Niagara College’s School of Environment and Horticulture program has a new social media series that hopes to inspire more green thumbs in the community and beyond.
Seasoned horticulturalist and NC Professor Paul Zammit, a long-time media personality, has teamed up with NC students and staff to launch the new “Plants with Paul” series on Instagram. The initiative, which debuted in April, brings Zammit’s expert gardening knowledge and passion for the natural world directly to viewers in short, engaging clips.
Zammit has more than 35 years of experience in the world of gardening. He was the former Director of Horticulture at the Toronto Botanical Gardens, where he is still involved, and has been teaching at the College since 2019.
Beyond the classrooms, Zammit shares his expertise with a broader audience through regular appearances on CBC Radio, hosting the popular gardening programs on the “Ontario Today” and “Here and Now.” He is also a sought-after speaker, consultant and industry contributor. His accolades include the 2019 and 2021 Garden Communicator of the Year Award from Landscape Ontario, and the 2023 Educator Award from the Perennial Plant Association.
Zammit is deeply committed to promoting horticulture at NC. Highlighting the incredible work happening on campus and the growing importance of the horticulture industry motivated him to launch the social media series.
“I work with amazing people and an amazing program so that’s really what sold me on the idea of the series,” he said. “My real goal is just to be able to share what I love to do. I’m promoting the passion for horticulture, the passion for gardening, the passion for education.”
Zammit hopes that by reaching people on their screens, he can inspire them to step outside and get their hands dirty.
“We all spend so much time right now on our phones. So, we’re hoping to reach people where they are and hopefully it will spark something else,” he said.
“Hopefully, they’ll want to do more after we share our enthusiasm and the passion for horticulture.”
Posting a new video every week or two, the series tackles a wide range of seasonal and practical topics, from succession planting and propagation and pruning to soil health and native species – like exploring the critical environmental benefits of milkweed.
Zammit noted that the clips are directly tied to the NC curriculum. Whether the topic is maximizing blooms, cutting back plants, or giving back to the community, the videos reflect core components of what he teaches in the classroom. For Zammit, the platform serves as a way to take lessons from the campus and share them globally. The series also provides a platform to showcase NC’s sustainability focus and collaborations with industry partners, including projects with organizations such as Walker Industries that highlight environmental stewardship, soil health, composting, and sustainable growing practices.
“In our classroom, there are students from all over. What I’m teaching, like in my sustainability class, radiates out,” he said. “That’s what social media allows us to do.”
He also sees the potential for the videos to inspire the next generation of horticulturalists. Zammit hopes the social media series may spark an interest that leads viewers to learn more about horticulture in general, discover what the College’s horticulture programs have to offer, and explore areas on campus like the Teaching Greenhouse first-hand.
For Zammit, horticulture isn’t simply a career focus; it’s a long-time passion that he hopes to pass on to others.
“I’ve always said horticulture is a legal addiction. It is something that excites me every day,” he said. “What I love about it, is that I continue to learn, so that I can share that with others.”
And the learning doesn’t stop when the snow falls. Zammit confirmed that the series is planning to run year-round .
“Horticulture, the garden, does not stop when you live in Canada,” he said.
For Zammit, the success of the series won’t be measured by likes or shares, but by how many more lives will be enhanced by learning about horticulture.
“I know what horticulture has done for me and I want to share that joy with others,” he said. “If we can put a smile on someone’s face by sharing something that will make them happy, that they can enjoy – that’s the reward.”
Distilling decades of complex soil and plant knowledge into bite-sized social media clips is a new challenge for Zammit, but one that he embraces with enthusiasm. He recognizes the immense opportunity of meeting today’s audience where they are – on their screens.
“It’s hard to do short videos, because there’s so much information you want to share,” he said. “But if we can trigger someone’s interest or curiosity, then it’s good because they may want to find out more.”
Zammit applauded student Gabriela Palomo and recent graduate Preston Sibley for the technical work behind the scenes that brings the series to life.
“It’s been amazing to work with the students to make it happen,” he said.
Applied learning in action
Graphic Design student Gabriela Palomo is working behind the scenes to bring Plants with Paul to the community,
The production has involved student participation since day one. Production was first managed by Sibley, who graduated in June, before Palomo took the reins.
Palomo, who works at the Teaching Greenhouse as a student graphic designer, created a brand identity for the series, designed the thumbnails, and handles the filming, editing, copywriting and Instagram management.
“As someone who doesn’t have a background in horticulture, getting to learn about the plant world this way has been really fun and fascinating,” said Palomo. “Working with Paul has been a pleasure… I really admire people who are passionate and love what they do, and he is a great testament to that.”
Poised to begin the third year of Graphic Design in September, Palomo’s ultimate goal is to work in graphic design, UX/UI design, product design, or brand identity creation. Her experience working on the series has opened her eyes to opportunities in social media as well.
“I’m also really enjoying social media design so that is another possibility,” she said. “Seeing a concept through from ideation to its final form in this series has helped me gain skills for these goals.”
Working on the series has allowed her to apply classroom skills -like identifying whether a typeface is “not readable” or “the point size is too small” – to a real-world project.
“I find it rewarding when I get to implement the things we are taught in our program – and ‘design with accessibility in mind,’ ‘know your audience'” she said. “It’s a fine balance between aesthetics and function sometimes but when you get it right, it’s very satisfying.”
She’s particularly proud of her logo design and enjoys helping Zammit share his knowledge of plants with the community.
“My background in graphic design thus far in the program has been a huge asset while working on this series. In my second year, we learned how to design a successful brand identity, explored creative typographic solutions, and we learned how to create motion graphics,” said Palomo. “By utilizing these skills, I felt confident in creating a brand identity for the series that is memorable, accessible, and fun to watch,”
Find it on Instagram
To check out Plants with Paul, follow @nc_envirohorticulture on Instagram.
