May 02 2023 58 mins 1
In this episode we meet Emily Ellingson, Plant Collections Curator at Polly Hill Arboretum. We learn how Emily’s own career was inspired by Arboretum founder Polly Hill, who held a strong faith in seeds and became an early adopter of electronic plant records. Emily shares the story of Polly’s Rhododendron and Azalea hybrids, and highlights the important work taking place now in conservation horticulture, including an excellent internship program, presenting the next generation an opportunity to grow and try out different things, carrying on Polly’s legacy, as expressed by Henry David Thoreau:
“Convince me that you have a seed there, and I am prepared to expect wonders.”
