This week I officially started my internship. It has been going great so far.
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I received my first pair of mickey ears
and mickey brought us our name tags at traditions
on Saturday |
Saturday and Monday consisted orientation. Saturday I attended a class about the Disney company and how the magic is created. The picture to the left is one that I took after I received my name tag and Mickey ears. Monday was a more specific orientation within the horticulture department including our site assignments and safety training. I'm starting a week after most of the interns started because finals at the U of MN started later, but there were two other interns that arrived at the same time.
Tuesday was my first official day on-site at Disney's Hollywood Studios. The 30 interns were separated into three different sites Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, and Epcot. Within these sites we have rotations. I was assigned to the Animal Kingdom where 10 interns are assigned and rotations include Hollywood Studios, Waterparks, Resorts, and Disney Animal Kingdom/Lodge. We are split into teams of two. My first rotation is Hollywood Studios where I am currently working with another intern Michael who goes to school for landscaping here in Florida. Days start early here for us, Monday-Thursday our hours are from 4:30am-12:30pm and Fridays 3am-11am. While at first I didn't like hearing about how early I would have to be at work, it is actually great because it allows me to enjoy the pool and other activities in the area in the afternoons. Tuesday we went with Chris and watered the interior plants in his buildings. Along with watering, we also removed any dead leaves on the plants. We also planted a huge ficus tree which had been in a pot for quite awhile into one of the interior beds. After that we did some watering and cleaning of plants in the yard along with emptying the debris into the dump and putting away any tools that had been used. Michael also taught me how to drive stick shift as that is what the Toro carts we drive are.
Wednesday morning I went with Ralf and worked on one of the flowerbeds within the park. At Disney they do frequent changes of the annuals in the flowerbeds. One of the four keys of Disney is show which is why they always want the plants to be in prime condition free of flaws and in full color whether it is within the foliage or flowers. Plants are also changed out on a daily basis if damage occurs (such as from a guest stepping on or sitting on a plant). We tore out New Guinea Impatiens and replaced them with coleus (Alligator Tears) and caladium. Originally, all of the beds were supposed to be in the coleus, but there were not enough plants. One thing that I have noticed is that in most of the annual beds they try to keep the same plant genus, species, and cultivar all in one bed while sometimes mixing cultivars for color variation or adding a hedge as a vertical element. For efficiency, they used an auger to drill holes making planting faster. After that, we switched out some ficus trees with a different type of tree because the pots kept falling down outside of one of the restaurants. I also worked on pinching back some begonias so that the pots became visible again. Paula then let me drive the Toro and she taught me a little more on how to drive it as well as pointing out where the different areas were and what the names were. To end the day, I learned how to deadhead canna lilies and that flowers developing on caladium are not very showy and take a lot of energy from the plant so they are removed as the foliage is that part that we want on caladium.
Thursday I also went with Ralf and tore out some salvia in the bed by the front entrance and replaced it with vinca (Catharanthus roseus). I also helped deadhead some canna lilies and rose bushes. Then, I went for a hearing test which is required once a year for all employees that work with loud equipment according to OSHA standards. For the interns they test us at the beginning and end of the summer to determine if our hearing is getting worse meaning that we didn't use the proper hearing protection. Then, I helped with moving some plants in the yard so that we could empty the carts which were to be returned to the Disney Nursery. Ralf showed me where to water in his area as I was to do that on Friday. I also helped water the yard and do some cleanup in the area. In case you don't know what I mean by the yard this is the area where the trailer is located that has a parking lot in the back where the Toros are stored, sheds with tools are located, and tables of plants can be found. A small greenhouse can also be found here where more plants are stored.
