Reiman Gardens - 2010 Summer Intern Blog

2010 Intern Blog

2010 Summer Intern Blog

Reiman Gardens - 2010 Summer Intern Blog
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Reflection on the summer

Sep 1, 2010

This summer, each one of us had to write weekly reflections on our experiences. These are some of the top things we've learned or experienced throughout our summer as interns:

“The chance to do things here at Reiman Gardens that I wouldn't get to do at any other internship. From working on the master plan for a 14 acre garden, to going on field trips to all different types of businesses. Every day is different here and I really enjoy that.” – Dustin Bailey, Outdoor Horticulture Intern

"The top thing I learned was from Jack Mauldin. He taught me that the Rattlesnake Master plant is a medicinal plant that can be used to cure rashes from poison ivy, oak, etc." - Louis Hilgemann, Outdoor Horticulture Intern

“I learned about a new fear I have. Ornithophobia - the fear of birds. I have always thought this phobia was a joke, but I got a pretty good taste of it this summer. I learned that whipping a bucket around in the air won't scare them away, and the necessary action is to get out of their territory. The female Red Winged Black Bird is the most ruthless I came accross, so be aware. http://birdweb.org/birdweb/bird_details.aspx?id=438” – Pete Segebart, Outdoor Horticulture Intern

“I think that my favorite part of the summer has to be lunchtime Uno games. . . But I'm also partial to the little frogs in the Butterfly Wing.” – Stephanie Haase, Indoor Horticulture Intern

“I really enjoyed working with and getting to know so many different people, including the volunteers, staff, interns and visitors at Reiman Gardens. I learned a lot from the people I was working with as well as from the things I was doing.” – Samantha Blakley, Education Intern

“I enjoyed the variety in my internship. From learning about graphic design and communication, to learning about butterflies, I feel like I had a really well-rounded education this summer. Plus, I know how to not kill my plants now!” –Alexandria Meyer, Communications & Graphic Design Intern

"The number one thing I learned this summer was how to breathe and not focus on smell. Some of our projects have smelled pretty bad!!" – Renee Zbynski, Entomology Intern

The summer intern group with the World's Largest Concrete Gnome.

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Mmm.. Mmm.. GOOD!!	Aug 6, 2010
Renee Zbynski, Entomology Intern When the entomology crew starts cooking, you better watch out!! A summer camp group came to Reiman Gardens to make some very unique treats with us. That’s right – we cooked and ate insects! Insects provide a surprising amount of nutrition. They are a good protein source, with very little fats and sugars. They are also “greener” than other meat sources regarding feed. An insect more efficiently converts feed to body mass. Beef and other livestock use a higher ratio of feed to create meat. With all these nutritional and environmental benefits, I can’t understand why insects are not a major food source for the United States! Most countries accept insects as a part of their diets. Here are some delicious recipes I helped make with the summer camp kids: Wax Worm Chocolate Chip Cookies Crickets – Dry Roasted AND Chocolate Covered! Cornbread Mealworm Muffins Yes, I tried them. And yes, they were delicious!!
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Fairy Houses	Aug 3, 2010
The Children’s Garden has taken on the fun and whimsical role of the fairy village at Reiman Gardens. This area allows everyone to explore the life of fairies in the garden. Since we are not exactly sure where fairies like to live we have developed several types of houses to attract our fluttering fairy friends. You could even come up with your own type of fairy house to try out in your garden! Here we have brightly painted mushrooms. Next, we the perfect house made from a recycled carton. Lastly, we have the fairy mansion made from many sticks and other plant materials so it could be easily camouflaged for protection. As you can see we have some very creative staff here at Reiman Gardens that have created a fun area for visitors to explore. Come see these and the other fairy houses in the Children’s Garden during the “Celebration of Garden Ornamentation” at Reiman Gardens.
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The Communication Connection	Aug 3, 2010
Hi! I am Renee, the entomology intern. I am an Agriculture Communications major, which is pretty different from what I’ve been doing here at the Gardens. Even so, it’s amazing how much communication is involved with my position here. The Butterfly Wing relies heavily on volunteers to docent (help guests by monitoring the wing, explaining the rules, and answering questions). When we are lacking volunteers, someone from the entomology staff usually fills in. I spend a few hours a week on average interacting with guests of the Butterfly Wing. Docenting in the Christina Reiman Butterfly Wing I had the opportunity to help with a Growing at Reiman Gardens video about our gnome show. Check it out HERE http://www.reimangardens.com/en/monthly_videos/ I got to help with some of the filming, editing, and even narrate the video. My individual project for the internship program was a communication project as well. I created audio tours for the Christina Reiman Butterfly Wing and recorded them. They will be available for download from the butterfly tab on our website very soon! This may not have been a typical Agriculture Communications internship, but there sure was a lot of communication involved! And entomology is an important part of agriculture. I liked working with insects so much I decided to add an entomology minor to my degree.
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A Burst of Color

