by Katherine King, Intern
Katie was recently chosen from eight finalists as our 2010 intern, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Shades Valley. From Bristol, Tennessee, Katie is a recent graduate of Samford University with a B.S. in biology--she has even studied botany in Belize (are you as jealous as we are?)! The internship gives a rising senior or recent college graduate hands-on experience with greenhouse production, planting, grounds maintenance, arboriculture, pest management, curatorial aspects of plant collections and garden display/design.Between the intensity of spring flora and the beginning of summer bloom, there exists what is sometimes referred to in the garden as the “shoulder period.” Compared to spring and summer, fewer plants are in bloom during this time of the season. As a newly graduated biologist (and aspiring botanist) and summer intern at Birmingham Botanical Gardens, an assignment was given to me to research native southeast wildflowers blooming within the shoulder period to plant in the Kaul Wildflower Garden.
Understanding this concept and learning which plants bloom during the shoulder period will help you add color to your plantings during what would normally be a “down time” in the garden.
In turn, I am attempting to catch up with the new Kaul Wildflower Garden curator’s vast knowledge of scientific plant names (he makes it up as he goes!) and help you add a little vibrance to your garden.
