An Eye for Detail

One of the most popular services we offer is Professional Gardeners. These degreed horticulturists take landscape/garden maintenance to its highest, most responsive level. Adept at dividing perennials, corrective pruning, diagnosing and treating disease and insect problems, Professional Gardeners have the specialized knowledge to maintain a garden at its healthiest, most beautiful, and most productive level of performance for years. They also have training in design, which enables them to produce striking annual displays and container plantings.

Professional and Focused

Professional Gardeners are distinguished from other landscape maintenance personnel by in-depth specialty training that enables concentration on the areas of particular concern to the client. They do not focus on time-consuming, labor-intensive chores, such as mowing, mulching, leaf removal and spring clean-up, which are best handled by regular landscape maintenance crews. Instead they devote their full attention to garden maintenance techniques that require a high level of proficiency and knowledge.

The Dream Team

Heading the Professional Gardening staff is Ann Waters. She is a University of Delaware graduate who also completed the rigorous, 2-year Longwood Gardens Professional Gardener Training Program. * Ann has more than 17 years of professional experience that includes ownership of a landscape maintenance company, as well as horticultural specialty positions at both private and public gardens, where she also lectured and conducted tours.

The newest addition to the Professional Gardening Staff is Michael Jenkins. He graduated with a degree in Specialized Technology, from the Williamson Free School of Mechanical Trades in Media, Pennsylvania. The focus of Mike’s major was in Ornamental Horticulture, Landscaping and Turf Management. In conjunction with his regular studies, Mike was chosen to complete a four month long internship at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. He was able to apply his knowledge in Plant Material, Floriculture, Botany, Arboriculture and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in a hands-on environment during his internship at The Magic Kingdom. In addition to his internship while attending Williamson, Mike used his skills in Horticultural Design, Environmental Design and Landscape Construction to assist with the main exhibit at the 2002 and 2003 Philadelphia Flower Shows.

“I believe with Mike’s extensive experience and well rounded education; he will make an excellent gardener for our Estate Management Program.” - Ann Waters, Head of the Professional Gardener Program at EHS, Inc.

The veteran strength to our team was added in 2006 with David Skinner.  Dave has many years of experience in the areas of estate management and horticulture.  Dave has managed private estate gardens in Delaware and his previous gardening job was working at The Hagley Museum & Library in Wilmington, Delaware.  Dave's ability to correctly prune ornamental plants and shrubs has proven to be one of his many great assets.  Along with his pruning skills, Dave's garden management and plant health care are second to none!