DanKlein

     I have been gardening in Ithaca for 20 years. I have landscaped professionally, worked as a horticulture instructor at the Gossett Center (a boy's prison in Lansing), worked at Littletree Orchards in Newfield, and at the Plantsmen Nursery in Lansing. I am currently the Tompkins County Community Beautification Coordinator, the best job title ever invented. I have been with the Community Beautification Program since 2005. This program takes care of all the public flower plantings in Ithaca, administers money to the rural towns in the County for them to do their own beautification projects, organizes the Open Days garden tours in Tompkins County, and organizes the business plantings in Ithaca.

     I am mostly into flower gardening and container plantings. I do a little bit of vegetable gardening, mostly out of guilt. My favorite type of flowers would be described as flashy. I grow lots of tropicals too, especially caladium, canna, and elephant ears.

     I also organize the Plant Exchange in Danby, this year scheduled for May 17. This is a free event where people bring seedlings, perennials, houseplants, etc. It is not necessary to bring a plant in order to get a plant. We usually get about 60 people.