By Ulises Hernandez
Hola! My name is Ulises and I began working in horticulture by accident. Everything started when I moved from Puerto Rico to Orlando twelve years ago. I never pictured myself working with plants and flowers.
I had the opportunity to work as a groundskeeper at Walt Disney World. Within a few months, I was making Mickey Mouse faces with plants and flowers. This was a task that I started to enjoy, while the list of characters started to increase. Let me not forget to mention the variety of plants and flowers. For me, it was a wonderful experience to see the final product and people admiring it.
After working at Disney for two years and gaining solid experience, I ended up working at Universal Studios. In my new job, I expanded my knowledge and skills. I guess, I don’t have to mention my list of characters multiplied! It was very exciting, because I started to learn how to work with topiaries.
I don’t know if it was my enthusiasm, abilities, destiny or everything combined; that after a short time I was asked to join the Arborist crew. I found myself facing new tasks: planting, transplanting and removing trees. Pruning techniques were essential in my new position. I made sure to pay a lot of attention to learning and applying this new knowledge. During this period, I was trained to use heavy equipment, such as chainsaws, bucket trucks, backhoes and high reach machines.
A few years ago was another turning point in my life. I had the opportunity to visit New York City. I fell in love with the metropolis and decided to relocate. As part of the move, I started to look for a new job. I was seeking employment in which I could use what I had learned in Florida.
The Horticulture Department at Randall’s Island gave me the opportunity to work with plants and trees. I have been able to use all my skills in new creative ways. I guess I don’t have to mention, that I really love horticulture and I get a great deal of pleasure from working outdoors. Oh, and if I forgot to tell you: COME VISIT!
Gardens Randalls 