(LEX 18) — For 100 years, Churchill Downs has had a professional horticulture team.
Matt Bizzell has been with Churchill for decades; he’s the lead horticulturist who makes one of the most iconic grounds in the Commonwealth come to life.
"I was a kid that spent a lot of time outside and in high school and college I worked at a local garden center, I took a job on the crew here at Churchill and thought it was temporary but 28 years later, I'm still doing the same thing," said Bizzell.
He’s responsible for thousands of plants on what is essentially a national stage.
"It's very nice to have your work displayed on national TV and in magazines, it's very moving," said Bizzell.
Every plant, every tree, every flower is cultivated by a crew of 8-10.
"It's a lot of care and effort and blood, sweat, and tears," said Bizzell. "We try to do new patterns and mix up colors; we have tons of tropicals and unique trees and shrubs to try to change it every year.”
The grounds crew works year-round, growing for the next Derby.
