Volunteer Spotlight: Rose Hydeman

By Kaitlyn LaBelle

Phipps is well-known for our beautiful gardens, seasonal flower shows, pioneering sustainability initiatives, informative educational programs and community outreach. None of our work, however, would be possible without the knowledge and dedication of our volunteers. In this series of profiles, we meet some of the people who give their time to make Phipps possible.

A volunteer for seven years, Rose Hydeman was looking for a new hobby when she decided to retire from dentistry. She read in the newspaper that Phipps was looking for volunteers and has been bringing her love for horticulture to her volunteer work ever since. On a normal day at Phipps, Rose spends her morning in the greenhouse, then usually leads a tour in the early afternoon.

Two of Rose’s favorite things about volunteering at Phipps are the treatment of the volunteers and how friendly the team is; she feels as though she knows just about everyone here. “[Phipps] appreciates the volunteers. I love working with the plants,” she said, smiling. “I just think it feels like a family.”

Rose’s father kept house plants and a garden throughout her childhood, and her own interest in horticulture began around high school. When she went to college, she took a few classes about horticulture and fell in love with it even more.

In addition to volunteering at Phipps, Rose is also a docent at the Westmoreland County Museum of Art. One of her favorite things to do while volunteering at Phipps is bring fellow docents from the museum to visit Phipps in the summer. The other docents tour Phipps and view the art throughout The Center for Sustainable Landscapes. She took the docents through the greenhouse as well to show them the behind-the-scenes of growing. “It’s a nice way to show off Phipps, and you can see how special it is.”