New York City: The End and a New Beginning

The High Line

Goodbye New York

Over this past summer I have learned more than I ever thought was possible in two months time. With this new gained knowledge I have also developed motivation and drive to continually study more than what is required in a class setting. Horticulture is an endless subject and I have realized that no matter how much you think you know there is always twice as much information out there to be discovered. I think it is this vast amount of information that makes the horticulture industry such a rewarding and exciting field to be involved with.

Being from Oklahoma I had little knowledge of urban horticulture and its importance in improving the quality of life of so many people. Without places like Central Park, Queens Botanical Garden, and Brooklyn Botanical Garden there would be no escape from the daily chaos of the city and the vast expanses of concrete and asphalt. By seeing the positive effects of horticulture on the residents in an urban setting I recognized the importance of the green movement that is taking place presently. In the near future I believe we will begin to see more urban revitalization projects that include public green space such a the recently opened High Line park. This movement makes it an exciting and dynamic time to be in the horticulture industry. It was through this internship that I realized I would like to focus my studies on urban park and green space design. This area poses many challenging growing conditions and problems that would make design extremely challenging as well as rewarding.

Over this past summer I have grow as a person as well as a future Landscape Architect. I have met many amazing people that I will remain in contact with throughout my professional career. More importantly I learned about the disconnect between Horticulturists and Landscape Architects. This disconnect is caused by the lack of horticulture knowledge among many Landscape Architects. By learning about this disconnect I am determined to learn more about horticulture and work closely with Horticulturists throughout my career. I believe it is true that to every end is a new beginning and I plan to take my new found knowledge and contacts and develop myself into a well rounded Landscape Architect.