“When I saw the ad for this job, I applied right away. And then I came out to interview and met [the team] and we walked around the park, it was great. I was just like, in the back of my head, this is the last interview I’m ever going to have to do if I get this job. It’s like, I’m not starting anywhere else. This is my last interview.”

Meet Michael, Horticulture and Turfcare Associate at Madison Square Park who recently joined the MSPC team after building a career in landscaping and horticulture. 

Growing up in Florida, Michael always had an affinity for “big backyards and big front yards,” which is sort of like what Madison Square Park is for thousands of New Yorkers. Recently, our Communications Team met with Michael to discuss his work, team, and time here so far at MSPC.

What do you like about MSPC or the park that you perhaps didn’t have in other roles?

“Well, I would say the plant material selection, you know, is a lot more updated. In many other places I have worked, the material provided is more or less drought tolerant, because they don’t have the time and resources to go out and buy things. So I get to work with better plant material, and the people here make me smile every time I see them. 

I just smile, because it’s just so nice to work with the team, even the ones I don’t necessarily work with, like Shonah from Operations. Every time I see her, I just smile. So we became good friends, and the people here are a lot different. When I have been on other teams, I’ve sometimes felt lonely, you know. I was recently in a different situation, and I was by myself, and with little help. So, I was just riding around in the Gator, going to the areas that we took care of, and just worked, you know.”

It is a really special team here at MSPC, everyone is really passionate about the work that they do. 

“Completely. And, I feel like I get to participate, and have a little say-so about what goes on, and that makes a person feel more important about getting the job done.”

How does the Horticulture Team go about prioritizing different areas and plants in the park? What does that process look like?

“The process is we do a walk-through every week with Stephanie (Director of Horticulture and Park Operations) in the morning on Wednesday, and she pretty much points out what’s priority. Other than that, it’s sort of like second nature to me. I can tell what needs to be done. I like to do the entrances first because it’s the first thing people see from the outside when they come in, and I try to make them special. And then anything overgrown or dead.

So we do the walk-through, Steph prioritizes, and then, when Gaby (Horticulture Manager) and I come in around six to get started, I can mow a few lawns before they open at ten. And then I can get to cutbacks, and weeding, and some pruning, and stuff. So, I pretty much know what I’m doing every day. So It’s been good.”

What are some of the biggest challenges that your team has on the horticulture side of things? 

“Trying to make sure [park-goers] are safe with whatever you’re doing, even as far as watering. You know, once it’s 10 o’clock, 11 o’clock in here, it’s always crowded. So any time we try to cut back around the benches, it’s hard because the public’s always sitting there, and you don’t want to inconvenience them, but you’ve got to do your job, so that’s why I come at six. There’s usually no one here, but then it’s so peaceful, you can hear the birds, and I can get the benches and the high-traffic spots, and we can save the other stuff for later.”

What would you say have been some of your key accomplishments here? Either individually or as a team?

“The spring containers. We kind of designed them when I came in, and we had all the plant material already made out, so I already knew what we could use and when. They turned out beautiful, and it’s nice to take a picture and send it to my mom. 

And also, the fact that the mower has been a challenge, but it’s finally come through. I think that [we] fixed it today, so that is amazing. It cuts so well for electrical, and I just love the way that the lawn looks when I mow it, because I’m a perfectionist, and Gaby will tell you that.”

Do you have a favorite spot in the park?

“I do have a favorite spot, yeah. I believe it’s on Madison and 26th at the corner where the trees and the entrance are, just because if you look going down Madison, it’s just rolling hydrangeas. It was just so beautiful when you looked down when all the hydrangeas were in bloom, and then you looked down 26th, and it was different plant material from there. It was just a nice place to be.

That’s probably my favorite spot. This is just my passion, you know. It’s been that way forever. When I was in high school, I was in Future Farmers of America. And at 17, I was driving a John Deere tractor down the road in Florida. And I was driving a tractor pulling a class-load of students on a trailer with the teachers, and we were going through the orange grove where they were teaching us how to take care of the orchard. That’s what I was doing in high school, so I mean it’s always been with me. 

Then I started mowing grass in my neighborhood and made a little business to make extra money, and since then I just knew. And that’s been my job all my life.”

Photos: Rashmi Gill