Chanticleer Scholars
Current Scholars
Matthew Ross, Executive Director of The Botanic Garden at Historic Barns Park will travel to Japan in November 2024 with the North American Japanese Garden Association. Following this tour he will visit gardens, natural areas, and meet with members of the Sister Cities Program that is shared between Shiga, Japan and Traverse City, Michigan. This trip will enhance Matthew’s plans for developing the Healing Garden at The Botanic Garden at Historic Barns Park.
Scott Ferguson, Trades 2 Horticulturist at the University of British Columbia Botanical Columbia will travel to learn from, and explore perennial gardens throughout northern Japan in September 2024. Afterwards, Scott will guest garden at Chanticleer. Learning techniques from both Japanese and Chanticleer staff, this trip will inform how Scott manages the UBC Entrance & Reception Garden’s perennial displays.
2023
Carly Still, Managing Horticulturist, The Met Cloisters, New York, New York
Rebecca Turk, Director of Learning and Public Engagement, Huntsville Botanical Garden, Huntsville, Alabama
Jim Salyards, Director of Horticulture, Filoli, Woodside, California
Michele Lesica, Garden Design and Aesthetics Curator, Idaho Botanical Garden, Boise, Idaho
2022
Beth Pinargote, Adult Education Director, Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe, Illinois
Cristina Tessaro, Associate Director of Activation, Public Gardens & Landscapes, Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Christopher S. Paules, Director of Horticulture and Facilities at Millbourne, Millbourne, Pennsylvania Mitja Bontempo, Horticulturist at Cornell Botanic Gardens
Alexander “Sandi” Polyakov, Head Gardener at Shofuso Japanese House & Garden, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Tara Spears, Curatorial Assistant at Jenkins Arboretum & Gardens, Devon, Pennsylvania
2021
Jessica Turner-Skoff, PhD, Treeologist and Science Communication Leader at The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, Illinois
Erin Conley, Rose Garden Horticulturist at the Morris Arboretum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Eddy Dawson, Director of Programs at Red Butte Garden, Salt Lake City, Utah
Sara Straate, Seed Historian at Seed Savers Exchange, Decorah, Iowa
2020
Carley Beck, former Native Plant Gardener at the Idaho Botanical Garden, Boise, Idaho
Dan Crowley, Tree Conservation Manager, Forestry England, Westonbirt, England; former Global Conservation Consortia Manager, Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI), London, England
Samantha Peckham, Senior Horticulturist, Cantigny Park, Wheaton, Illinois
Elin Filbey, former Director of Programs and Community Engagement, Allen Centennial Garden, Madison, Wisconsin
Whitney Costner, Conservation Biologist, Bok Tower Gardens, Lake Wales, Florida
2019
Katrina Noland, Land Management Specialist, St Johns River Water Management District, Geneva, Florida; former Land Manager, Bok Tower Gardens, Lake Wales, Florida
Matt Lobdell, Director of Landscape and Living Collections Cultivation, Missouri Botanical Garden, St Louis, Missouri; former Head of Collections and Curator, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, Illinois
Paul Orpello, former Director of Gardens and Horticulture, Hagley Museum and Library, Wilmington, Delaware
Evan Meyer, Executive Director, Theodore Payne Foundation, Sun Valley, California; former Assistant Director, UCLA Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden, Los Angeles, California
2018
Bryan Thompson-Nowak, Director of Education, Morris Arboretum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Carissa Dougherty, Head of Knowledge Management, Morton Arboretum, Lisle, Illinois
Daniel J. Hinkley, Director, Heronswood Garden, Kingston, Washington
Sara Levin Stevenson, Executive Director, Awbury Arboretum; former Communications and Content Manager, Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability, Ithaca, New York; former Director of Audience Development, Mt. Cuba Center, Hockessin, Delaware
Steffen Mirsky, Emerging Crops Commercialization Outreach Specialist, University of Wisconsin-Madison; former Evaluation and Trials Manager, Seed Savers Exchange, Decorah, Iowa
William Wallace, Curator of the Cranford Rose Garden, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Brooklyn, New York
2017
Laura Fernald Ekasetya, North American Agent, Piet Oudolf Collections; former Director and Head Horticulturist, the Lurie Garden, Chicago, Illinois
Steven A. Wright, Director of Horticulture and Curator of Plant Collections, Jenkins Arboretum, Devon, Pennsylvania
Gwyn Rager, former Horticulturist, Newfields, Indianapolis, Indiana
2016
Francheska Snyder, Gardener, Portland Japanese Garden, former Head Gardener, Shofuso Japanese House and Garden, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Ayse Pogue, Senior Horticulturist, Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe, Illinois
Sarah Beck, Executive Director, Pacific Horticulture Society, Berkeley, California; former Director of Programs & Education, American Public Gardens Association, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania
Ben Futa, Owner, Botany LLC, South Bend, Indiana ;former Director, Allen Centennial Garden, Madison, Wisconsin
Kurt Dreisilker, Head of Natural Resources, Morton Arboretum, Lisle, Illinois
Gabe Tilove, Director of Adult Education and Community Outreach; former Associate Director of Adult Education and Community Outreach, former Adult Education Coordinator, Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Garden, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
2015
Tyler Mason, Urban Regional Extension Agent, Alabama Cooperative Extension System, Birmingham, Alabama; former Horticulturist, Cheyenne Botanic Gardens, Cheyenne, Wyoming
Kelly D. Norris, Plantsman, Gardens by Kelly Productions, Des Moines, Iowa; former Director of Horticulture, Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden
Edward Scott Lyon, Director, Reiman Gardens, Ames, Iowa
Harnek Singh, Horticulturist, Wave Hill, Bronx, New York
