 Careers
in Horticulture
Opportunities in horticulture provide responsibility, challenge,
achievement, satisfaction, personal growth, and financial reward.
For many professionals in the industry, the opportunity to work
with nature is the most important reward. Growing trees, shrubs,
and other plants, touches nearly every aspect of human life.
Prospects
Job Descriptions
Preparing for a Career in Horticulture
Scholarship Opportunities
Career Prospects
in Horticulture
The American Nursery & Landscape Association predicts that
its industry will continue to have attractive openings for a wide
range of college graduates, and many technical or two-year school
students.
Opportunities in horticulture provide responsibility, challenge,
achievement, satisfaction, personal growth, and financial reward.
For many professionals in the industry, the opportunity to work
with nature is the most important reward. Growing trees, shrubs,
and other plants, touches nearly every aspect of human life.Thes
natural products protect and improve the environment. Research shows
that, among many benefits, plants help purify our air and water,
they guard against erosion, and provide shelter, warmth, cooling
effects, windbreaks, food, and beauty.
Current research even tells us that beautiful natural views enhance
our well-being. Professionals in the nursery/landscape industry
bring these benefits to the public in a variety of ways.
For potential horticultural careers, a wide variety of interests
and educational/employment experience is valuable to the industry.
Just to name a few: agricultural sciences, business administration,
biology, agronomy, forestry, horticulture, soil management, mechanics,
marketing, advertising, communications, sales, retailing, landscape
design, educational research, packaging, and transportation.
Defining the Industry
Workplace
Industry opportunities involve every facet of plant care - among
them growing, selling, and using plants in landscape design. Here
are some descriptions of industry businesses.
Wholesale Nursery - operations focus on production;
they grow plants for sale to retail nurseries or landscape contractors.
Retail Nursery/Garden Center - sells plants, items
for use in lawn and garden work, and related consumer products.
Landscape Contractor - offers special services
to design, prepare, and install landscapes for large and small sites.
Mailorder Nursery - grows plants for retail sale
to consumers through the mail.
Online Nursery - mostly marketing at this time,
buying form grower outlets.
Career Descriptions
Career opportunities may correspond with a variety of interests.
This industry includes many members with diverse background and
skills, who help to grow nursery plants and get them to the consumer
and the landscape site.
Propagator - Supervises crews directly involved in producing
new plants from seed, cuttings, layering, and grafting. Manages
production facilities and schedules.
Production Superintendent - Oversees all of the nursery's
production phases, form planting to shipping. Makes operations decisions.
Division Manager - Manages production in one of the major
divisions of a large wholesale grower operation.
Crew Supervisor - One of the skilled managers and trainers
directing others in various nursery production operations.
Pest Management Specialist - Responsibilities include prevention
and control of destructive insects, diseases, and weeds.
Inventory Controller - Manages nursery inventory and quality
control by selecting stock according to buyer specifications and
industry standards.
Shipping Manager - Supervises order assembly, packing and
shipping schedules.
Landscape Designer/Architect - Prepares landscape designs
and specifications through a nursery or an independent design firm.
Landscape Supervisor - Manages and trains landscape installation
crews.
Landscape Superintendent - Coordinates all of the nursery's
landscape installation.
Landscape Manager - Supervises all phases of day-to-day
plant care in the landscape contractor business.
Arborist - Responsibilities focus on protecting and maintaining
landscape trees.
Business Specialists - Successful nurseries need such professionals
in a variety of fields: management, marketing, advertising, sales,
direct mail, finance, personnel, customer service, etc.
How to prepare for
a Career in Horticulture
Many nursery and landscape managers at all levels learn their skills
on the job, advancing as their knowledge and skills grow. Others
bring to the job skills they developed while preparing for a different
career. And others become skilled through formal educational programs
combined with industry employment experience. A good basic knowledge
of the growing sciences is a plus for anyone seeking career success
in this industry. Through their horticulture curricula, high schools
and vocational centers offer nursery and landscape courses in skill
development, an important component at school and in the workplace.
Arboreta and public gardens also provide educational programs; at
these institutions students earn a certificate instead of a diploma
when they complete a program.
A number of junior and community colleges, as well as other schools,
offer 2-year associate degree programs. These technical courses
apply directly to careers, and they often include field training
as well as hands-on experience. Such programs tend to cost less
and the school schedules tend to be more flexible; two valuable
advantages for students with full or part-time jobs.
Bachelor's degree programs at 4-year universities and colleges
offer more opportunities for career and general educational development.
Specialties in such areas as nursery management and landscape management,
design, or architecture build on a strong foundation in the growing
sciences. Other agricultural and plant sciences, as well as business
courses, provide more career preparation.
Work or on-the-job experience is also very important. Industry
and university partnerships offer part-time summer, co-op and internship
opportunities form which students receive invaluable experience,
s well as pleasure and income.
To learn more about this field and profession, talk to your local
retail nursery/garden center, wholesale nursery, landscape firm,
the Texas Nursery & Landscape Association, or extension agent.
SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
TNLA Education & Research
Foundation
Scholarships are offered to Texas residents attending one of the
following approved schools. Collin County Community College, Central
Texas College, Houston Community TTY College, Northeast Texas Community
College, Palo Alto College, Richland College, Sam Houston State,
Texas State University, Stephen F. Austin State University, Tarleton
University, Tarrant County
College, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas A&M
University, Commerce, Texas A&M University,
Kingsville, Texas State Technical College, Texas Tech University,
Trinity Valley College, Tyler Junior College, University of Texas,
Austin, Wharton County Junior College, and Western Texas College.
Application deadline is June 1 of each year.
Horticultural
Research Institute
The Horticultural Research Institute (HRI) has four scholarships
available to students studying horticulture, landscaping and other
related nursery industry studies. Each year HRI offers awards
from $1,000 to $2,500 or more. Eligibility requirements are
different for each scholarship. All scholarship applications
are due April 1 of each year.
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