Trial Garden Internship

Employment type: Internship
Application Due Date: April 20, 2025

2025 Trial Garden Internship
Jointly sponsored by: Western Michigan Greenhouse Association and Metropolitan Detroit Flower Growers
Association
Internship Description:
The MSU Horticulture Gardens at Michigan State University are seeking a hardworking, innovative student to
assist with many tasks at the 2-acre Amien A. and Florence M. Carter Trial Garden. The Trial Garden
showcases more than 400 cultivars of annuals and perennials from breeders from all over the world.
The intern will gain practical, hands-on experience in public gardening. Abby Makowski, our Trial Garden
Manager, will provide learning opportunities for the intern through the evaluation of annuals and perennials. The
intern will be educated in the entire trialing process including growing and maintaining plants in the landscape,
data collection and summarization, and communication of the results to growers and gardeners. The intern will
have opportunities to network with horticulture professionals during industry events like the Michigan Garden
Plant Tour.
Schedule and Hours:
• May 5th through August 29th, 2025
• 40 hours per week, Mon-Fri, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Occasional Saturday and Sunday hours required
Position Requirements:
Candidate must be available to work May through August. They must currently be enrolled at MSU studying
horticulture or a closely related field with an interest in public gardens. The ideal candidate will be able to work in
a fast-paced outdoor environment, possess good communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills, and have
a positive attitude!
Duties and Responsibilities:
• Assist with the installation and maintenance of garden areas including edging, rototilling, planting,
weeding, watering, dead-heading, fertilizing, spreading compost and mulch, removing debris, and pruning.
• Assist with labelling, organizing, and inventorying all plant material in the greenhouse and outdoors.
• Assist in gathering and summarizing plant data for the trial brochure and website.
Wage: $14.00/hour
Interested?
Please send your resume and a cover letter to Abby Makowski,
HRT.TrialGarden@msu.edu

Department Information

Students

Research Focus Areas

Our Gardens

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