NGMA 2023 Scholarship Awarded to Parker Dearing

Parker Dearing is currently a senior in the Horticulture Science program at North Carolina State University, concentrating in Production Systems and Entrepreneurship. He is also minoring in Business Entrepreneurship through the Poole College of Management at NC State.

Parker interned at Panoramic Farm, a wholesale plant nursery based out of Marshville, North Carolina. While there, he worked on propagating different plant varieties, chemical trials, EC/pH management, and pruning and weeding. He also interned at Ball Horticultural Company, where he worked with the Darwin Perennials Team. He was tasked with evaluating new plant varieties, maintaining the Darwin showcase beds, EC/pH Management, helping with Cultivate ‘22, and completing a few marketing tasks.

Parker’s goal is to open his own plant nursery to sell a variety of ornamental plants focusing on perennials and annuals. He would like for the nursery to act as a retail space that also provides the customers with a unique experience. Before this, Parker would like to work in the industry for a few years to adequately understand the demands.

The National Greenhouse Manufactures Association Scholarship targets students majoring in horticulture and bioengineering or the equivalent and are at least a junior at an accredited four-year college maintaining a 3.0 GPA.