Dar man   Williams   -   Horticulturist
29 years at Missouri Botanical Garden

Darman Williams started his career at the Garden in 1978. He learned his trade on the job with a 9 month to 1 year training period. Out of the 10 people in his training group, Darman was one of only two peopled hired full-time. The second person hired was gone after just 5 years. Darman has been an important cog in the wheel of Missouri Botanical Garden for 29 years now!

Darman's duties are quite varied. He maintains the Hosta Garden, the Scented Garden, the Baer Garden, and the garden area in front of Spink Pavilion. He tills and prepares flower beds for planting, plants the plants, and does general pruning. But the talent that Darman is best known for is his precise and meticulous trimming of hedges.

Darman worked with Brian and Brenda Ward, who managed the intensive garden areas, from 1978 until they retired in 1992. Brian was an English gardener, very familiar with how hedges are maintained in formal English gardens. Brian complimented Darman on his knack for trimming hedges. As with the hedges that he trims, Darman is meticulous about having everything in his area in order.

Darman is also known for his friendly attitude, always ready to wave and give a big "hello!" He has a hearty, infectious laugh that brightens the day of fellow staff members.

Darman recently moved to a house near Carondelet Park where he is looking forward to starting a garden. He enjoys listening to jazz music and tending his 3 aquariums full of African and Central American cichlids. Bike riding is a pastime which helps him reach his goal of staying young and fit, even with a teenage daughter and son.