams to life within a budget that works for them. I deeply value that the spaces I conceptualize get to be enjoyed by families and friends. I also love that I get to use my creativity and be out in nature on a regular basis—which is what I originally aspired to back in high school.

What inspires your design work, and how do you balance functionality with aesthetics in your landscape projects?

I am inspired by my own experiences in the landscape, whether that be a local park, recent hike I took, or travel. Piet Oudolf’s New Perennial Movement has also been a huge influence on a lot of my landscape designs. I take aspects of that movement and make them applicable to your typical home or suburban landscape.

Balancing functionality and aesthetics are always challenging, especially when keeping budgets in mind. The tension between the two is a constant conversation between me, my fellow coworkers on the same project, and the client. I usually start by working out the functional problems presented by the client and tie everything with a final aesthetic bow. However, this all depends on the priorities communicated by the individual clients and my recommendations as a professional.

Could you share some standout projects from your time at Earthadelic and what made it particularly rewarding or challenging?

Can you share how your studies in plant sciences at UT impacted your life and career?

The plant sciences degree requirement to complete an internship is the one of many things that come to mind when I think of how UT impacted my life and career. Both internships I did were critical in my professional development and my personal understanding of what I wanted out of a career in the green industry.

Are there any faculty or staff at the Herbert College of Agriculture who made a difference in your educational experience?

Yes! So many. I will list four in particular:

• Andy Pulte was a constant support throughout my entire time at Herbert. I met him in my senior year of high school during a tour of the ag campus. His infectious love for plants and his students was one of the reasons I decided to go to UT, and it also inspired my love for working with plants and people as a result.
• Mike Ross helped me become the designer I am today by equipping me with practical technical skills, fostering creative design thinking, and direct design experience in all his classes.
• Garry Menendez helped shape my process for how I create planting designs through each class of his I took.
• Derrick Stowell let me shadow some of his horticultural therapy work with a few local nursing homes my junior year. I gained enough experience to land my internship at Denver Botanic Gardens doing therapeutic horticulture. While I did not end up pursuing horticulture therapy after graduation – or really end up doing much of it at the gardens because of COVID-19 – his willingness to let me learn from him helped steer me to where I am today.

What advice would you give to current plant sciences students who are interested in pursuing a career in landscape design?

Get as much hands-on experience in a garden and/or a plant nursery setting as you can. In my classes, I heard that some landscape designers can get a bad rap about not understanding what plants will grow in a specific area, so I set out to avoid that common pitfall by gaining as much experience with plants as I could.  I was fortunate enough to get jobs at Stanley’s Greenhouse during school and Thress Nursery immediately after graduation. The knowledge I gained of customer service, commercially available plant material, and basic horticultural maintenance are such a crucial foundation to how I design every day. I still strive to be a designer that specifies plants that will work in the spot I intend them to go.

What is your proudest professional accomplishment?

I am most proud of my ability to adapt and learn new things quickly. I see this most in how I was able to learn Dynascape, a brand-new software to me, within two weeks of working at Earthadelic because of the basic understanding of AutoCAD I gained from my degree.

This ability to learn quickly has also helped me ask clients better questions, figure out efficient solutions to common landscape problems, and get more of my designs sold as a result!

What do you like to do outside of work and/or what is a fun fact about yourself?

I love to read, go on walks, paint, and spend time with my church family.