2 From Column Awesome and Some Ducks


Research and Development Expands Their Reach

We'll take 2 from column awesome, please.

Anne Sharp, Research and Development Gardener- and -Laura Cruz, Research and Development Gardener 


Anne and Laura will be planting and maintaining the 60,000+ ft2 of trial, demonstration and habitat gardens that make up North Creek’s Living Laboratory with the Research and Development Team.

Pennsylvania native, Anne Sharp, joined us this winter after completing a berry research assignment with the USDA in Oregon. Anne is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and holds a degree in Biology. When asked what she wanted to be when she grew up, she said that she always knew that she would be happy outdoors with nature. She kept that passion kindled with her studies in Biology. Her passion for plants and the great outdoors is perfectly aligned with the work that she will do with us in North Creek’s Living Laboratory.  

Hobbies: Anne enjoys camping, sci-fi television, crossword puzzles and reading - favorite book Joseph Heller's Catch 22, and especially enjoys spending time with her family in York, PA.


Laura Cruz is also a PA native with a shared academic
history with J.D. Salinger. Laura completed her undergraduate studies in Psychology at Ursinus College, who's hallowed halls were walked by their most famous alum, Salinger. If that's not exciting enough, Laura also graduated from the University of Sheffield in England as a Landscape Architect, adding intense European training to her field of studies. Sheffield's Visiting Professor Piet Oudolf may be a name that you recognize. She has walked in the footsteps of giants there too.  Alum greats such as Eddie Izzard and Rachel Shelley have also come up through this prestigious institution. Her charmed life continues as she joins the ranks at North Creek – but not before she had the opportunity to buy fish and chips from the first cousin of Sean Bean from Game of Thrones

Hobbies: Laura looks forward to more domestic travel pursuits exploring, hiking and botanizing.



A warm welcome to Anne and Laura!


Duck, Duck, SPRING! 

We take growing very seriously




We're not fluffing our own feathers when we say that we are great growers. In fact, we love it so much that the team at our Oxford campus is even growing ducks and chickens. Bryan Wittes and Kevin Snyder, proud new poultry parents, know that fowl have not historically been a great gardening companion. However, in the greenhouse, they are egg-actly what the team needed. 
When we asked about the breeds, the team looked quizzical. Beaming with pride, Sarah Horstmann,Oxford's Inventory Manager said, "[W]e have some blonde ones, some brown ones, some black ones, and some little meatball shaped ones."  No matter the breed, they are entertaining and adding to an already delightful work environment. History and practicality aside, join us here each week as we watch them grow or even better - GO TO OXFORD for your plant pick-up and visit them.  

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