Bugs 'n Blooms

For decades, I’ve noticed a growing challenge in our horticulture industry—we simply don’t have enough young people joining our ranks. At trade shows these days, the majority of us have a little more white hair than we used to.
About three years ago, while attending the Texas Nursery and Landscape Association Winter Conference at Texas A&M, I had an idea. A&M offers all kinds of summer camps for kids—football, tennis, and more—so why not a horticulture camp? I began asking faculty members about it, and the response was overwhelmingly positive. Everyone I spoke to loved the concept and wanted to help make it happen.
Then, last summer, Lisa Whittlesey—Director of the Junior Master Gardener Program here in Texas—called to say she was ready to get the ball rolling. Her office is right on the A&M campus, and soon we began meeting with her team to plan the program.
In June 2025, our very first camp, Bugs ‘n Blooms, launched, and it was a tremendous success. We’re already planning to expand the program both on campus and across the state.Check out this short video to see it in action: Bugs 'n Blooms 2025 Camp
Dean Nelson, Founder and Co-Owner