British Garden Expert Shares Knowledge with CCBC Students

It may be a long way from Dundalk to London - about 3,600 miles as the crow flies - but Tom Cole has managed to bring quite a bit of British wit, wisdom and expertise to local students this summer. Cole, head of the London School of Horticulture and Landscaping at Capel Manor College (London, England), arrived stateside in July to teach a two-credit Perennials I course (HORT 111) as part of CCBC Dundalk's Horticulture program.

While it's not unusual for CCBC to hire adjunct faculty to bring real-world perspective and expertise to the classroom, few arrive here from another continent. CCBC Dundalk's connection with Cole began with an educational garden tour of England in the summer of 2001. Janet Newton, assistant professor of Sociology at CCBC Dundalk and who was then Study Abroad coordinator for the CCBC Office of International Education, worked with Horticulture Program Director John Sanders to organize the trip.

A highlight of the expedition was a three-day tour of Capel Manor, featuring classes taught by Cole. Capel Manor College, established in 1968 on the site of a 13th-century manor estate, is recognized as one of the largest and most prestigious gardening colleges in the world. At Capel Manor, Cole oversees 60 acres of intensive gardens and supervises full- and part-time educational programs in horticulture, groundsmanship and garden design.

"I talked to Janet and John about the possibility of coming over to Dundalk to teach a class at the college," recalled Cole. "One discussion led to another, and we were lucky enough to be able to actually work it out." In addition to teaching Perennials I during the summer class session, Cole also developed two new curriculum areas for future use in the Horticulture program: English Garden History and Propagation.

Cole remarked that the students at Capel Manor are not so different from the students he has encountered at CCBC Dundalk. "It's a good range of people and interests. Some are keen amateurs auditing the course, others are taking the class for credit. About half are working in the horticulture industry, and came to the class with quite a bit of knowledge already," he said. "It makes for interesting discussions and workshop groups."

He also observed that while many garden themes here in the United States are similar to those in England, there are also some notable differences. "Outside space here is more of a living area, like an outdoor room," he said. "And the use of perennials in gardens is relatively new in the States - in the past 20 years or so - while in England they've been a traditional part of our gardens for centuries.

"Many of the plants used for gardens and landscaping here are quite similar to those in England, and used in much the same ways," Cole continued. "But what has surprised me is the way Americans use conifers [pines, junipers, cypress, etc.] to add structure to a garden. It's certainly opened my eyes to new ideas."

An affable man with seemingly endless energy and good humor, Cole describes himself as very hands-on, both in teaching and in administration. "I love teaching and talking - to two people or 102 people," he said. "Experiences like this one are the most fun because I have the opportunity to travel and promote the field of horticulture at the same time."