Meet the Queen of Seeds

On the cover of the Spring 2007 Park Seed catalog, it says "Over 125 NEW items!" So who, exactly, finds those new items and chooses the 1,100+ varieties of seeds that we'll carry any given year? That responsibility falls to our Director of Horticulture for Seed Product...or as I like to call her, the Queen of Seeds...Stephanie Turner.

Stephanie is one of the nicest people you'll ever meet, and also one of the most passionate about gardening from seed. She's worked at Park Seed Company since 2001, having started out in our Research and Quality Assurance Department. Stephanie has taken Masters-level courses in Botany from Clemson University, and so brought a lot of deep knowledge to her participation in annual garden trials, germination testing, and trial garden management.

Stephanie had planned to become a college professor, she says, "But that changed when I unexpectedly found an opportunity working in research and quality assurance at Park Seed Company. I learned so much, working with Dr. Jim Alston [see What's Up, Doc?], and found that corporate life could be really stimulating." Thanks to her outstanding accomplishments and fine work ethic, she moved up through the ranks to her current lofty position as Queen...er, I mean Director of Seed Product.

Now, to find out why quiet, gentle, highly respectable Stephanie is shown here with a GIANT RED tongue, click on "Continue Reading." And be sure to leave a comment here for Stephanie!

Stephanie Turner Biography

Stephanie Turner remembers that, when she was very young, her grandfather gave her an "onion" to plant in her Mom’s flower garden. When, two years later, a magnificant Iris appeared where Stephanie had planted that little "onion, she was permanently hooked on the miracle of gardening! Given that her family has been growing things for generations, no one was surprised by her interest.

According to Stephanie, "Both of my great-grandparents were chestnut farmers in Italy. And after they moved to the United States, my great-grandfather was the personal gardener for a wealthy Connecticut family. I really loved playing in his garden!"

Now that she's a top professional in a large company, she's still always "playing" in the garden--in Park Seed's trial garden and in the research greenhouses, directly observing how potential new products perform, from germination to seedling to mature specimen. "I love our 9-acre trial garden here at Park Seed!" states Turner, with obvious enthusiasm. "It’s a wonderful tool for comparing and exploring plant behavior. And I love to harvest sample fruits and vegetables for taste-testing with other Park Seed employees. We have a blast, and we learn a lot about which products are going to be popular."

Because the science and the fashion of gardening from seed are always changing, Stephanie works hard at staying at the top of her game. "I invest a lot of effort in watching what the breeders and growers are doing," says Stephanie. "I view trial gardens, grower sites, and exhibitions around the country as an All-America Selections judge, as an avid gardener, and as an advocate for my customers. I see lots of ideas that are interesting, but not necessarily practical for the folks I serve."

When it comes to assessing possible vegetable seed product, Stephanie knows that the proof is in the tasting. As a vegetarian, she truly loves fresh produce, and particularly enjoys being among the first to sample new varieties that she's thinking about including in the Park Seed catalog. Which leads us to the story about that crazy picture...

It seems that Stephanie was with a group of fellow horitcultural experts touring a developer's field. They were having a lovely time, strolling through the extensive trial grounds and sampling fresh vegetables right off the vine. While evaluating a row of new sweet pepper plants, Stephanie, like several of her colleagues, picked a pepper off a particular plant and popped it into her mouth, expecting the usual sweet, pleasant crunch. But instead...

OH, MY--HOT STUFF!!!

Seems that a hot pepper had gotten mixed into the sweet pepper test row! And to make matters worse, there was no water to be found out in the field!

"We all ran for the tomatoes," laughs Stephanie, "with our eyes watering and our tongues hanging out. That was a seriously hot pepper! We were eating tomatoes and rubbing them onto our lips to put out the fire!"

To commemorate her experience and have a little fun, Stephanie found a large red sweet pepper, crafted it into a "tongue," and stuck it in her mouth to pose for that very silly picture above. It's on her office door, and it always makes us smile, no matter how busy we are when we pass by. And in case you are wondering whether that particular pepper made it into the catalog, Stephanie tells me that it's still experimental.

After a long day at the office and in the Park Seed garden, Stephanie relaxes by going home and...gardening! She’s a big believer in the special joys of starting from seed, and still finds time at to have a small garden of her very own at home. Stephanie smiles and says, "Yes, despite minimal time in my day and minimal space in my yard, I do manage to have a large raised bed to enjoy. I try to maximize what I have by using vertical space and also by choosing compact ‘patio’ vegetables that produce their fruits near the stem."

When asked what advice she would offer to brand-new gardeners, Stephanie is quick to say, "Enjoy it! Don’t take it too seriously, and be prepared for disappointment now and then. After all, we’re dealing with Mother Nature! Savor the beauty, learn from the mistakes, and keep trying." Sounds like good advice for dealing with seeds—and with life!

For Stephanie's formal biography, visit the Park Seed Company public relations website and click on Corporate Bios.

Comments

[paul]

An AAS judge???

Envy,envy,envy!!!

Get to work for/with Parks too?

Envy, envy, envy!!!

[Gardening Seeds]

Thank you very much for the information I really appreciate it!!

[Claire]

Gardening Seeds, thanks for visiting my blog. I'm delighted you found it useful!