Name, age: Trina Anderson, 58
Occupation: SYG Nursery and Landscaping

Have you always enjoyed gardening?
“Yes. I have a huge flower garden, and a bigger vegetable garden than I do a house.”

What are some of your favorite things to grow?
Blueberries and raspberries. And then vegetables, corn and green beans and tomatoes. I love tomatoes. And different kinds of peppers. Zucchinis. And, of course, pumpkins.”

I’ve gotten the impression that succulents have gotten more popular recently. Can you speak to that?
“Yes, they have. They are more tolerant to people forgetting to water them, so it works better for the college students, and just busy people.”

Do you have any favorites here?
“I love sedums. They make tiles, and you can even put them around chicken wire forms, and have a living teddy bear or something like that. Or you can use them for a wall and have a living wall.”

Have you always worked with plants?
“As a hobby. I’ve done everything from doing hair to bookkeeping and caregiving. But I’ve always had a garden and flowers and vegetables.”

How old were you when you started gardening?
“I helped my parents and grandparents from the time I was big enough to start pulling weeds. Mostly with my dad. We would map out the garden for the year. He would put the shovel in, and I’d throw the potatoes in. Things like that. It was a family thing.”

Has your family been in the area for a long time?
“Yes. My mom was from Endicott, and my dad was from Diamond. I live about 75 yards from where I grew up.”