Loma Vista Nursery’s summer-long paid internship program is a win-win for the company, the industry and for college students and young professionals interested in exploring a green career. The rotation-based program, which began in 2018, has contributed to the growth of promising futures in all aspects of horticulture.

Each year at the beginning of summer, the intern rotates through Loma Vista Nursery’s various departments – from sales and marketing to propagation and production – and receives one-on-one teaching, training and coaching from our managers and staff. Our team then encourages the intern to decide what area of the nursery they would like to concentrate on for the remainder of the season.

Nicole Crist is entering her senior year at Kansas State University.

Nicole Crist is preparing to return to campus and is concluding her internship with us. But before she heads back to Kansas State University, we sat her down to summarize her experience.

Loma Vista Nursery internships include learning the fine art of pruning trees.

Q. What got you in horticulture, Nicole?

A. I was interested in plants as a hobby starting in high school, but I never saw it as a career until college. I made the jump to switch majors to horticulture from business on a whim and I could not be happier with my decision!

Buddleia flowers have a honey-like fragrance and are rich in nectar, making them a favorite for butterflies and other pollinators.

Q. What is your major at K-State and when do you plan to graduate?

A. I graduate in the spring of 2025 with a horticulture production degree.

Buddleia are woody, rapidly-growing shrubs that have a busy habit with arching stems and showy, colorful flowers.

Q. How did you hear about Loma Vista Nursery’s internship program? Have you had experience in a production nursery before?

A. Yes, last summer I interned at Monrovia, a large wholesale nursery in Oregon. I heard about Loma Vista Nursery during my first year at K-State, when Lyndsi Oestmann talked to my horticulture class. This allowed me to remember Loma Vista, but I was not sure there was an internship program. So I called and, lucky enough, there is.

As she makes notes of buds and blooms on hydrangea, Nicole reviews the plant material to help inform the team of which shrubs to pull first.

Q. What do you find is the most interesting aspect of your internship?

A. Overall, understanding what practices are done to grow a high-quality plant. Quality control is an aspect of nursery production I have never really thought about but it plays a key role in production. It is interesting how much that role can affect not only production but also the quality of the plant going to the customer. I also really enjoyed learning about propagation and its process.

Loma Vista Nursery interns help run quality checks on plants that have arrived on our dock.

Q. What are key takeaways from your experience?

A. A couple of key takeaways I have is how intricate ornamental crop production is and how much time and effort go into each plant. Seeing all the processes that occur allowed me to understand all that goes into production and sales. I applied skills and knowledge that I learned throughout college to the practices that are in place, along with why things are done the way they are. Learning these processes allowed me to see why Loma Vista Nursery is successful and why the company is good at what it does.

Torrae George, who oversees Loma Vista Nursery’s inventory, gives Nicole a tutorial about why keeping detailed records is important.

Q. Looking to the future, what do you think your next steps will be? Have you insights into what you would like to do professionally?

A. My next step will be focusing on graduating next spring, along with securing a job after graduation. I want to work in the nursery industry, and I am leaning towards a career in sales.

Printing plant tags – it is an all-important part of every shipment that leaves Loma Vista Nursery’s docks!

Q. How would you summarize your internship experience?

A. It was super helpful in understanding how large-scale nurseries operate and gave me great insight into what a career looks like in the nursery industry. I am very thankful for this opportunity, and I have really enjoyed my time at Loma Vista Nursery!

Learn More About Loma Vista Nursery’s Landscape Plants

Loma Vista Nursery grows a variety of perennials, trees and shrubs for Midwest independent garden centers, landscape contractors and wholesale distributors. Our staff members – all experts in the field – love helping people learn about plants and the healthy varieties we grow.

For help with orders and plant-related questions, send an email to sales@lomavistanursery.com or call (785) 229-7200. Review Loma Vista Nursery’s plant catalog for information and visit our website to learn about our values and best practices as a Midwest plant grower.