Flower Power
With Rachel Clark, Hotel Grounds Horticulturist
RACHEL CLARK, HOTEL GROUNDS HORTICULTURIST
Flowers and plants offer more than just decorative beauty for our guests here at The Broadmoor—they also serve as a much needed reminder to slow down and connect to the tranquility and sense of balance that they represent, courtesy of Rachel Clark and her Grounds Crew.
Can you tell us what your position is and what you do as part of the Grounds Crew?
I am the Hotel Grounds Horticulturist, so that means that I am in charge of all the flowers across the hotel that are live. I don’t prepare the cut flowers that are in the hotel, that’s why I specify that! (Those are done by Design Works, but anything that’s living is ours). We also don’t do the golf course, but everything else around the actual hotel pertains to my team. In the summer, I manage about 11-13 people, and then that’s cut down to about half of that in the winter.
We generate all of the hanging baskets, flowers pots, flower beds, and interior plants as well (that are living), including everything in La Taverne and plants you see just walking around the buildings—and the Poinsettias at Christmas time, too! I oversee the Grounds greenhouse that we have here at The Broadmoor. We can’t grow out the bedding plants because we just don’t have the space (those are contracted out), but we grow out everything for the hanging baskets and flower pots. In the winter, we get the little plugs in for the spring baskets. Always thinking ahead with this job!
So what would one find in the greenhouse at different points of the year?
In January, the greenhouse is pretty empty, though we always have interiors that we are always swapping out. In early February, we’ll get the plugs for spring, which is when the greenhouse is really full of flowers we’ve grown, prior to distributing them across campus.
What is your favorite season to work at the resort and why?
I really do love summer, just because it’s the most fulfilling. It’s nice to drive around and see everything looking really good—I get a lot of job satisfaction from that. But I also love fall because then it’s over. It makes you appreciate every season because they’re so different, each with a different impact. My job changes so much. But yes, I will say summer and fall are probably my favorite times of the year here.
Do the staff that work in Grounds during the summer typically find a job here after it winds down, or are they seasonal?
We’ve had to adjust how we do things a bit. Last year, we had horticultural interns who were students and then they left. We had some seasonals this year, and they do leave at the end of the season. Next year, we’re going to do some international interns who will be seasonal. Staffing is always a bit of challenge, and we are trying to think of ways to tackle it, because unfortunately we just can’t keep everyone in the winter. But of course you want to have team members here who like what they are doing. I’ve been trying to go the internship route to keep people who are interested and hopefully it will benefit them as well. Luckily, they seem to be “ok” with being seasonal.
That must be great experience, too, working for a property this big?
Yes, also because you can list that you’ve worked in a Five-Star garden. We are always in the Top 25 Most Magnificent Historic Hotels of America. We had that status long before I started here, and it’s a big recognition to put on your resume. So, we try to make sure it’s mutually beneficial when it comes to seasonal employment.
How long have you worked here?
I have worked here for over four years.
Obviously we live in a very dry place, so what challenges do you face because of that? Or are there any benefits?
There are both! A benefit is that you actually have many fewer disease issues with the flora—if you’re watering correctly—which I’ve had to learn. In comparison, I previously worked in Michigan, and there were all sorts of fungal issues there because it’s just humid all the time. It’s so dry out here, we have fewer bugs. Last season, which was more wet than normal, led to way more pest issues. During a dry season, obviously the downside is having to supplement water with irrigation pretty much every night. I’ve gotten to the point where I’m pretty comfortable with the flowers and the beds, so I’m not over watering them now—it’s definitely been a learning curve!
So for the most part do you just eyeball the foliage and estimate when it needs more water?
Yeah, so the hardest part for me is the first couple of weeks in June when the plants are first getting established. If they’re wilting, it’s like, “Oh no, we have to water that.” In those early weeks, I’m very hands on; I really check almost every single bed. Then once they’re established, you can just eyeball them, but you still have to deep check them every now and then. If you get lazy then there are consequences later. It’s a lot of monitoring, but the irrigation system is synced to a radio, so I can just punch in a code and it will water the bed. We’ve got a really, really nice system here! It’s incredible. And it’s all connected to a computer, so I can set things to run at night, but if I am driving by and see that it needs something additional, I can just punch in a code and it gets done immediately.
