Tuesday, October 28, 2025
photos provided
Students and alumni gather at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square. Carl J. Bower Jr. (third from left), assistant professor of horticulture, stands next to Lila A. McKeon, a 2025 landscape/plant production technology graduate. McKeon shared her experience with working in outdoor display at the gardens. Lauren S. (Hoderny) Hill (center), a senior horticulturalist at the gardens and a 2005 graduate of the floral design/interior plantscape major, provided a tour for the Penn College students. Second from right is Justin Shelinski, instructor of horticulture.
On Oct. 8, 19 Pennsylvania College of Technology landscape/plant production technology students took a trip to Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, where they met with several graduates and toured the facility. Accompanied by Carl J. Bower Jr. and Justin Shelinski, both faculty in the college’s horticulture department, students learned about the professional journeys of the alumni, as well as the greenhouses for which they are responsible.
Bower said the goal of the visit was to not only see fantastic gardens, plants and design ideas, but to also explore the opportunities for students in public horticulture.
Seeing graduates of the program who are in integral roles of display and production at a major botanical garden is a big takeaway for students, he added.
Lauren S. (Hoderny) Hill, a 2005 graduate of the floral design/interior plantscape major, works in the student programs office and greeted the group with 2025 landscape/plant production technology graduate Lila A. McKeon, who works in outdoor display. They later met with Dean A. Dietrich, a 2009 ornamental horticulture: plant production emphasis graduate, who offered a tour through Longwood Gardens’ newest edition, the West Conservatory, where he is a senior horticulturist. Kassie L. (Garris) Williams, a 2018 landscape/horticulture technology: plant production emphasis graduate, then took the group through the plant production greenhouses, where she is a senior grower.
Following the tours, students explored the fountains, flowers and gardens.
“Seeing the graduates doing what they love” was a highlight of the visit, Bower said. “Longwood honestly is a magical place in my mind. It is excellence in horticulture, and being able to be immersed in that, even for a day, gets you excited about how you might grow, display or maintain plants. I know they all had a great time.”
The Conservatory District at Longwood Gardens can be seen behind a group of Penn College landscape/plant production technology students.
Students enjoy the view of the Main Fountain Garden.
Longwood Gardens’ Flower Garden Walk includes 600 feet of vibrant color and design. From April through the frost, guests see everything from tulips, daffodils and native perennials, to goldenrod, sage and chrysanthemums.
Longwood Gardens’ Waterlily Court showcases a diverse array of aquatic plants from all over the world, as well as hybrids developed right at the facility.
Kassie L. (Garris) Williams, a 2018 landscape/horticulture technology: plant production emphasis graduate, is a senior grower at Longwood Gardens. Here, she shows off a poinsettia that is starting to “color up” for the Christmas display.
Dean A. Dietrich, a 2009 ornamental horticulture: plant production emphasis graduate, leads a tour through Longwood Garden’s newest edition, the West Conservatory, where he is a senior horticulturist.
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