Frederique Lavoipierre, Principal at Phoenix Enterprises, Sebastapool, California ; former Director of Education, Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, Santa Barbara, California
2014
Andre ten Dam, Director of Operations, former Director of Volunteer & Guest Services, Bloedel Reserve, Bainbridge Island, Washington
Kelly Ann Fernandez, Head Gardener, Herb & Shakespeare Gardens, The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Garden, San Marino, California
Jennifer Williams, Curator of the Shakespeare Garden & Fragrance Garden, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Brooklyn, New York
Panayoti Kelaidis, Senior Curator and Director of Outreach, Denver Botanic Gardens, Denver, Colorado
Olwen Grace, PhD, Head of Accelerated Taxonomy; former Senior Research Leader, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Surrey, England
Tony Aiello, Associate Director, Conservation, Plant Breeding and Collections, Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania; former Director of Horticulture and Curator, Morris Arboretum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Kris Bachtell, Vice President of Collections and Facilities, Morton Arboretum, Lisle, Illinois
2013
Gregory Kramer, Superintendent of Parks and Trees Division / Town Tree Warden, Greenwich, Connecticut; former Director of Horticulture, Bok Tower Gardens, Lake Wales, Florida
Amy Padolf, Director of Education, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Miami, Florida
Joe Matassino, Director of Sponsored Research and Foundation Relations, Widener University, Chester, Pennsylvania; former Director of Development, Delaware Center for Horticulture in Wilmington, Delaware
Tracey Jessen, Horticulturist and Educator, Halifax Public Gardens in Nova Scotia, Canada
Jacob Burns, Horticulturist, Dow Gardens, Midland, Michigan; former Curator of Herbaceous Perennials, Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe, Illinois
Robert Rensel, Horticulturist, Cleveland Botanical Garden, Cleveland, Ohio
Erin Riggs, Taxonomist, Hoyt Arboretum, Portland Oregon
David Weir, Manager, Greenhouse, Grounds & Ornamental Gardens, Agriculture Canada, British Columbia, Canada
2012
Elizabeth Hood, former Director of Education, Toronto Botanical Garden, Toronto, Ontario
Corey Scott Barnes, Corey Barnes Horticulture and Consulting, San Francisco, California; former Garden Director, Elizabeth F. Gamble Garden; former Education Coordinator and Nursery Manager, Quarryhill Botanical Garden, Glen Ellen, California
Carrie Vesely Henderson, Executive Director, Iron Gate, former Vice President of Development and Outreach, Tulsa Botanic Garden, Tulsa, Oklahoma
Nicole Juday Rhoads, former Director of Audience Engagement, Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; former Landscape Curator, The Wyck Association, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Chad E. Washburn, Vice President of Conservation, Naples Botanical Garden, Naples, Florida
Phyllis Odessey, Director of Horticulture, Randall's Island Park, New York, New York
2011
Andrew Hill, Curator of the David C. Lam Asian Garden, University of British Columbia Botanical Garden, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Connie Cottingham, independent Garden Writer and Speaker; former Public Relations & Special Events Coordinator, State Botanical Garden, Athens, Georgia
Tim Boland, Executive Director, Polly Hill Arboretum, Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts
Snezhana Yermakov, Senior Program Analyst, DOI/Flatwater, Boulder, Colorado; former Stewardship Manager, Jefferson County Government, Golden, Colorado; former Natural Areas Manager, Chicago Park District, Chicago, Illinois
Andrew Schmitz, Director of Horticulture and General Manager, The Brenton Arboretum, Dallas Center, Iowa
2010
Andrew Bunting, Vice President of Public Horticulture, Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; former Curator, Scott Arboretum of Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania.
Stephanie Jutila, Executive Director, Toronto Botanical Garden, Toronto, Canada; former President and CEO, Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden, Des Moines, Iowa; former Director of Member Programs and Outreach, American Horticultural Society, Alexandria, Virginia
MaryLynn Mack, Chief Operating Officer, South Coast Botanic Garden, Palos Verdes Peninsula, California; former Deputy Director and Director of Operations, Desert Botanical Garden, Phoenix, Arizona.
Jennifer Lee, Senior Horticulturist, Shaw Nature Reserve of the Missouri Botanical Garden, Gray Summitt, Missouri
2009
Mark Dwyer, owner Landscape Prescriptions by MD, former Director of Horticulture, Rotary Botanical Gardens, Janesville, Wisconsin
Adrienne Roethling, Director, Paul J. Ciener Botanical Garden, Kernersville, North Carolina
Ian Simpkins, Senior Deputy Director for Horticulture and Urban Agriculture, former Chief Horticulturist, Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, Miami, Florida
Brian Sullivan, Vice President for Glasshouses and Landscape, New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, New York
2008
Brian Houck, Head of Gardens and Grounds, J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, California; former Chief Horticulturist, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, Illinois
Opening Times
Wednesday - Sunday
10am - 5pm
Parking reservations required until 3pm, Wednesdays-Sundays.
Guests can arrive after 3pm without a reservation.
Picnicking is permitted only in the picnic areas.
We ask guests to carry out what they bring in.
2025 Season Pass
Purchase a 2025 Season Pass, good through November 9, 2025. Buy your pass now.
News & Events
Biodiversity Survey
We are proud to announce the release of our Biodiversity Survey, which outlines the impact that our garden has on the insect and animal populations that we intersect with.
Read the Full Report
Once Upon a Garden:
Storytime at Chanticleer
Story Time will be held at 9:30am,
on April 26. Registration is required.
Garden Design Workshop
July 26-29, 2025
Register Here
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