Jared Barnes is an associate professor of horticulture at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas, where he and his students cultivate The Plantery, a botanical garden complete with a native plant test garden. Jared shares his love of plants with a wider audience through his gardening newsletter and The Plantastic Podcast, and he is also a regular contributor to Fine Gardening. Recent topics he has covered for the magazine include plant survival strategies, assessing how much sun or shade a garden bed will receive, and propagating plants from cuttings. Listen in as we learn more about what it takes to become a horticulture professor and how to build a cohesive community around a shared love of plants.
Jared grew up in northwest Tennessee where he first developed his love of plants and gardening.
Early in Jared’s teaching career, a flood destroyed the vegetable garden he and his students had planted on low-lying land near La Naña Springs.
Students saved as much produce as they could before floodwaters rose three feet, drowning all the crops. Read the full story here.
Rebuilt on higher ground, the garden has become the center of school activity, and food crops are being grown conveniently close to classrooms.
Drone photo of Sprout food garden.
In 2021, Jared and his students built a gravel garden at the Plantery.
Events like the Spring Plant Fair give students the opportunity to sell plants and connect with the campus community.
The SFA greenhouse is lit up with twinkling lights for the evening event.
A willow hedge forms a bed of tall verbena flowers (VerbenaArea 7-11) in the Factory.
The ribbon cutting ceremony for the native plant trial garden was a joyous event.
If you are interested in pursuing a career in horticulture, Jared recommends visiting seedyourfuture.org for information on jobs, scholarships, and internship opportunities in the green industry.
Here are links to some of the most downloaded episodes of the Plantastic Podcast:
Thomas Ranier on farming in a post-wild world
Mary Phillips on gardening for wildlife
Preston Montague on urban design and horticulture
Matt Biggs talks about a home for every plant
Photo: courtesy of Jared Barnes/Meristem Horticulture