Jul 29, 2010

Courtney Long, Outdoor Horticulture Intern

Throughout my summer internship ship here at Reiman Gardens I have taken note of several different plants throughout the garden. While I have enjoyed watching each plant change throughout the summer, two have held my attention, the Ornamental Pepper and the ‘Mystic Illusion ™’ Dahlia.

At Reiman Gardens one can find two different varieties of the ornamental pepper. The ‘Black Pearl’ Hot Pepper, and yes, the fruit resembles a shiny black pearl; or the ‘Grada Tricolor’ Ornamental Pepper, which looks very similar to large pieces of confetti. These two plants are among my favorites because of their unique nature, and beautiful foliage and fruit. They are sure to catch anyone’s attention while browsing the gardens.

The ‘Mystic Illusion™’ Dahlia is another hit. This gorgeous flower is currently blooming in our containers and Children’s Garden. Throughout the summer it has been a simple plant with lush purple foliage, pretty, but nothing too exciting. A week or so ago, it started to bloom, with brilliant yellow flowers. With the contrast of color, this flower is something you will not want to miss.

Be sure to visit the gardens this summer and catch these flowers in prime condition!

Capsicum annuum ‘Black Pearl’ is found in the herb garden

A good look at the black pearl fruit

Capsicum annuum ‘Grada Tricolor’creates a fun atmosphere next to the Mahlstede Building and plaza

The ‘confetti’ peppers

This gorgeous plant attracts all sorts of attention

Mystic Illusion ™ Dahlia (Dahlia ‘Knockout’), found in many of the containers around the Gardens

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Christmas in July

Jul 28, 2010

Stephanie Haase, Indoor Horticulture Intern

The past couple of weeks we’ve been working on Christmas ornaments in the Head House. It’s been difficult. We have so many materials to work with, and Besty just told me to “make something”. That should seem like a fairly easy assignment, but it was a lot harder to come up with something good from so much. It’s been so much fun working on the prototype ornaments though. The theme for this Christmas is Shiny and Bright and is based on gazing balls. We are working with a color scheme of orange, blue, and pink. It’s going to be an amazing display, so come visit us in December and January to see our gazing bright and shiny Christmas scene!

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Building on the Basics

Jul 26, 2010

I’m Alex Meyer, and I’m the Communications & Graphic Design Intern at Reiman Gardens this summer. I’ll be a senior at Iowa State University this fall majoring in graphic design.

Graphic design at Iowa State University is a tough program. A lot of students I’ve talked to in the past tell me that since I’m an ‘art’ major all I do is draw pictures. Other students have lived on the same floor as a student from the College of Design and realize how hard we work (and how late we stay up!).

Rather than just teach us how to use computer programs, ISU has a unique approach to teaching their graphic design students. They teach us the basics of design so if we didn’t have a computer, we could still design well. In fact, the first graphic design project I was assigned was done entirely without a computer!

The basics we learn include how to use a grid structure in design work, which (in very simple terms), is lining elements up by creating grid lines. We also learn what makes good typography and the best ways to use that typography in our projects. The basics make a great foundation for learning the programs and being able to apply your knowledge in any format of design.

Example of a grid structure.

The black lines are the grid, while the orange blocks could be pictures or text.

The skills I’ve learned at ISU have helped me out a lot throughout my internship at Reiman Gardens. It’s also taught me that I can design anything; it’s just a matter of applying the skills I know in a different way. I’ve designed a great variety of things this summer, and the real-world experience I’ve gained is invaluable. I’m very grateful for the chance I’ve been given to intern at Reiman Gardens, and I’m sure that the new skills I’ve learned will help me throughout my last year at school and working full time after I graduate.

