Head Grower Andy Brand gets back to his roots

When Andy Brand talks about plants, his whole face lights up. It’s the unmistakable glow of someone who has spent a lifetime, quite literally, growing things.

Andy grew up in the northeastern corner of Connecticut, in a family where agriculture wasn’t just an interest, but a way of life. His father, a professor in agricultural economics at the University of Connecticut, also ran the two-year agriculture school and served as interim dean more times than Andy can count. The family garden was huge. His grandparents grew strawberries, and young Andy would haul his little red wagon around, selling quarts door-to-door. There were rhododendron society meetings, vegetable rows to weed, tomato hornworms to pluck, potatoes to dig. “It’s in my genes,” he says.

Andy went on to earn both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at UConn simultaneously, in five intense years, specializing in plant science and plant tissue culture.

His early career was spent in a tissue culture lab, meticulously propagating thousands of plants in sterile conditions. He soon moved on to Broken Arrow Nursery, where he spent 27 years becoming widely respected for his propagation expertise and deep horticultural knowledge.

From nursery rows to botanic gardens, and back to the soil

In 2018, Maine came calling. Andy joined the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens as plant curator, eventually becoming director of horticulture. It was fulfilling work leading teams, planning landscapes, and overseeing major new projects, but something was missing.

“It was a great job,” he says. “But I really missed working with plants. I missed getting dirt under my nails.”

So, when the Preserve began searching for a new head grower, Andy wasn’t looking for a job, but the job found him. A casual message from Cassie Banning, Director of Farm & Gardens, turned into a visit, then a conversation, then another visit. “It sounded fun,” he admits, smiling. He made the move to Mount Desert Island last fall.

What has he loved most so far? “Growing plants from seed,” he says without hesitation. “Especially our native species. And the challenge of figuring out what makes them tick.”

Mountain andromeda seedlings sprouting in the greenhouse

Propagation at the Preserve can be wonderfully unpredictable. One year a native perennial germinates beautifully; the next year the same protocol yields almost nothing. Was the summer too dry? Was the seed collected a week too early? Did the parent plant struggle? Andy is bringing structure and patience to the process.

Along with greenhouse staff Brenna Sellars, Megan Stillman, and Clarisa Diaz, “We’re writing everything down,” he says. “Dates, conditions, methods. Successes and failures. Plants teach you as much from failing as from succeeding.”

Andy is already working with Tate Bushell, Director of Natural Lands, on propagation efforts that support restoration work. He is growing local seed into plants destined for meadows, wetlands, and forest edges across Preserve lands. He’s also enthusiastic about expanding the farm field’s role in raising larger trees and shrubs from seed, creating a living resource for future plantings and restoration.

Then there are the rhododendrons—historic, beloved, and in some cases irreplaceable. Andy will be developing new protocols to propagate specimens from the Asticou Azalea Garden and Thuya Garden, ensuring that the next generation of plants is ready when the old ones begin to decline. “Gardens age,” he says. “We need their backups growing now.”

History, stewardship, and small miracles

Andy’s love for horticulture is matched by a genuine fascination with history. He lights up when talking about Beatrix Farrand, the Rockefellers, or the old Preserve photographs he pores over. During his first weeks, he discovered a dusty box of tobacco tins in the greenhouse basement, each filled with seeds saved decades ago by former grower Larry Solari. “We’re going to see if any of them still germinate,” he says. “Why not? It’s part science, part archaeology.”

Old tobacco tins filled with seeds

A few words of spring advice

For all the eager gardeners waiting for the first warm days, Andy offers two simple, practical reminders:

1. Don’t rush into the garden too early. “Wet spring soil compacts easily,” he warns. “If you tromp around as soon as the snow melts, you can damage soil structure, reducing drainage and oxygen, making it harder for roots to grow.”

2. Get a soil test before you fertilize. “So many people jump straight to fertilizer, says Andy. “But if your pH is off, the plants often can’t take up all the necessary nutrients for optimal growth.” He recommends the University of Maine Cooperative Extension as an excellent resource.

Looking Ahead

Andy’s plans for the future are clear: restore the farm field to its former beauty and utility, deepen propagation work for conservation, strengthen stewardship across the property, and keep the greenhouses spotless. (He grins when saying this. Plant people know the joy of a clean greenhouse.)

Above all, Andy is exactly what the Preserve hoped for: a horticulturist whose decades of expertise are matched by wonder, humility, and delight in the daily work of growing things.

“I just love plants,” he says. “And I love that the Preserve lets me get back to growing them.”

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