Finland’s Faces in the U.S.: Hannu Hakkinen Makes the Ambassador’s Residence Bloom
Hannu Hakkinen has worked as a gardener at the Embassy of Finland in Washington, D.C. for almost 9 years. Hannu’s main task is taking care of the garden at the Ambassador’s residence and in addition, he spends at least one day a week tending the green area surrounding the embassy.
How long have you worked at the embassy and what brought you to D.C. in the first place?
In September it will be 9 years since I arrived to Washington, D.C. I was working at the city of Helsinki and the University of Helsinki prior to moving to D.C. It was pure coincidence that I ended up coming to the United States. I bought the newspaper Helsingin Sanomat one Wednesday, and noticed that there was an open position at the embassy. My friend said that I should apply for the position, and so I had an interview with the Ambassador at the time and got the job.
Are you a gardener by training?
No, I’m actually a wood technician by training. I was working on a construction site when a janitor from a close-by retirement home came to talk with me and asked whether I would like to take over his job for one year. I said sure, why not. When I was working as a janitor we had a big gardening project and that’s how I got interested in gardening.
How would you describe your day-to-day job?
My job is very versatile, and the changing seasons have a big impact on my work. The spring is the busiest season, my days are filled with cutting the trees and bushes, planting new flowers and taking care of pest control. In the summer I mow the lawn once a week, make sure all the plants get enough water and get rid of the weeds and garden pests. In the autumn raking the leaves takes a lot of time. It’s easy to stay busy even during the winter. There are always small reparations I can do, and when it snows a lot, it can take days to clear all the paths and driveways. In addition to working at the Ambassador’s residence, I take care of the green areas surrounding the embassy and also work as a driver and a guard at our different events.
What is the best part about your job?
I like the fact that my job is very independent and I get to do many different things. Dressing up as a Santa Claus at our annual EU Open House day is always a lot of fun, and one year I got to help our chef to prepare 60 pounds of smoked salmon for an event. Another memorable event was when Nightwish performed at the embassy. The band was so early that they first came to my apartment to kill some time. I enjoy living in the U.S. and don’t really miss anything from Finland because there is a sauna right next to my apartment!