Planning a trip to England and looking for inspiration on garden sites to explore? This episode of Keeping It Green is packed with insights you won’t want to miss!

Join the team as they sit down with Penn State Extension Educator Ruth Benner and Dr. Margaret Hoffman, Coordinator of the Landscape Contracting Major at Penn State University. They share highlights from their recent travels abroad, offering observations on gardens and plants across different countries—with a special focus on England and Ireland.

Discover what makes botanical gardens, historic estates, and public parks in the UK so unique. The conversation dives into contrasts between British and American gardening practices, explores iconic garden designs and plant selections, and reflects on cultural attitudes toward horticulture. Plus, learn why visiting historic gardens can be an enriching educational experience for anyone passionate about plants and landscapes.

Episode Hosts/Speakers:

Margaret Pickoff, Penn State Extension (host)

Tom Butzler, Penn State Extension (host)

Ruth Benner, Penn State Extension

Dr. Margaret Hoffman, Program Coordinator for Penn State University’s Landscape Contracting Major, Associate Professor

Photo: Sissinghurst Castle, Ruth Benner, PSU

Keeping It Green has an email: keepingitgreen@psu.edu
Do you have a suggestion for a future episode? Want more information on something we talked about? Send us your questions and comments, or just say hello! We would love to hear from you!

Check out Penn State Extension's Green Industry Team website!

In this episode of Keeping It Green, the team sits down with Jeff Jabco, Executive Director of the Scott Arboretum and Gardens, to explore his horticulture journey and the evolution of the Swarthmore Arboretum and Gardens. Jeff shares how the Scott Arboretum began as the Scott Foundation—established in 1929 by Swarthmore College alumni Mr. and Mrs. Scott to showcase exceptional plants for Delaware Valley home gardeners—and how it transformed into a dynamic space that blends curated plant collections with thoughtfully designed garden environments. He explains why “Gardens” was added to the name and how it better reflects the Arboretum’s mission to connect with the public. Jeff also discusses his deep ties to Penn State, where he earned his horticulture degree, launched his career with Penn State Extension, and later collaborated on research involving growing degree days and green roof systems. And what exactly is “Peony Palooza”? Tune in to find out.

Episode Hosts/Speakers:

Margaret Pickoff, Penn State Extension (host)

Sandy Feather, Penn State Extension (host)

Jeff Jabco, Executive Director of Scott Arboretum and Gardens

Photo Credit: Becky Robert

Keeping It Green has an email: keepingitgreen@psu.edu
Do you have a suggestion for a future episode? Want more information on something we talked about? Send us your questions and comments, or just say hello! We would love to hear from you!

Check out Penn State Extension's Green Industry Team website!

Wendy’s journey into entomology began with outdoor adventures alongside her dad—hunting, fishing, and exploring nature. That foundation deepened during a unique high school program located inside a zoo. That experience sparked a growing interest in insects, which she carried through undergraduate into graduate school at Michigan State University to a quantitative ecology lab rich with butterfly data. In this episode, she explores how volunteers—many trained through grassroots efforts—have contributed tens of thousands of hours to monitoring butterfly species, helping build one of the most comprehensive insect datasets in the country. The conversation touches on population trends, habitat needs, and the role of land use in shaping insect communities.

Episode Hosts/Speakers:

Margaret Pickoff, Penn State Extension (host)

Tom Butzler, Penn State Extension (host)

Tim Abbey, Penn State Extension (host)

Wendy Leuenberger, graduate student at Michigan State University’s Zipkin Quantitative Ecology Lab

Photo caption – butterfly on Aesculus parviflora (bottlebrush buckeye), photo Tom Butzler

Keeping It Green has an email: keepingitgreen@psu.edu
Do you have a suggestion for a future episode? Want more information on something we talked about? Send us your questions and comments, or just say hello! We would love to hear from you!

Check out Penn State Extension's Green Industry Team website!