My summer at the Shedd Aquarium has been an extremely rewarding--albeit, exhausting--and has taught me so much about horticulture, specifically in an urban environment. I have met many hardworking and devoted individuals, and many of my peers who I plan to stay in contact with far into the future. As my time at the Shedd nears its end, I have found myself appreciating my last moments more and more. I feel like every time I harvest something in these last couple of weeks, I do not want to let it go! That being said, every time I pull a weed I do so with a sense of vengeance--Never again will I have to clear this exact patch of landscape again, wondering how these relentless plants sprung back up so rapidly.
As far as my project goes, I have been keeping myself busy organizing not only my data, but the data from the past two interns who executed similar projects to mine. I am still waiting to do one more plant tissue collection that I will have to send to the lab for analysis, and after that I will have all of the data I need to officially start drawing conclusions from my work at the Shedd and the work of the interns be
fore me. I have enjoyed this project immensely--Granted, mostly because this project has been edible. But beyond that, I have had the opportunity to witness the miracle of life through the growth (sometimes, overgrowth) of my two beds across this summer. I have grown multiple insanely big zucchinis from seed, more parsley than anyone would care to use, and bushels of huge kale leaves that that bugs enjoyed before I could.
I am using my remaining week at the Shedd to tie up some loose ends regarding the landscaping of the campus, along with collecting and sending in those final samples. One thing I have learned from this summer is that up-keeping any outdoor garden--vegetable-producing or decorative--is hard work and is certainly a full time job. Right when one big project is checked off the list, four more are bound pop up right after it, and the general upkeep is a constant pressure at a place as big as the Shedd. This summer has given me some insight into the value of hard and demanding work, and has exposed me to the world of horticulture in the best way I could ask for. I plan to continue exploring horticulture as both a career path and a personal interest of mine, and I can't wait to give my mom some gardening tips when next Spring rolls around!