Meet Larry Hurley, Perennials Specialist

Larry Hurley worked at Behnke Nurseries from 1984 until the business was composted in 2019, primarily with the perennial department in growing, buying and sales.

To prepare for his Behnke career, it was essential that he first be born, which he accomplished on a cold winter’s night in Wisconsin. Although not particularly interested in gardening as a child, he was always interested in nature and earned degrees in Zoology and Horticulture at the University of Wisconsin.

The “Lost Years”: Before landing at Behnke’s, he worked as a technician in a tissue culture lab, a houseplant “expert” at a florist shop, and inventory controller at a wholesale nursery in Dallas. With this and that, ten years passed.

When his wife Carolyn accepted a position at Georgetown University, Larry was hired at Behnke’s for the perennial growing department and garden center at Behnke’s Largo location. Although retired, founder Albert Behnke came to Largo on a regular basis to point out all the things we had done wrong that we thought were pretty well-hidden.  Eventually, Larry moved to the business office at Beltsville where he pursued various air-conditioned tasks while continuing to keep an eye on the perennials.

In 2021, Larry and Carolyn moved back to Wisconsin to be closer to family and further from traffic. After 37 years in a shaded yard in Maryland, he is happy to have a sunny lot where he can grow all sorts of new perennials, if only he can keep the rabbits at bay. He also enjoys cooking, traveling, and the snowblower.