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Plant Talk

Inside The New York Botanical Garden

Adult Education Alum of the Month: Elaine Yellen

Posted in Adult Education on June 4 2013, by Lansing Moore

Elaine YellenThis month we feature Elaine Yellen, a Westchester-based landscape designer and NYBG graduate who now runs her own firm in Scarsdale, where she continues to build upon her Garden education.

“I completed the Horticulture Program and the Landscape Design Program,” Elaine said. “Both provided essential preparation that let me feel like a true professional when I presented myself to clients as an expert in my field. Many of my teachers were working professionals and were so helpful in all aspects of project design and implementation. They were always very generous with advice to a budding designer.”

Elaine first came to the NYBG because she wanted to turn her love of gardening into a profession: “It was my creative outlet… so I decided to study it formally and see where that would lead.” In addition to many residential projects in lower Westchester, local golfers might be familiar with her work for clubs and courses such as Winged Foot, Brae Burn, Fenway, Sunningdale, Fairview, and Scarsdale.

As a small business owner and design professional, Elaine has her own specific method for success. “I approach each project as if it were my own garden,” she says. “I want clients to feel their landscape is something special that changes with the seasons and always has something going on. As we learned at NYBG, the end product should feel natural… as if that were the only way to do it.”

Elaine is also the acting president of the Landscape Design Students & Alumni (LDSA). Her mission, she explains, is to help students and alumni figure out how to work in the field. “We provide networking, educational programs, and business advice.”

What advice would she offer to our Certificate students? “I would advise current students to take as many courses as they can… all of them will be helpful in the long run.” All NYBG students and Landscape Design graduates are invited to monthly meetings that start up in October and run through March.

Are you a Garden Adult Education alum? We are convinced that our graduates can offer a wealth of wisdom to current and future NYBG students! People currently enrolled in the Floral Design Certificate program are encouraged to email FDNcoordinator@nybg.org and learn more about the NYBG Floral Design Alumni Facebook Group.