Ahyoung Cho, Seasonal Gardener

Biography

My path into horticulture did not begin with a clear decision, but with a quiet pull. I found myself drawn to the way plants begin and persist, especially the moment of germination, when something unseen becomes alive. That sense of emergence, of becoming, continues to shape how I understand this work.

I previously studied Farm and Food Systems at Greenfield Community College and Horticulture at North Shore Community College, and gained field experience at a native plant nursery, ecoDesigns, as well as at Norcross Wildlife Foundation. I later continued this interest as a Plant Production Hunnewell Intern in 2025, where I was drawn more deeply into the quiet power of plants as primary producers, and the unfolding of life from seed to tree.

Now, as a seasonal gardener at the Arboretum, I find meaning not only in its role as a public space, but in something more personal. Working among the living collections and alongside an extraordinary group of staff, I have come to value the quiet joy of labor itself: the rhythm of physical work, the act of tending, and the shared commitment to caring for something that continues to grow beyond us.

For me, horticulture is a way of being present, of learning patience, and of participating, humbly, in the ongoing life of a place.