After work concludes on Thursdays, the interns all have a class to attend from 2-4pm. This is a part of the requirement for successful completion of the internship, along with a project which we can choose ourselves and then talk to our boss about it and the details which will later be presented to a panel of judges, and a plant identification test of the plants found in the book we were given at orientation. Class is going to be about different topics every week and we will have the opportunity to go on field trips to area gardens as well. For our first class we listened to a talk about color from Heather Will-Browne the first female horticulturist here at Disney. Some key points she had included that color is the first impression people have of you. She said that solid colors draw your attention which is also why they try to keep beds all one color. Heather talked about the color wheel and how there are hot and cold colors depending on what side of the wheel you are on. Cool colors are good to plant in the spring. In order to make a cool color stand out more, you can put it next to a warm color in order to make it pop. So, why is there so much green? Green is the most restful color for the eyes according to Heather which is something I found very interesting and makes sense because the research on how views of nature and working with plants can reduce stress and speed up the healing process. When creating a design, complementary colors (opposite on color wheel), neighboring colors (next to each other on color wheel), or a combination of three colors (primary or secondary by making a triangle on color wheel) should be used. She mentioned that yellow and pink do not work well together unless one of the colors is a hot tone and the other more of a pastel. I found that this presentation was very interesting because it is important to think about how the color is going to look together when designing a flower bed or container planting. It is definitely something I will be thinking about the next time I'm planting. To end our class, Eric gave us a tour of the Disney World Nursery and Tree Farm. It was cool getting to see the greenhouses where plants are stored for use within the parks and special events. Unfortunately, I forgot to bring my camera so I don't have any pictures, but I hope to have the opportunity to go out and work for a day in the nursery. They have a special house for hanging baskets which are frequently changed out. We also got to see where the topiaries are put together. It was interesting to find out that Disney buys in all of their plants as it would cost too much for them to produce their own. Within the nursery is a trial garden for All America Selections which is one of few this far South (http://all-americaselections.org/trial_grounds/index.cfm)
. Eric told us about the Epcot flower show which recently ended and a food and wine festival which they are preparing for. It was interesting to hear that before Disney bought out Pixar they were required to get approval of how the topiaries looked. It was also cool to find out how the topiaries are put together with deer fencing and hog clips (also used in making furniture), along with bobby pins to pin down vines. The company where the bobby pins are purchased from does a special run without the plastic ends because Disney orders so many. I also found out that the topiaries have their own irrigation systems to ensure that all areas are thoroughly watered (especially the arms which are smaller and thus dry out easier). I found class very informative and look forward to future classes.
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| Watering Indiana Jones |
Friday morning started off at 3am. I went with Ralf who was going on the high reach to trim a hedge so I was there to spot him and put out cones for safety and help with cleanup using a rake and blower. Then, we helped with watering in the park. I had the opportunity to water the behind the bleachers in Indiana Jones which is what I'm doing in the picture to the right (sorry its kinda poor quality I had to take the picture myself and it was still dark at 6am. After finishing watering Indiana Jones, I helped Ralf water his area behind scenes and then we had break. After break, Chris showed Michael and I where we were to water while he is gone. Then, we helped unpack some plants that came in today and by that time the day was over. I look forward to what is to come in the next few weeks.
One thing I have noticed is that most of the Horticulture staff has either started as an intern and come back a few years later or they started in another area within Disney and moved to the Horticulture cast. Also, much of the cast have been working at Disney for 15+ years. Knowing this the experience that I'm receiving through my internship is giving me the opportunity to potentially work at Disney in the future.
Plant of the Week:
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Caladium bicolor 'Florida Sweetheart'
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Caladium_bicolor_%27
Florida_Sweetheart%27_Plant_2220px.jpg |
Like I did for my internship last summer, I will be doing a featured plant of the week. This weeks plant of the week is Caladium. Commonly known as Elephant Ear, Heart of Jesus, and Angel Wings. Caladium is in the Araceae family. Seven species are found in the Caladium family with over 1000 names cultivars of Caladium bicolor. The genus is indigenous to Brazil and neighboring areas of South America and Central America. They grow in open areas of the forest and on banks of rivers and go dormant during the dry season. Wild plants are 15-35" tall with leaves mostly 6-18". Leaves are shaped like an arrowhead and have varying patterns in white, pink, and red. In cultivation plants are usually 24" high by 24" wide with dwarf varieties available. In zone 10 corms can be propagated by dividing the tubers, while in colder climates they are grown as bulbs or houseplants. Most varieties require partial to full shade, but sun-resistant varieties are in cultivation. An interesting fact I found is that all parts of the plant are poisonous and should not be ingested. For more information visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caladium.
