The Tough Task of Keeping Abilene's Zoo Green Year Round

When you visit the Abilene Zoo the animals are the main attraction. Each one with their own habitat, but the zoo itself has it's own garden to keep up with, and did you know it's a one man job? For Abilene Zoo's Horticulturist, Jonathan Sharp, picking up weeds is not a chore, it's his job. "I just had a deep love for plants my whole life and it's been great working here just to see how it's evolved since I've been here." says Sharp.

For the past two years Jon has been in charge of keeping the zoo green, from weeding to planting and designing, he does it all. Unless he get's volunteers, it's one man's job. "As one person it can sometimes be tough, but if you keep at it a little bit each day, you'll get it done!" Sharp tells us. And, according to John, the job at hand involves a lot of trial and error. "A lot of plants I grow here start off as experiments. We just have to plant them and see what they do. Some plants I have on a black list because they just don't do well here." For example a tropical theme can be a challenge when you live in Texas. He says they have to find plants that look tropical, but that can survive the winter. "There is a lot of research that goes into that. Find the right plants to get the right look." says Sharp.

When he's not brainstorming you can oftentimes find Jon in the place he loves, the garden, which includes lots of weeding and leaf blowing. However, his passion is rooted in the design process. "It's hard to see what it's going to look like on paper, you have to imagine it. But then to actually see it grow how you imagined it, that's the best part to me." Taking a piece of the zoo and letting it grow into a garden of ideas. Sharp says weeding alone keeps him busy during the spring time. In the summer watering takes up the majority of his day.