Off the Cuff With Hollis H. Malone August 11, 2008 Manger of Horticulture and Pest Control, Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, Nashville
By Jennifer Juergens
Q: What's one story that really stands out from your 25 years at the hotel?
A: It was Christmas of 1983—the hotel's first year to do "A Country Christmas." All the staff was excited about displaying poinsettias in the large atrium garden, The Conservatory. The horticulture staff was also putting up over a million lights in trees on the property. Well, little did we know that the squirrels on property were going to be our biggest adversary in completing our task. The squirrels continued to cut our light lines with their sharp teeth and we kept repairing the trees and praying we would make the deadline. The lights were all to come on at one time when the country music great Roy Acuff flipped the switch at the opening ceremony. My job was at stake, and I was nervous and excited—would my job depend on the eastern gray squirrel? As luck has it we made it through the flip of the switch and everything came on. The crowd was ecstatic, and it was my best Christmas ever.
Back then we tended to 1.5 acres, today it's over eight, and we display 30,000 poinsettias and put up over 2 million lights at Christmas.
Q: When did you realize you would be a lifer at the hotel?
A: I started in 1982 and in 1996 we were opening the Delta garden, a 4.5-acre indoor garden to complement the other two areas, the Conservatory and the Cascades. I knew then if the management would see fit, then I wanted to finish my career here to see the gardens develop and mature—kind of like raising your kids to get them grown.
Q: What do you love about your job?
A: I love my job because I have one of the best facilities in the country to practice my profession and continue to learn and grow each day as a horticulturist. Our horticulture staff is devoted to constantly improving our grounds and interior gardens for our guests' enjoyment during their stay. The management here is committed to our success and supports our department. The philosophy and values of our company align with mine. And last but not least, I feel valuable to the company and get a great satisfaction working here every day.
Q: And your favorite part?
A: The favorite part of my job is seeing my coworkers each day and interacting with the variety of guests that visit throughout the year. The guests make me feel special and are always complimenting our work. I have a lot of variety in tasks each day and spend more time outside in the gardens than in an office. I love to help out in the greenhouses and propagate plants for our gardens.
Q: Does gardening run in the family?
A: My passion for planting comes from both sets of my grandparents who were avid gardeners who loved the earth and everything it produced. My fascination with plants began in the first grade, when I grew zinnias from seeds planted in half eggshells.
Q: Any other hobbies?
A: I'm a big sports fan, especially "Big Orange" [the University of Tennessee], my alma mater. I love to fish, hunt and camp. I've also taught Sunday school for nearly twenty years.
Q: Family?
A: My wife Debbie and I have four sons and eight grandchildren.
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