Biography of Bob Stewart

Bob was born in Washington, D.C. and planted his first vegetable garden at the age of 14.  After three years in the U.S. Army, including a tour in Vietnam, he attended the University of Maryland where he received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Ornamental Horticulture.  After working as a horticulturist for the Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission and an interior plant company he was hired by the University of Maryland Cooperative Extension Service as a horticultural extension educator in Prince George’s County.

As a horticultural extension educator he developed and carried out programs for both home gardeners and commercial horticultural companies.   During his extension career Bob has also work in the mass media.  He has had a gardening column in the Washington Times newspaper, a cable television gardening show in Prince George’s County and he and his wife Nicole hosted a weekly Gardening Show on WMAL Radio for five years.   Between 1985 and 1995 he taught night classes at Prince George’s Community College in Insect & Diseases of Ornamental Plants and Pesticide Use and Safety.

Bob retired from the University of Maryland in 2003 but he continues to stay active in the Maryland Master Gardener program where he teaches a number of classes.  He now enjoys gardening on his little three acre plot in Charles County, Maryland.  His 35 year interest in cacti and other types of succulent plants has expanded from a collection of approximately 300 potted plants to several large outdoor beds of winter hardy cacti and succulents.  He currently is the newsletter editor for the National Capital Cactus and Succulent Society and member of the Cactus and Succulent Society of America.

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