Karl Gercens’ passion for horticulture started at an early age while growing-up on a 10,000 acre cotton plantation in Mississippi. The warm Mississippi climate and long growing season helped to nurture his fondness for plants and his appreciation for the wonders of natural beauty. Karl’s experimentation with different plant types and growing methods in that region sparked an interest in new & dynamic exploration for cultivation which ultimately led to his B.S. in Ornamental Horticulture at Mississippi State University. Karl then completed academic internships at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida and at the Filoli Estate in the San Francisco Bay Area of California.

Karl's resume includes professional, hands-on skills from world class organizations such as Longwood Gardens [Kennett Square, PA], The Filoli Estate [Woodside, CA], and Walt Disney World [Orlando, FL]. His years of horticultural tenure include innovative design-work combined with time-honored approaches for serious gardening! For more complete information about Karl's professional background, please visit the contact Karl section of this web-site.

His notoriety for using a pallet of colored foliage trees, shrubs, and perennials continues to funnel the exciting content of his professional lectures given nationwide and his horticultural classes offered at Longwood Gardens. When Karl is not gardening, lecturing, or consulting  his horticultural passion extends worldwide with frequent visits to public and private gardens in all 50 states and more than 20 countries! While at those locations, he often takes vibrant and vivid digital photography which he catalogues to share his experiences with others.