Based on individual interests, International Interns and Trainees can customize their experience during their time at Longwood.
International Interns and Trainees working in Horticulture will complete three work rotations in three different areas within horticulture. Work rotations are available in the areas below:
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Work both collaboratively and independently with extraordinary plants. At Longwood, research combines long-term vision with short-term problem solving. Our diverse portfolio includes both breeding and research endeavors. Explore ecological practices involved in operating horticultural research laboratories, greenhouse facilities, and outdoor trial beds.
Areas for Growth
- Maintain greenhouse and nursery plants using standard plant care techniques — watering, weeding, planting, repotting, mulching, training, etc.
- Propagate plants by seeds, cuttings, grafting, and other appropriate techniques
- Apply tissue culture practices to create and maintain clean in vitro stock by micropropagation and meristem isolation
- Perform daily laboratory tasks such as cleaning glassware, preparing culture media, and deflasking plantlets
- Collect quantitative and qualitative data of experiments and plant evaluations
- Develop, implement, write, and present a research project developed in accordance with the intern’s specific interests within the context of established research projects
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Gain insight into the distinct practice of gardening under glass through hands-on involvement in the day-to-day process of installing and maintaining indoor displays and collections. The Conservatory at Longwood Gardens features a series of wondrous spaces harmonizing the beauty of 19th-century classical architecture to horticultural displays both formal and contemporary. Work with world-renown indoor displays of more than 1,000 different seasonal crops and 5,000 permanent taxa, in one of the nation’s largest conservatories.
Areas for Growth
- Get hands-on experience working with seasonally changing displays
- Create displays using annuals, perennials, tropical plants, and bulbs
- Increase your knowledge of specialty collections including orchids, succulents, ferns, bonsai, and Mediterranean flora
- Fine-tune grooming, planting, and display maintenance practices
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Learn the systems and horticultural skills needed to manage a state-of-the-art container production greenhouse through hands-on involvement in the daily operations of a production facility. Whether growing for display or for commercial purposes, learn how to grow precisely and efficiently. Longwood’s new nursery production greenhouse, opened in December 2020, accommodates a variety of plant materials, growing methods, and environments. Consisting of a 15,600-square-foot headhouse and 65,348-square-foot greenhouse, the new facility allows for a greater level of environmental control, automation, and overall sustainability.
Areas for Growth
- Propagate plants by seed and vegetative means
- Learn to mix various types of growing media
- Work collaboratively with the production team to ensure the highest quality crops are grown efficiently and consistently
- Assist in the upkeep and cleanliness of the greenhouse and other work areas and perform primary plant care in the absence of full-time staff
- Utilize automated systems for transplanting, potting, repotting, staking, tying, grooming, watering, and fertilizing
- Transport potted plants to and from growing areas
- Assist with installations of large displays and garden-wide projects
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Gain plant health diagnostic skills such as proper pest scouting and identification techniques and the recognition of common plant disease/pest infestation symptoms on plants. Plant Healthcare at Longwood is a philosophy that guides us as we address plants and wildlife that threaten the Gardens and natural lands.
Longwood’s proactive approach uses a robust scouting program, custom management plans for specific pests and incoming invasives, as well as cultural and biological control methods for landscape, conservatory, and greenhouse environments.
Areas for Growth
- Assist PHC staff in scouting for and diagnosing pest problems on a wide variety of crops grown in the greenhouse, conservatory, landscape, and natural environments
- Investigate the biology and control of pests including the design and implementation of pest sampling and monitoring programs, release of beneficial insects in the conservatory, and evaluation of the effectiveness of cultural practices, beneficial organisms, and chemical controls
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Be immersed in both the practice of land stewardship and the science of ecology, learning from varied experiences that range from restoration of native plant communities and scientific data collection to GIS mapping and invasive species management.
Guided by principles of ecological science, Longwood’s Land Stewardship and Ecology program adaptively manages the diverse natural lands that surround our formal gardens. Our multidisciplinary team advances scientific understanding while restoring biodiversity and planning for future sustainability.
Areas for Growth
- Support Longwood Gardens’ Land Stewardship & Ecology team in the management of 700+ diverse acres of forests, meadows, wetlands, streams, ponds, and agricultural lands in a southeastern Pennsylvania Piedmont landscape, including the 86-acre Meadow Garden
- Perform daily stewardship activities such as planting, meadow mowing, trail maintenance, and invasive species management
- Help advance scientific research in ecology and test innovative land stewardship practices
- Collect and analyze field, archival, and greenhouse data
- Review and report on current scientific literature and historical information
- Create and revise plans and GIS maps
- Engage with volunteers and participate in educational programs related to land stewardship
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From formal layouts and highly manicured plantings to experimental approaches to gardening and design, Longwood’s outdoor areas encompass a variety of beautiful landscapes. Learn the care and maintenance of herbaceous and woody plants throughout Longwood Gardens’ diverse 1,077 acres of landscapes and gardens. Tend to an awe-inspiring collection of the most beautiful plants from around the globe including blooming bulbs, tropical foliage, rare trees, and more.
Areas for Growth
- Learn industry standards for planting, weeding, mulching, watering, pruning, staking, and fertilizing
- Work with a variety of woody plants, herbs, bulbs, ground covers, roses, vegetables, and fruits in Longwood’s most intensively cultivated areas
- Install and maintain large-scale annual displays
- Learn vegetable and fruit culture and harvest
- Study native perennial and other exotic perennial plants
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Learn propagation, potting, labeling, record-keeping, pruning, and transplanting techniques through involvement with the day-to-day operation of Longwood Gardens’ woody plant nursery. Explore the world of woody plants including flowering trees, shrubs, and conifers at one of the largest public gardens in the US.
Areas for Growth
- Prune, maintain, and evaluate woody and herbaceous plant material and conduct general maintenance including weeding and mulching
- Prepare trees and shrubs for transport and installation in the display gardens by hand digging, ball-and-burlapping, and using a tree spade
- Assist with labeling plants and recordkeeping