A nonprofit TN organization supporting horticulture education in TN, the use of perennial plants and effective gardening techniques
Scholarship Information
One of the ways the Perennial Plant Society of Middle Tennessee supports horticultural education is by awarding an annual scholarship to a student at Tennessee Tech University (tntech.edu). Beginning in 2020, PPS has partnered with the Tennessee Technological University's (TTU) School of Agriculture to support one or more students throughout his or her four-year program in horticulture.
A worthy student is chosen by TTU based on criteria established by PPS. Interested Tennessee Tech students should contact the Dean of the School of Agriculture for more details.
Latest Scholarship Winners
2023 - 2024 Scholarship Winner
Charlotte Simmons
The Perennial Plant Society is happy to announce the 2023-2024 recipient of the PPS horticulture scholarship. The $5,000 award is presented each year to a Tennessee Tech University student who meets PPS guidelines, including a major in horticulture, grade average, and financial need. This year’s winner is Charlotte Simmons. Simmons is a senior majoring in Agriculture-Horticulture. She is from Normandy, TN.
2022, 2023 Scholarship Winner
Samuel Simmons
Thank you so very much for your generous support of my education. I am indeed blessed to receive an education debt-free and keep my savings, getting a firm footing financially to start my own landscape business in the future! This is indescribably valuable to me in my career, and I am grateful I was chosen to receive this award. Thank you also for your work in the green industry, informing the public on the use of perennial plants and teaching valuable techniques in gardening.
As far as a little about me, I grew up in middle Tennessee, Tullahoma area, was homeschooled from kindergarten through twelfth grade, attended Motlow Community College and received my Associate of Science degree, transferred to Tennessee Tech, and majored in Nursery and Landscape Management. Since receiving this wonderful award last year, I participated in an internship with Landscape Workshop, a southeastern region landscape company, and received a job offer for the position of Associate Account Manager. Thanks to Tennessee Tech, I was able to find this internship and job and expand my skills and knowledge. I aspire to someday create and maintain beautiful landscapes in a sustainable way. Thank you again for greatly helping me pursue that.
Sincerely,
Samuel Simmons
2023 Scholarship Winner
Charlotte Simmons
Thank you so very much for granting me the Perennial Plant Society of Middle Tennessee Annual Scholarship. I can't tell you how much of an unexpected blessing and honor it was for me to receive it! It humbles me exceedingly to realize that I am the recipient of such generosity, despite the hard economic times so many people are in right now. The scholarship will be especially invaluable to me as I strive to graduate from Tennessee Tech debt free and seek a future doing what I enjoy: working with plants.
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I have loved flowering plants since I was a toddler. My parents recall my leaning out of my stroller at the park and reaching for colorful blossoms, or as I called them, 'bubbies.' When I was three years old I informed my mother that my favorite thing to do outside was pull weeds.
I grew up in the beautiful countryside of Bedford County, Tennessee, where I was homeschooled along with my two brothers. My hobbies and interests included backpacking, climbing, kayaking, reading, church activities, swing dancing, and of course, flowers. My love for the outdoors eventually led me to decide upon a career path that would keep me in the sunshine. During my high school years, I had the opportunity to design arrangements for weddings, proms, and graduation banquets using mostly wildflowers—experiences that reminded me just how much I loved making things beautiful.
Since then, I have continued to develop a passion for gardening and floral arranging. I did not think seriously about going to college for horticulture until my older brother went to Tech for a landscape design and nursery management degree and came home with a head full of useful knowledge (and a trunk full of plants!). It was after seeing the green houses at Shipley Farm, however, that I decided that Tech was the right place for me.
I am now studying agriculture with a focus in horticulture at Tennessee Tech. Although I am not exactly sure what I want my future career to look like, I would love to work in ornamental plant production or cut flower production. I am passionate about spreading joy and beauty through plants and colorful blooms, and I hope to do just that wherever I end up working. Your providing me with the Perennial Plant Society of Middle Tennessee Annual Scholarship has made it easier for that hope to become a reality, and your generosity and kindness sincerely inspire me to be more generous towards others. Thank you again for the scholarship; may God bless you.
Sincerely,
Charlotte Simmons