Does that system provide you with any stats about the bed, too?
You can see how long the water ran, but that’s all. It truly helps to get eyes on it as well, especially if we have a dry season. I’ve never worked at a property quite as high tech; my previous property was nowhere near as advanced—we were hand watering areas with hoses, so this is very nice!
It seems like wildlife in this area is a challenge for the Grounds Crew - is there a time or incident that sticks out to you that rings true?
Spring is probably my least favorite season because the deer are a significant issue. They’ve been hungry all winter, so they just demolish anything in their path come spring. We’ve gotten better at knowing how to deal with them, but if they want to eat something, they are going to eat it! We have to have so many extras of each item because deer are going to devour things.
You can’t put up the little fences around plants because it’s not aesthetically pleasing, right?
Exactly, it doesn’t look good. Plus, it would have to be like 10 feet tall! It’s funny...we’ll be putting baskets out and guests will be like, “Oooh, food for the deer!” Deer will stand on their hind legs just to eat the baskets—I’ve seen it! When guests initially told me that, I thought they were joking, but I’ve witnessed it. We just do what we can. We use a netting and that kind of helps (on the beds). It doesn’t look good, but definitely looks better than just mowed down flowers.
We do use deer repellent, but this is a tough one because we have so many guests around, and deer repellent doesn’t smell good. We actually just got a new product from Europe that we are going to try this year; it has worked on feral hogs so fingers crossed it works on the deer. In the summer, there is a lot more for them to eat, so it’s not as bad. Then in the Fall, as they are eating up for winter, they can be bad again, but still not as bad as the Spring. Another challenge is every now and then, a mother will give birth in a flower bed, and obviously we have to replace everything. That has actually happened twice since I’ve been here! I can’t be too mad, it’s a beautiful moment, too. Those are my biggest pests in general. It’s funny, but from a gardening perspective it’s frustrating.
We know there is an on site greenhouse at Broadmoor Farms. Can you tell us a little bit more about that and how often you work there?
So there are two greenhouses. I oversee the larger greenhouse and then Broadmoor Farms is the smaller greenhouse, which is run by another team member (the golf course horticulturist), She also grows vegetables and they will have kitchen staff go and harvest, that’s where the farm-to-table produce comes from. She grows a lot of lettuce, herbs, tomatoes, cucumbers, etc. We’ll grow out some poinsettias, the hanging baskets and stuff like that in our greenhouse, and it’s also used as a staging area. We have a good fridge up there, too, so that’s where we keep the bulbs, like daffodils and tulips. We are up there more in the Spring, as that’s when there is a lot of transplanting going on.
The flowers seem to vary each year across property. Who designs or decides on these arrangements and the installation timeline?
I do the designs. I meet with my boss, Freddie Dickman, Director Of Golf Maintenance and Grounds, to talk it out together based on what does well. We try to choose plants/flowers that are deer resistant, which does become somewhat limiting, so you’ll notice a lot of the same flowers. If you don’t choose deer resistant ones, then it would be a nightmare. We also take into account disease resistance and heat tolerance, because that will help save time and headaches throughout the season. We went with pink and white last year because I love pink, and that is such an elegant combination—it did really well. We switch things up based on how favorably they are doing. If all goes well, then we might keep a theme for two to three seasons, and then we’ll switch it up again. If it doesn’t do well, we will just scrap it and go with something new. I think for the most part, guests just like to see beautiful flowers. The design is the most fun part of the job.
I also read about flower trials performed by colleges in different states to learn more about what flowers perform best in different areas and why. That research helps me make decisions when designing, too. I have already placed the orders for next year’s flower beds (and pots and hanging baskets, too). So there is lots of advance planning involved with this position!
Summertime and fall is when the property looks the most beautiful. How many different species of plants can be enjoyed around property when everything is in full bloom?
We have annuals and perennials across the property. Perennials are plants that are planted once and come back year after year, whereas annuals you have to rip out and replant each year. We also have a lot of different cultivars (a plant variety that has been produced in cultivation by selective breeding) of plants, too. There are approximately 98 different annual varieties this summer and about 60 different perennials on the grounds. We have 295 hanging baskets, 215 flower pots, 120 window baskets, and 60 annual beds that my team is responsible for. This does not include the golf courses, Seven Falls, or the Wilderness Properties.