Me working at my desk here at Reiman Gardens.

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“Where did the summer go?”

Jul 23, 2010

Join the interns Thursday, July 29 at 12:00 p.m. for a special Brown Bag Lecture presented by the Reiman Gardens’ Interns. Bring your lunch to the Gardens and listen to all eight interns give presentations on their experiences interning at Reiman Gardens this summer.

If you’ve been following the Reiman Gardens’ Intern Blog, you’ve heard many of the exciting things that the interns have been up to. Come meet them in person and hear even more about the program as they each discuss what they have learned about their chosen area.

The Brown Bag Lecture will be free for CoHorts' members and ISU students and costs the price of admission for the general public.

We hope we’ll see you there!

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Rattlesnake Master

Jul 23, 2010

Louis Hilgemann, Outdoor Horticulture Intern

Eryngium yuccifolium, or rattlesnake master, is a very unique herbaceous perennial plant and native to Iowa prairies. The plant gets its common name from Native Americans who used the roots as an antidote for rattlesnake bites. While not scientifically proven, it is still used by some to sooth rattlesnake bites as well as sore throats, poison oak, poison ivy, insect bites and wounds. The plant has linear foliage similar to yucca, and a very stiff flower stem allowing it to withstand the scorching summer heat.

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The Pink Flamingo	Jul 23, 2010
Louis Hilgemann, Outdoor Horticulture Intern With this year’s theme being garden ornamentation, we must recognize an essential ornament in any garden or lawn: the pink flamingo. These plastic flamingos were born in the sunshine state of Florida during the 1950’s. While not an initial success, by the later 1950’s early 1960’s Union Plastics was pumping out millions of these yard flamingos a year. How did they become so popular? Some think they are tacky and amusing or maybe some wish to be reminded of Florida’s sunny rays. Regardless of the reason, these flamingos caught on and have become an icon of American pop culture. To learn more history about the yard flamingo click here: http://www.reimangardens.com/en/reimans_picks/
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Conceptual Garden Designs	Jul 21, 2010
Dustin Bailey; Outdoor Horticulture Intern Public gardens, as well as, home landscapes sometimes have areas that need to be redesigned. Here at Reiman Gardens we have some areas that either don't meet our standard for maintenance, are aesthetically unpleasing, or are just out of date. Part of my task as an intern this summer was to come up with a few conceptual designs for these areas. With a background in design I jumped at the opportunity. One of these areas we are looking to redesign is our William R. Stafford Garden. This is a large garden located on the south end of Reiman Gardens and is comprised mostly of prairie plants. Some of the challenges with this area include: maintenance time required to turn what we have into a healthy prairie, drawing visitors to the south end of the Gardens, a design style that is quite different from the rest of the Gardens, plus a lack of shade. This first design provides more of a plaza area and can host events. It features steep walls with different plantings that surround a central paved area. There is an over head walk towards the middle to keep all the dimensions prominent throughout the entire design. The paved area will be permeable pavers and down its entirety are 6' – 8' in diameter reflective spheres. This design is meant to let the pathways divide the space into several different gardens. There are several curvilinear paths that separate different mounded areas. Each of these areas would be planted differently. All paths would lead to an enormous reflection pool at the very end of the Gardens with a planter in the middle. This design will still try to keep much of the prairie, planted in smaller separated areas that are hopefully easier to maintain. This next design breaks the south end up into many smaller gardens. Vegetation will provide the walls of each of the garden rooms. I used the line of existing full grown sycamore trees as a base for the entire layout. Some of the new garden ideas in this design are a dwarf conifer garden, alpine garden, contemporary yard garden, sensory garden, and a pattern garden comprised of prairie plants and cultivars. This design also features a new Reiman Gardens sign that can be seen from University Boulevard This last design is just a combination of the previous two. It takes the different gardens from the last design, but it uses the spacial arrangement of the curvilinear paths.
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Combining a major and a minor

