By Lily Rutherford
Bringing UT students together through the exploration of England and Scotland, this program provided insight into how the glorious gardens of these countries are connected to plant science studies.
Over the 2025 summer mini-term, the Glorious Gardens program took a group of students to England and Scotland. The experience walked students through various gardens across the region, allowing them to engage with their plant science studies in person. This Herbert College of Agriculture program visited cultural sites in their path and showed participants a variety of native plant species, garden design styles, and relationships between local cultures.
Lamara Stuart, a plant sciences major concentrating in public horticulture, reflected on her experience.
“My favorite part of England was seeing Great Dixter and learning about former owner and garden writer Christopher Lloyd. The gardens were beautiful and wild. My favorite part of Scotland was the Aigas Field Centre and getting to meet the current owners. They recently planted a tree seedling that Charles Darwin once collected, and we got to touch a tree that Darwin once touched.”
From passing through world famous gardens to exploring nature centers, giving students such a diverse array of experiences is vital. A program formatted like this one creates a hands-on environment for participants to gain in-depth understandings of the relationships between gardens, landscapes, cultures, and societies across the world.
In addition, these experiences have the potential to open doors beyond UT.
Stuart added, “Many of the gardens we visited mentioned taking in interns and students. I would love to visit London again, maybe even live there one day…I fell in love with the city. It felt right for me to be there.”
Cultivating international connections, such as internships and academic relations, is an aspect of studying abroad that cannot be found in a classroom. Experiential learning and firsthand application of studies while traveling internationally are entirely unique opportunities. As shown by Stuart’s experience, they even have the power to move students to new countries.
Along with these aspects of studying abroad, students learn more about themselves than they do at home.
Stuart explained, “There were times when the constant moving from place to place became a little overwhelming. This experience was a learning curve for me to keep a level head under that kind of fast pace. Navigating a new city every couple of days also provided its challenges, but it put our problem-solving skills to the test.”
Learning curves like the ones she mentioned are important life skills and teach students how to apply themselves in different environments.
In summary of her experience participating in the program, Stuart added, “I 100% recommend studying abroad. It’s an amazing experience and you learn a lot about yourself as well as working with others. Glorious Gardens inspired me and really solidified my career passions.”
The Glorious Gardens program was able to show students an entirely different side of their academic program, expose them to new opportunities, and help them forge international connections. Learning about a famous garden while abroad is one thing, but being able to walk through it and interact with it is a completely different experience.
Do you want to enrich your academic experience through study abroad? Learn more about how you can grow global through similar programs here.
Join us to learn more about the global engagement taking place across the Institute at the 2025 UTIA International Showcase on Thursday, September 11 from 12:30 – 2:30 pm on the first floor of the Agriculture and Natural Resources Building. This event will include a highlight of Herbert College’s study abroad programs, the chance to vote on our top International Photo contest submissions, tables that highlight the global engagement taking place across the Institute as well as within our own Knoxville community, a silent auction item that supports study abroad opportunities, and not just a FREE Capybara Coffee tasting, but also Italian ice! Stop by to celebrate another year working to #GrowGlobal at UTIA!