Plants of Interest – Sammie Lyle

Hello again, it’s Sammie Lyle the Plant Collections and Records Intern. This week I wanted to talk about one of my favorite weekly responsibilities, curating the Plants of Interest table. Each Friday morning I roam the gardens and create a list of what catches my eye- perhaps a cluster of flowers that look like they will be blooming soon. After a large list has been compiled, I begin the process of weeding it down to which plants look like they could be cohesive in some way. I usually design color schemes and select different types of plants for variety. I design a walking route on a map for handouts and research information about each plant. When the handout forms are done, I take cuttings of each plant and arrange them for display on the table. Green Plants of Interest stakes are also moved from last week’s plants to the current ones. Although this process is simple enough, it is extremely time consuming! From start to finish, Plants of Interest takes up nearly my entire Friday! Even if it takes a while, I enjoy having a small creative outlet in my weekly routine. The next time you pass the Plants of Interest table, check it out!

• Sammie Lyle the Plant Collections and Records Intern