Jul 15, 2010

I am Samantha Blakley, the Education Intern at Reiman Gardens this summer. My major is Agricultural and Life Sciences Education and my minor is Horticulture. For the most part most students with aspirations to be teachers do not complete an internship. I was drawn to this experience because it ties my major and minor together very well. As a Vocational Agriculture teacher I will be working with Middle and High school students through classes and the FFA. During this internship I have worked mostly with elementary school students. Working with people of many different ages and abilities has helped me to realize how important identifying the audience is when you are planning anything. Giving a tour to Kindergarteners is much different from giving a tour to fifth graders. I have practiced identifying what the students already know and altering the tour material to fit their prior knowledge. This is something that I really struggled with before working here with the youth tours.

Another important thing that I have been able to do so far this summer is really expand my horticultural knowledge. The work I have completed on my minor so far has been basic or based in greenhouses so working here at the gardens has given me the chance to learn about gardening in a public setting as well as helping the public to understand and appreciate gardening and everything we do here. The intern trips we have gone on have really helped me see how horticulture really fits into a lot more areas than I originally thought. Everyone who has a flower bed or garden at their home is working with horticulture!

This internship has been a perfect fit for me and what I am studying. I am so glad that I got the opportunity to work here and experience Horticulture and Education working together in a public setting!

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Thank you from the Reiman Garden Interns

Jul 12, 2010

As we (the interns) are nearing the end of our summer internships here at Reiman Gardens, we would like to take this opportunity to thank those people who make our internships possible. As you can tell from our various blog posts and photos we have all had a great summer working at Reiman Gardens and that would not be possible without the help of our generous supporters. We would like to give a special thanks to:

Jon and Juli Ellis

Story County Master Gardeners

Silos and Smokestacks National Heritage Area

Ames Garden Club

Reiman Gardens' CoHorts Board

Speaking for myself, there could not be a better fit for an internship with my areas of study and interest. There is just enough flexibility in the internship program here at Reiman Gardens to allow each intern to do a project that really interests them. Having such a diverse group of interns might seem like it would make our program difficult since we do spend time together working on group projects and learning about Horticulture, Public Gardens and Non-Profit Organizations, but for us it was just the opposite. The fact that we have all come from different backgrounds and bring unique life experiences has helped us work together to get projects done. (After all, we did make three snazzy flamingos for the rose festival!) So a HUGE “Thank you” goes out to the people that help make the Reiman Gardens Internship Program possible! You have made an investment in eight very bright futures!

Thank you!!

Interns from left to right:

Stephanie Haase, Samantha Blakley, Renee Zbynski, Alexandria Meyer, Courtney Long, Louis Hilgemann, Pete Segebart and Dustin Bailey

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Gardening & Graphic Design

Jul 12, 2010

My name is Alexandria Meyer, and I’m the Communications & Graphic Design Intern at Reiman Gardens this summer. This fall I will be a senior in the graphic design program at Iowa State University.

I’m a bit of the oddball of the group, because I personally had no experience with horticulture or gardening before taking this internship. I was the girl who didn’t know what a hosta was on day one, or how deep to plant flowers. I’ve learned a lot since starting my internship, with the help of the Reiman Gardens’ staff, the other interns and Google, occasionally.

My job involves a lot of different things. I design identities and materials for different events held at the Gardens, I update the website, I create interpretation (the signs and posters around the Gardens which explain what’s going on in the area), I take photographs and I send out press releases, among many other things. I really enjoy having a job where I get to do so many varied things. I don’t really have a traditional graphic design internship like many of my peers. I may design a logo about roses one morning and be building flamingo topiaries out of roses that afternoon, but that, to me, makes things fun.

The logo I designed for the Rose Festival:

Helping assemble a topiary flamingo with the other interns:

Reiman Gardens has given me the opportunity to experience what it’s like to work at a non-profit organization as well, and I’m learning a lot about ways to be more economical in my design work. Classes are full of large-scale projects where there is no budget, but here I have gotten a lot of practical, real-world experience in how to design when there is a specific budget or production method I have to think about. I’m also learning how to think about the environment and how my design work may affect it.

I’m having a blast here at the Gardens. If you want to see some of my work, visit the Herb Garden at Reiman Gardens and check out the interpretation I’ve designed.

Here’s a peek: