Director of Arboretum talks about outreach, programs

When Peter Olin began as the director of the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, he had, by his own account, "no clue."

So he attended a national conference.

"I just started asking people, 'What are you doing?'" he said. "'Here's my problem; are you dealing with that?'"

A quarter-century later, he's the one giving advice.

Under his leadership, the Arboretum in Chanhassen has grown in national and international renown.

As has he. He gives talks, wins awards and leads national horticulture and landscape design organizations. For example, Olin has served as president of the National Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture, a position that hints at one of his passions -- using plants to teach and help.

Olin, 70, retired from the job July 1, although he'll continue his teaching duties at the University of Minnesota. Here, he looks back on his time running what is billed as "the largest public garden in the Upper Midwest":

Q Was it a natural transition from your work as interim director to director in 1985?

A Not at all. At that point, I had found out what all the problems were, so when they said, "Why don't you apply?" I said nope. I won't apply.

They talked me into it. And I'm glad they did. Because if they hadn't talked me into it, I probably wouldn't have pursued it.

Q What kinds of problems were there?

A You know, there was some debt. And at the time I thought, "How will we ever get out of it?" Looking back, it wasn't a lot of money. I use more than that to fudge the budget nowadays. [He laughs.] But it was tough then. We call it the days of counting the toilet paper rolls.

What I quickly realized was that -- you know what? -- people think of this place fondly, and you can do great things if they'll support you. And they did. For 24 years.

Q The Arboretum's therapeutic horticulture program was begun under your watch.

A Yes. I had been in Chicago, and I saw they had a garden specially designed for people with disabilities -- horticultural therapy -- and I said, we should do that. So I got a group of people interested; we studied it.

Q What about that idea was attractive to you?

A I sort of like programs that serve social purposes but use plants and gardening as a venue. We're doing a lot of that kind of work now.

And education. Education is so important. Kids today do not get any -- not enough to even think about -- information about plants. And you know, no plants, no animals, no people. Basis of life on earth, all that.

When my daughter went through school here in Roseville, which is supposed to be a good system, she had minimal, minimal [instruction on] plants.

Q What does the Arboretum's plant education look like?

A There are all kinds of forms to it. We've even started some in-town programs -- Phillips Neighborhood, tough neighborhood.

I remember talking to [the program's director] about the first time. He went around and knocked on doors and got kids, rounded them up. There's been a waiting list ever since.

These kids learn that you have to show up on time, you have to work with the guy next to you. You make a hand-salad -- putting some lettuce in your hand and wrapping other veggies in. Well, of course [the kids say], "I hate this stuff." Well, but you grew it; maybe you should try eating it.

And eventually they do. It's exciting stuff, a really spectacular program.

Q Tell me about the genesis of that -- do your employees come to you with ideas? Do you go to them?

A I think we probably stole that from somebody else. [He laughs.] At a conference recently, somebody asked, "What happens if you run out of creative ideas?" And I was about to raise my hand [to say]: "You call up Mary Pat [Mary Pat Matheson, executive director of the Atlanta Botanical Garden] and see what she did."

We've copied several things from her, because she's very creative. You can get so much looking beyond your own little brain.

But we've done our own programs, too. We didn't steal everything.

Jenna Ross • 612-673-7168