July 23, 2024
All Hallows Guild sponsors two or three garden interns each summer and this year the Stanley Smith Horticultural Trust granted us sponsorship funding for two. Their youthful energy helps our staff during the intensive growing season, and, in turn, they receive both practical and educational horticultural experience. This year AHG sponsored a third intern to learn from and assist the turf maintenance team.
Meet the Horticulture Interns:
Izzie Della Santa, from Chevy Chase, MD, is entering her second year at University of Maryland’s Environmental Science Program. As the University of Maryland curriculum requires a student internship, Izzie applied after seeing this internship described on the university ListServ. The highlight of the internship for Izzie is the work dynamic, friendliness and helpfulness of the Horticulture team. The staff readily shares their plant identification knowledge as the team walks and works through the gardens and grounds.
After finishing her first year in the Landscape Architect Program at Virginia Tech, Anna Bolejack, from Arlington, VA, was drawn to All Hallows Guild’s internship program after reading All Hallows Guild past blogs describing the program. While Anna overall finds the program educational and enjoyable, the weekly tending and weeding of the succulent garden on St. Alban’s green roof provides her the most satisfaction.
The educational walks through the Norman Walk, Bishop’s Garden and Sundial Bed with Ashley Coates, Bishop’s Garden Horticulturalist, show Anna the rationale behind certain landscape design elements and the connection between landscape design and landscape maintenance, which will be useful in her studies. Anna finds the program provides the right balance of hands-on-experience and education.
Every year, the interns undertake a Special Project. This year’s Special Project entails cataloging and photographing the plants in the Bishops Garden to create a complete plant inventory. This project will aid the Bishop‘s Gardeners as well as the Garden Tour docents and hopefully boost the interns’ plant identification skills.
In addition to the Special Project and work on the gardens and grounds of the Close, the interns view neighboring gardens and operations through organized field trips. These field trips include the American University landscape professionals field day event and trips to the National Arboretum, Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, and Hillwood Gardens.
Meet the Turf Intern:
Devin Jones is the Close’s first Turf Intern. Originally from Westminster, MD, Devin currently lives in College Park, MD, after graduating from University of Maryland in May 2024 with a degree in Communications. Devin found out about the internship while working on the grounds crew at Nationals Park. He finds the job to be therapeutic and appreciates how his job helps enhance the beauty of the grounds enjoyed by visitors. Since there are no sports activities in the summer, he helps Turf staff with mowing, weed whacking, trimming, Integrated Pest Management and grooming the fields. Because of the internship, Devin is working with people showing him how to do tasks the correct, professional way. He enjoys coming to work each day and hopes to pursue a career in Turf Management. He is applying to local organizations and government agencies for a permanent grounds maintenance position.
The Guild thanks the Stanley Smith Horticultural Trust and all supporters who allow us to provide opportunities for the next generation of horticulturists and turf specialists. In turn, we are grateful for the interns’ energy and willing hands to make our landscape ever more beautiful for those who come to enjoy this haven of peace.
