We’re Growing: Voices from the Field
MHG Meetings
Sponsored By: Metro Hort Group
We're Growing: Voices from the Field
Monday, Sept 18
We hope you’ll mark this date on your calendar! Metro Hort is pleased to announce our first-ever panel featuring local, on-the-ground industry professionals talking about their three most loved plants for the season.
Our panelists have been nominated by senior members of their companies/organizations. Maybe you know of them from their social media presence or, you may have appreciated their work in and around the city.
Come meet and hear them this September at our kickoff monthly event—Monday, September 18!
The Central Park Arsenal
Fifth Avenue and 64th Street
Third floor: The Arsenal Gallery
Doors open for refreshments at 6:00 pm
Meeting begins promptly at 6:30 pm
General meetings are free to Metro Hort members. No reservations are necessary.
Guests are welcome to attend for a $20 contribution
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MEET THE PANELISTS
Christopher Bivens is a Gardener at Wave Hill Public Gardens in the Bronx, New York. He works with the Monocot Garden, Aquatic Garden, Winter Border, and the Glyndor Landscape area around one of Wave Hill’s Historic Houses. Christopher attended the Savannah College of Art and Design where he received a BFA in Painting with a minor in Sculpture. In 2017, Christopher was a John Nally Intern at Wave Hill; 2023 marks his 6th season at the garden. What interests Christopher most recently is broad leaf and foliage plants in addition to learning more about sustainable gardening solutions. Christopher is very excited to share some plants of interest to him from this season.
Katie Bronson has been a gardener at the New York Botanical Garden since 2004. Currently, she maintains the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden, the Marjorie G. Rosen seasonal walk, and teaches plant I.D. classes for the School of Professional Horticulture. Prior to moving to New York to study fine art, Katie worked at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in Vienna, Virginia. Meadowlark’s bioregional approach to display native plant species and their dedication to educating the public about plant conservation through their Potomac Valley Collection and Virginia Native Tree Collection was a significant influence to Katie’s horticultural career. Learning about native plants by observing them where they naturally occur continues to inspire and inform Katie’s work as a gardener. Katie champions the use of native plants but is by no means a purist. She enjoys using color with annuals, growing flowers, vegetables, trees and shrubs.
Bella Ciabattoni is currently Deputy Director of Horticulture at Brooklyn Bridge Park, where she previously spent more than 4 years as the gardener of the Pier 6, which includes the notable Flower Field. There, she played a lead role in developing and solidifying the park's ecology-focused spring cutback practices. She began her NYC horticulture career as part of Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s 2016 intern cohort, where she spent the majority of her time working and learning in the Native Flora Garden. It was there that she developed a commitment to ecology-centered public horticulture, which she has carried within herself since. Before horticulture, she was an invasive species management specialist for federal and state government agencies across the eastern U.S.
Malcolm Gore is the arborist on Governors Island where he has worked for about 5 years now. He started as a gardener in the experimental man-made urban forest that is Hammock Grove, which was so overrun with weeds that sheep were brought in to help manage the herbaceous layer and they have done a much better job of it than he could. Malcolm got into plants in his mid-20s when he was working as a teacher, and he began to grow vegetables in a community garden during summer break. He soon realized that gardening presented an opportunity to go on a lifelong learning journey and has now made that opportunity into a career. He also enjoys live music, video games, and swimming.
Scout Kerensky-Coodley is a horticulturist, certified arborist, and a first-year graduate student of Landscape Architecture at City College’s Spitzer School of Architecture. Recently, Scout was a staff horticulturist at The High Line, managing an urban meadow and Piet Oudolf garden. Scout has a certificate in Horticulture from NYBG and teaches classes at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. A former science educator, Scout fell in love with horticulture while teaching environmental science at Brooklyn Botanic Garden. They’ve also gardened with Brooklyn Bridge Park and the NY Restoration Project. Scout is passionate about ecology, the role of horticulture in climate change, science communication, and public gardens. In their spare time, Scout loves birdwatching and riding their bike around the five boroughs.
Farah Mosley’s best friend in college asked her during their senior year if she wanted to grow a garden with her. From that summer on Farah fell in love with all things related to plants and gardens. It took about seven years, but she finally quit her job as a nutritionist and took a job at a small landscaping company in Pittsburgh. She later became a director of a school garden program for the Western PA Conservancy and taught many classes and workshops on container gardening. Farah received her NYBG Landscape Design Certificate in 2011 and has been a part of the Town and Gardens team since 2003. She loves nothing more than to walk through the city or visit a terrace and look at how trees and shrubs she planted 5, 10, or 15 years ago are still growing and thriving. When she's not gardening for work, you’ll find her playing in her community garden, reading, or visiting museums.
David Torres is Director of Field Operations for Hudson Yards Hell’s Kitchen Alliance (HYHK). David joined HYHK in June of 2021 and oversees the landscape management and design in Manhattan Midtown West along with Bella Abzug Park, located just north of Hudson Yards. David has a wealth of diverse experience in urban gardening. Prior to joining HYHK, David was a member of the Central Park Conservancy team where he honed his knowledge and expertise in horticulture and plant design. Additionally, David transitioned 10 years of experience in landscape management while in Rochester, NY. With exposure to some of New York City’s harshest growing environments, David in collaboration with Design Wild, HYHK landscape designer, is tasked with identification and installation of a myriad of plants while maintaining their viability in these difficult conditions.