Throughout 2026 (and possibly beyond), host Bill Calkins is catching up with different people in the professional horticulture space and find out a little bit about their careers, passions, journeys in the world of plants and much more. He sent each potential guest a list of 12 questions and they picked four to answer and discuss.

This episode, Bill is joined by his friend Susie Raker, vice-president at Raker-Roberta’s Young plants in Litchfield, Michigan. Susie is an innovator in many ways and although some of this comes from growing up in a cutting-edge family business, she is definitely her own person and has forged an amazing path in the industry. This discussion goes in many directions, and you’ll have to listen all the way to the end, so you don’t miss anything!

Here are the four questions Susie selected:

Q: If you had a free hour, what would we find you doing?

Q: If you won the lottery and could start a horticulture business from scratch, what would it be and what would it look like?

Q: What advice would you give to a young person considering pursuit of a career in horticulture?

Q: What does the future of horticulture look like? 

This episode is sponsored by Mycorrhizal Applications—master distributor of biological and botanical plant support solutions and the world’s leading supplier of mycorrhizal soil inoculants. Learn more and connect with the expert team at mycorrhizae.com.