Since the day she first saw a daffodil in her Sunday school teacher’s garden at the age of five, Dianne Noland’s passion for plants never left her. Noland, a teaching associate in the department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, teaches floral design classes, as well as landscaping and a flower judging class at the University.

“The first plant I saw was a daffodil. I was so amazed at the color, the shape and the spring air – the whole package,” Noland said, her smile widening with each word. “It was the whole package.”

That moment led her to what she wanted to do for the rest of her life, Noland said. She went on to major in horticulture at the University and later expanded to caring for vegetables, fruits and cut flowers.

Noland said that as a professor in horticulture and floral design since 1980, she has had the privilege of working with her favorite passions – both people and plants.

“I really try to learn all my students’ names,” she said, referring to her design classes that enroll more than 100 students some semesters. “I use the same observation skills when I try to learn plant names. If you treat students with respect, they will return it.”

Zach Gray, junior in ACES, said that before taking Noland’s class, he could never picture himself interested in floral design, and the class is among his favorites. Gray recently made a design inspired by his experience as a football player at the University. The piece, which features field turf and white carnations as a yard line, stands in the hallway of the Plant Science Laboratory. Gray, who is also interested in teaching agriculture in the future, hopes to be a “loud and crazy” teacher like Noland one day.

“I want to take some of the aspects she has and be a fun teacher like her,” Gray said. “She is very dedicated to her work and makes time for each individual.”

Students have graduated from the University to go into jobs as florists, garden center and botanic garden managers, landscapers and professors like Noland. For floral designs for special occasions like weddings, Noland highly recommends her former students, including Deb Hummel, the owner of Upsie Daisy, a floral shop, 307 S. Locust St. in Champaign.

“Professors like her continued my interest in (horticulture),” Hummel said. “I felt at home in the college of ACES.”

Noland said she tries to inject “variety” and “surprise” in each of her classes.

“I think it’s important to convey class material in an interesting way. I try to motivate my students,” Noland said.

Noland said nature and plants have a special way of influencing people. As proof, she cites the saying that “gardeners never need therapy.” Last semester a student told Noland she felt sick before class but felt significantly better having been in lab.

“Plants give you an awesome sense of nature,” Noland said. “It is attitude-elevating to be around nature. I tell people if you have flowers, pets or a young child, it elicits happy responses in others and yourself.”

Looking at nature itself is a good inspiration for floral design, Noland said. She also finds inspiration in art, fashion and music. Noland sometimes plays music in her class to inspire her students to create and often invites a singing quartet she formed with University employees to her classes for a surprise performance.

Although she has no complaints about her job, she said one of the challenges as a professor is time management. Every Thursday evening, Noland hosts a live panel to answer questions about plants on WILL television station. Noland is also the coach and co-teacher of a flower judging class she shares with Daniel Warnock, associate professor in the department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences.

Warnock said they bounce ideas and energy off of one another, as he teaches the production aspects of planting while Noland focuses on design. Warnock said the unique combination is a “nice blend” of teaching not many universities have.

“She is very passionate about her field – floral culture – and she is very knowledgeable, which comes from years of experience,” Warnock said. “When you combine the passion and knowledge with the energy she brings to the classroom, you have an excellent teacher.”