Christine George: Director of the Garden Care Division at Sweetgum Horticulture

Growing up on a New England farm, Christine tended large vegetable, herb and cut flower gardens, along with berry patches, shrubs and fruit trees. Her family also raised a variety of livestock. At a young age, Christine learned the fundamentals of garden maintenance, seed starting, and food preservation and storage.

With this horticulturally rich background, Christine moved on to many years of working in her own gardens. Since starting at Sweetgum over five years ago, she has used her hands-on experience and in-depth research to beautify our clients’ gardens. She is known for being our resident expert on challenging plants like roses, hydrangeas and dahlias. In addition, she is a thoughtful teacher, always ready to share her knowledge with coworkers and clients.

Christine designs lush seasonal planters using natural elements, with an emphasis on leaf texture and color. She also has a keen eye for color when creating combinations of annuals and bulbs around outdoor living areas. Her passion for creating habitat for pollinators, butterflies, and hummingbirds inspires her dedication to using native plants as much as possible.

Christine has kindly shared many lovely photos and hard-earned wisdom from her own garden on our Journal page. Her favorite advice for a novice gardener? “The best way to tend a garden is to take a few minutes every day just walking around and observing.”

When Christine is not in the garden, you can find her horseback riding, hiking, cooking, volunteering, learning about pollinators of all kinds, and spending time with her family and dog.

 

Lourdes (Lulu) Martinez: Senior Garden Care Supervisor and Assistant Plant Buyer

Lulu brings over two decades of horticultural experience to Sweetgum Horticulture, having honed her skills in both large plant nurseries and fine home landscapes. Before joining Sweetgum as its first employee, Lulu trained for several years with a master plantsman who taught her the art of pruning, a skill she is eager to share with her coworkers. In the early years, she worked side by side with Catherine to plant and care for our growing network of ecologically managed properties in the suburbs of Boston.

Her dedication extends to all aspects of gardening, but some of Lulu’s favorite activities are designing and shopping for colorful seasonal planters, and choosing plants that are attractive to all the winged creatures that add joy and movement to our gardens. Lulu loves being outside and motivating her coworkers, while always allowing a few minutes to share a kind word with our clients.

A tender heart for animals is one of Lulu’s most notable qualities. In addition to nurturing her two cats at home, she regularly showers affection on the beloved pet companions who seek her out as soon as they see her enter our clients’ properties.

In her spare time, you can find Lulu traveling around New England, soaking in the sun at a local beach, or enjoying live music in Boston.

 

Peter Buscemi: Irrigation and Shop Manager

Peter began gardening at a young age, planting annuals and picking vegetables in his parents’ and grandparents’ gardens. During summer breaks from college, he worked at a local nursery and landscaping company, and would often bring home his favorite perennials to add to his
family’s yard. While employed as a research and teaching assistant, Peter lived as a caretaker for two years on a Brookline estate where he tended the grounds and interior plantings.

After graduate school, Peter spent over ten years as a geologist for an environmental consulting firm. He worked on the cleanup of contaminated soil and groundwater at sites throughout the East Coast until becoming a stay-at-home dad of twins. He took their double stroller everywhere, often accompanied by the family border collie who was completely devoted to the twins (and any type of ball or Frisbee).

When Peter began working at Sweetgum Horticulture, he quickly took over many important tasks like repairing drip lines, programming irrigation clocks and installing barriers to protect our clients’ valuable plantings from rabbits. After he let it slip that he was an Eagle Scout, Catherine found “special projects” for him to test his skills, like building a greenhouse to harden off vegetable and herb plants. A big fan of dad jokes and puns, he says that after many years of working with contaminated soils, it's a relief to work with “clean dirt” again.

During his time off, Peter finds something to do outdoors in every season with his family: hiking, looking for rocks at the beach, and building impressive structures in the snow. He’s even been known to let the kids use him as a sled down the hill at Elm Bank! He looks forward to introducing his wife and twins to the national parks and attractions that he loved as a child, as well as traveling to new domestic and international destinations ... and bringing back some cool rocks.

 

Nicki Santamaria

Nicki, who has a BFA in painting from MassArt, has always appreciated creativity and design. Her passion for gardening began unexpectedly while helping her sister in their family garden, and it soon blossomed into a professional pursuit. Nicki previously worked at a fine gardening and landscaping company, where she expanded her knowledge and skills in plant care.

Some of her favorite moments in gardening occur when she spots small creatures, like frogs or salamanders, offering a glimpse into their tiny worlds. She also has a deep love for any type of silver foliage, with a particular fondness for silver mound.

When she’s not gardening, Nicki can often be found watching a movie with her cat, Charlie, or working on a painting.

 

Becca Acome

Becca's love for gardening began in childhood, tending to her parents’ vegetables and flowers. Over the years, she has nurtured everything from porch herb gardens to a community plot in Boston. More recently, she has embraced native plants in her suburban yard, focusing on creating a thriving, sustainable ecosystem. Her role at Sweetgum marks her first professional gardening experience, and she’s excited to bring her passion for plants and nature to the team.

Outside of gardening, Becca enjoys spending time with her family and pets. She is deeply interested in environmental and social sustainability and is always looking for ways to reduce her ecological footprint. She is thrilled to be joining the Sweetgum gardening team and looks forward to contributing to beautiful, healthy landscapes!