This fall, I will be a senior at Kansas State University where I am studying Landscape Horticulture and minoring in Business. I did my internship at the Austin Branch where I have been creating designs and learning about our industry with the help of my coworkers and Mentors, Matt and Robbie. I have met so many wonderful people during my time here and have had an amazing time in Austin. A few of my favorite experiences include; learning about plants native to central Texas, smart plant selection and problem solving.
Even though there are strict water regulations and additional restrictions from the climate and soil conditions, there is still so much room for creativity when it comes to choosing plants and problem solving. Coming from a state with a very different climate, I was nervous about what type of plant materials I would need to know. But that didn’t last long as I was shown many resources for looking up native and drought tolerant plants. On my first day, Matt showed me a book called, Native and Adapted Landscape Plants: An Earthwise Guide for Central Texas. This book has been a helpful resource for learning more about the plants here, which allowed me to focus on the design aspect of my internship.
Another great resource he showed me (that everyone can use) is https://www.wildflower.org/collections/; it is mostly focused on native plants for Texas, but has a lot of great information for native plants in other states as well.
This summer has brought a lot of sporadic heavy rains that have affected the plant life and brought some drainage issues to light. It has been interesting to learn different ways of solving these problems in real situations. Working with people I enjoy, makes problem-solving even easier when we can discuss ideas and come up with a solution together!
Texas has a strong appreciation for their native plants that I have enjoyed experiencing and hope to take that appreciation back to Kansas with me. Although I have enjoyed using and learning more about the Adobe programs, learning about the plants in this region and the design process has been both impactful and inspiring. This internship has been an amazing experience and I have many valuable new skills to take home with me!