The USGA Senior Open is right on our heels. How will this event impact the foliage and flowers we see not only around the golf courses, but across campus as well?
For grounds, we want it to be Five-Star every single day. But for the U.S. Senior Open, I know that we will want it to be super Five-Star. I think the biggest impact it’s going to have is that we will need to be done planting all the beds a week or two before the tournament. So just getting it all done a bit faster and making sure everything looks awesome.
The flower beds will still be the same, but there is so much traffic, and just so many people, that I think they have to move things around. My department will just be ensuring that everything is meeting that Five-Star standard, while doing it very swiftly.
One of the reasons people come here to The Broadmoor is to enjoy the beautiful landscape—it’s similar to Disney World—you are stepping into a floral fantasy land when you arrive! What’s one of the most noteworthy compliments you or your team have ever received?
That was so good—what you just said! I used to work at Disney World actually, and that’s kind of the standard that we want to meet here, too. I had a guest come up to me once who told me how stressed he had been recently, but coming here actually caused him to shed tears because it was so peaceful, magnificent and spectacular—he used all those beautiful, descriptive words. It made me feel so good to hear all of those things—wow! He said he could just feel all of his stress wash off of him as he walked around the lake. Obviously, the flowers are only a small part of the landscape—we have the lake and the mountains—I have nothing to do with that...haha! But it was still nice because I had a small part to play in that. So that felt good.
Do guests approach you a lot?
Oh yes, if you’re on the lake tending to the flowers, they certainly come up to you...even kids. They’ll run up to you and say, “We love the flowers!” That’s always really nice. We get quite a few compliments throughout the year, and it’s awesome for the team to hear that what they’re doing matters. We truly make a difference in the overall experience here.
This seems like a position with a lot of solitude involved...is that true? Do you like that aspect of the job? For instance, as I drive in the morning, I often see people planting in the flower beds, and it seems like they are on a mission and just doing their own thing...and in the zone for the most part.
I’ve actually never really thought of it like that! For the team, I try to send them off in pairs to plant together, and if they’re on opposite sides of the bed, then that’s probably because they want to be. I do try to give people the option to work with others, because it can be a lot of work. But what they do when they’re out there is really up to them. But there is some solitude, definitely. For instance, if you’re watering (each day I need to have two people out there watering the property) then that will take several hours, and you are out there by yourself. But if you’re working in the beds, then typically you are working with a partner. I try to mix it up based on what people like. Obviously, it depends on who’s there that day and what needs to get done, but I try to split up the tasks between people so they experience the full sphere of responsibilities, with people and without. For me, at times, it can consist of more solitude. For example, in the winter I was doing the floral designs and it was just me locked in my office thinking all day, but I’ll walk downstairs and chat with people. I like to work with and talk to people, but it can be nice if you are in the zone focused on the task you’re doing. I’ve never been asked that question! It is probably not as lonely as other jobs actually, I’d say.
Is there a “typical” day on the job that you can describe for us?
It really changes seasonally. In the summer, my days are fairly similar, as well as the team’s; they are either planting, watering or deadheading (taking off the dead flower heads). In the summer, I’m checking things every day. If it’s super hot, I’m checking things twice a day. A couple of summers ago, it hailed every single Friday for seven weeks in a row. Hail can be a real challenge. In 2018 there was a huge storm that required scrapping everything; it just all got completely shredded. Thankfully I’ve been pretty lucky, but I live in fear, and each time it hails I think this could be it, but so far it has been small hail lately and the flowers have bounced back.
Is there anything else you want our readers to know about you or your team?
I just want to give a big shout out to the team! They truly are so amazing. I’ve been here four years, and I was pretty new to management when I first came in, so I have learned a lot and they’ve been patient with me. That’s been nice, and they are really great workers. We have a lot of fun and get so much done together.
To find out more about our gorgeous Broadmoor grounds from Rachel, please reach out to her at [email protected] or 719-577-5853.