Our Blog

Through immersive learning, collaboration, and reflection, these Fellows are redefining what it means to be future-ready leaders in the garden world

This plant is none other than dawn redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides), the "living dinosaur" of the botanical world, which was discovered in China more than 80 years ago

Here, our Fellows reflect on all the discoveries and memories made during their placements around the world.

Throughout their unique garden leader-development program, our Fellows learn through interfacing with nonprofit leaders on challenges facing public horticulture, producing a cohort project that contributes to the leadership conversation occurring in public gardens, immersing in different Longwood Gardens departments, and much more.

On a recent trip to Washington DC, our 2024–25 Fellows cohort visited a number of gardens in an endeavor that not only allowed them to witness the remarkable diversity among the region’s cultural destinations—but also engage in a collective experience in which they could contribute diverse perspectives.

Coming to Longwood from California, Florida, New Zealand, Brazil, and New York City—with varied interests and backgrounds ranging from landscape design and plant discovery and propagation to the intersection of education and horticulture and enriching public gardens—our Fellows are here to change the world of public horticulture.

As part of the Longwood Fellows Program, Fellows spend two months with partner organizations around the world to immerse themselves in their host’s culture, learn from thought leaders, and share and grow their own expertise.

We’re thrilled to have recently welcomed the five outstanding individuals that make up our 2023–24 Fellows cohort.

As advocates for green spaces with the ability to inspire an appreciation for nature in others, alumni of the Longwood Fellows Program often go on to lead nonprofit institutions with meaningful missions rooted in plants, conservation, research, and education.

Our Fellows reflect on lessons learned and memories made during their field placements in London, Singapore, Niagara Falls, Cleveland, and Edinburgh.

At Phipps, the Fellows had the opportunity to learn about the principles of regenerative thinking during a workshop led by Phipps Chief Executive Officer Richard V. Piacentini and Senior Director of Communications Joe Reed.

With fascinating backgrounds and diverse expertise in aquatic plant care to landscape architecture to outreach and education, we’re thrilled to welcome our newest Fellows to our Gardens … and we can’t wait to see how they better the field of public horticulture.

Our Fellows reflect on their time spent at their individual field placement sites across the country, their lessons learned, and memories made along the way.

Living and working with five mid-career professionals—as our Fellows cohort does—is challenging, rewarding, fun, supportive, frustrating, at times lonely, inspiring, and sometimes hard to put into words.

As part of the Fellows Program, our cohort has had the opportunity to immerse ourselves in the culture of organizations throughout the region.

Our Fellows Program brings talented professionals to Longwood to live and study alongside one another … all while learning more about themselves and the further contributions they can make.

As part of the Fellows Program, our 2019–20 Fellows spent time at individual field placement sites around the globe. Here, they reflect on their time spent at their host organizations, and their lessons learned along the way

The public garden community readily encourages their communities to engage with plants and the green spaces around them … the desire for this engagement is ever-present in our work.

At both Chanticleer and Barnes, there are no labels; there are no rules of how to experience or understand the subject, whether they are plant combinations in an artful landscape, paintings, or sculpture. There are no right or wrong interpretations.