During the Polk County Fair, the work of UMN Crookston horticulture student Marina Wiley was on display. Wiley, a horticulture major from International Falls, Minn., had her independent study as part of the Polk County Fair July 7-11 in Fertile, Minn.
UMN Crookston was all in on the opportunity from the jump, and Lab Services Coordinator for the Agriculture and Natural Resources Department, Theresa Helgeson, found it to be the perfect opportunity for an independent study for Wiley.
Helgeson said, “The plan was to do this whether or not Marina was able to, but when I heard she was available, I had said, ‘have I got a plan for you.’,
Wiley stated, “The first I knew about it was when Theresa came to me saying, ‘I heard you were trying to do an independent study for landscape installation. I have a project for you. We would do something for the Polk County Fair containerized garden.’,
Wiley’s ideas started with the planning in March. But come May, she officially started to pick out plants, herbs, and flowers to be on display in the containerized garden.
Wiley says she first became interested in horticulture when working for a florist in her hometown of International Falls. “I got into the horticulture industry 3-4 years ago when I started working at a flower shop in my hometown. My boss Melanie taught me everything I know about floral design, textures, colors, what goes together, and what doesn’t. She always mentioned to me if she would have gone.”
Wiley says she has grown immensely in the field since arriving at UMN Crookston. She was excited to see the reaction of people to her project at the Polk County Fair saying. “I’m pretty excited; it turned into a way bigger project than I could have ever imagined. In some ways, I think that is a good way. I am excited to see people’s reactions, see if they like it or not. Most of all, I want to see how my parents react to it. They are going to be there, and they are the most important to me. My dad put in a lot of effort building the structures, so I am excited to see his reaction.”
While it was Wiley’s independent study, she couldn’t have done it by herself. Whether it was the help of her friends Grace and Sarah Richardt or Helgeson to water the plants or help have another eye, she is very thankful for their support.
Wiley’s display is just the start of a strong career in the making. She plans to graduate in the fall of 2021 and has great prospects in her life from there, saying, “After I get a degree, I want to get more experience in the workplace at a production horticulture greenhouse, and my end goal is to open up my own flower farm and sell them to florists,”
Helgeson continued to lift the amazing talent of the UMN Crookston student saying, “Marina has potential to be one of those garden designers that other people get information from. They are out there. But those are very talented people that have an eye for art. Not every horticulturist has it, but she does.”
UMN Crookston students can do amazing things, and Wiley’s work is one example.
