With the sun rising and the emergence of a smooth tune from her headphones, Hailey Clark approaches another pot--a species of rudbeckia that has outgrown its pot. It’s a repetitive task on the surface, but one so rewarding for Clark, an ornamental horticulture student at the Institute of Applied Agriculture (IAA). Having spent her summer as an intern for Sun Nurseries, she is all too familiar with a process she has fallen in love with.
Seeds are planted, seedlings emerge, and in time, they grow, bloom and show the world thier inner beauty. Sounds simple, so elegant, but the work on a nurseries that goes into that life is so much deeper than just a flower’s roots. All summer, rain or shine, Clark was hand picking weeds, pruning plants, mixing compost, and--her own personal favorite task--helping clients both residential and commercial.
The job had its bonuses. “I enjoyed eating some of the herbs,” Clark commented, cheerfully reflecting on her summer, “Walking past the blueberries… it was all special.”
Three months may seem short, but ninety long were enough to leave an impact on Clark. One of her favorite memories involved a unique method of integrated pest manage. Not surprising to mention is the fact that Sun Nurseries, like most, deal with an assortment of insect pressures that, if left untreated, can be detrimental to the health of the plants they’re trying to sustain. Crickets and grasshoppers fall into the category of pests that must be contained. To combat them, Clark found herself one afternoon catching frogs--16 of them to be exact. The purpose? To release them into the fields to help in the effort of controlling these insects. It’s a very fascinating way to go about it, especially considering IMP’s basic fundamental strategy involves using the most effective method that causes the least amount of harm to the environment. Using frogs as an IMP strategy is certainly a story to take home.
The networking opportunities and partnerships Clark made over the summer are another slice of a horticulturist’s life. Often would she mention her colleagues and speak very highly of them, and in a conversation with her supervisor, the feel was mutual. “When it’s ninety degrees and people want to go home… she was pretty tough,” said Clark’s supervisors, Megan. “I’m happy to see she stuck it out with us.”
One’s journey into their career is rewarding based on the work they do alone, but expanding your network is a part of that experience. For Clark, she’ll continue her journey through school with a plethora of acquaintances that she can refer to years after the summer of 2019 at Sun Nurseries, and follow her career goal of one day running her own nursery. As she prepares to grind through another demanding fall semester, Clark can look forward to a future of opportunity and reward thanks to a memorable internship with some of the best coworkers around.
