Betsey Ney volunteering at Tyler Arboretum in 2021.
It is almost as if Betsey Ney’s love for gardening is a gene with which she was born.
Her mother and two grandmothers were both avid gardeners and instilled in Betsey a passion for gardening from an early age. As a young child, her mother made her a little garden and Betsey loved to plant flowers and vegetables and watch them grow.
Since then, she has always reveled in the beauty of plants and flowers. The aesthetic part of gardening was her primary focus when she was younger; but over time, her interest also turned to the ecological value of gardening and how gardening can benefit local ecological systems.
Sharing Her Gifts With the Horticulture Team
Thus, it is no surprise that Betsey volunteers at least once a week (if not more) with Tyler’s Horticulture Department. Gardening, weeding, mulching, pruning – whatever work is needed, she is there to get it done.
In addition to gardening at Tyler, she works on some of the descriptive signs for plants being sold at Tyler’s annual Spring Plant Sale. The information she provides – such as color, height, bloom time, best growing conditions and ecological value – all help customers to choose wisely when selecting plants for their own gardens.
She has been doing all of this volunteering for about four years.
Knowing Firsthand the Difference that Volunteers Make at Tyler
And there is a reason that Betsey has ended up volunteering at Tyler. Her love for gardening as a child led her to the University of Delaware where she studied horticulture and then ended up working in various horticulture organizations – one of which was Tyler Arboretum! That’s right – years before Betsey’s volunteering days at Tyler, she worked here for twelve years in the 2000s directing the Education Department. She organized classes and programs for adults, and also oversaw the staff who developed and ran the youth education programs.
When she left her job at Tyler, she knew that she would someday return as a volunteer because so much of the success of Tyler’s educational programs depended upon help from volunteers. Working at Tyler taught her just how important the work and dedication of volunteers is at a smaller organization such as Tyler.
That is why returning to Tyler as a volunteer has been so important to her. In retirement, she looked to give back to the volunteers who came before her and who provided Tyler with so much support. Volunteering at Tyler also gives her the opportunity to continue her gardening, work with great people, enjoy being outdoors, and contribute to Tyler’s beauty. As she explained, volunteering is an important part of supporting organizations and resources that contribute to our communities.
Even in these cold, winter months, Betsey will be out there gardening and helping the organization that continues to have a special place in her heart.
