Volunteer Spotlight: Janet Sieff

By Greta Engel

Phipps is well-known for our beautiful gardens, seasonal flower shows, pioneering sustainability initiatives, informative educational programs and community outreach. None of our work, however, would be possible without the knowledge and dedication of our volunteers. In this series of profiles, we meet some of the people who give their time to make Phipps possible.

Home ownership inspired volunteer Janet Sieff’s interest in plants and gardening. After buying her first home in 1989, she became obsessed with beautifying her surroundings. That newfound interest inspired her to start taking classes at Phipps in the early 1990s. “Because I traveled extensively, I could take only one class at a time and it was an 11-year journey to earn my Phipps Certificate of Horticultural Achievement in 2003,” says Janet. In 2015, she completed the Master Gardener Program which introduced her to volunteering at Phipps. Most recently, Janet completed the docent training program in 2023 to gain more knowledge and become an ambassador for such a special place!

Growing up, Janet trained to be a dancer in musical theatre and later pursued a master’s degree in communications. She recently retired from a 40-year career in higher education enrollment and admissions. Outside of her long-standing career and volunteer work, Janet has many hobbies! “In addition to gardening and landscaping, I am a rail-to-trail cyclist, world traveler, home chef, nature lover, aspiring seamstress and social butterfly. I have homes in Squirrel Hill and Boca Raton, Florida, so developing and maintaining landscapes in such different botanical zones is very fun and challenging,” she says.

 When asked to describe a typical day of volunteering, Janet explains that no day is the same. “I have done everything from weeding, sweeping, repotting, coat racking, wayfinding, event greeting, dishwashing, plant selling, garden club presenting, bug finding, garden contest judging, seed sorting, fact checking, phone calling, tabling, tour guiding, info providing, instructor assisting and wearing the Dr. Phipps hat!” Her favorite part of volunteering is maintaining and supporting the Conservatory alongside a network of “garden-obsessed colleagues” who share her passion for Phipps. Lookout for Janet during your next visit for some gardening tips!