From Inspiration to Preservation: A Horticulturist's Journey to Old Hickory's Home
How a Botanical Garden Visit Sparked a Career Now Dedicated to Restoring a Presidential Landscape
"It's hard to pick a favorite, but the Blush Noisette roses planted around Andrew Jackson's Tomb are high on the list. They are very fragrant and repeat bloom from spring till fall frost."
A Botanical Garden Sparks a Lifelong Passion
For Kimberly Weeks, the path to becoming Historic Garden Manager at Andrew Jackson's Hermitage began with a single visit to the State Botanical Garden of Georgia. That experience inspired her to pursue a bachelor's degree in Horticulture from the University of Georgia, where she spent over five years working in the university's trial garden and botanical garden. Initially aiming for a career in botanical garden greenhouse management, Kimberly eventually looked beyond her home state for new opportunities. With friends in Tennessee, the Nashville area seemed like the perfect place to start—and when the Andrew Jackson Foundation offered her a position as a full-time gardener with greenhouse production responsibilities, she made the move. Less than a year later, her dedication earned her a promotion to Historic Garden Manager.
Stewarding Seven Hickories and a 200-Year-Old Ginkgo
Now in her role for 3.5 years, Kimberly oversees the landscaping and maintenance for a one-acre preserved historic garden, a growing Arboretum, and on-site greenhouse production. The Hermitage Garden hosts around 80 perennial species and 30+ annual varieties, with roses and peonies among the most notable. The Arboretum features over 90 unique tree species, including seven varieties of hickory that honor Andrew Jackson's famous nickname "Old Hickory." Among the most treasured specimens is a large ginkgo tree that, based on its trunk size, is at minimum 100 years old but could be closer to 200—the Garden Manager is looking into having it professionally aged to keep damage to a minimum. A recent grant will allow the Arboretum to grow to 120+ tree species, positioning The Hermitage to apply for Level 4 status, the highest distinction given by the Tennessee Urban Forestry Council.
Building a Collection She's Proud Of
Using Plantsoon, Kimberly catalogues the garden and arboretum collections, sharing basic plant information, applicable historic facts, and images of plants throughout the seasons. "I am proud of all our collections in Plantsoon, but I am partial to the Garden Perennials Collection because this is one I started myself as part of a grant project to install labels throughout the Garden for visitors to use as a sort of self-guided tour of the property," she explains. This project fulfilled something that had been requested by many visitors and staff. For Kimberly, it all connects back to her ultimate goal: restore and preserve a historic garden while educating the public and inspiring others to explore the horticulture industry.
Virtual visit to their garden: https://experience.plantsoon.com/visit/hermitage-arboretum
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