A career within horticulture can often be a bit confusing.
What is horticulture?
By Definition Horticulture is the art of cultivating plants in gardens to produce food and medicinal ingredients, or for comfort and ornamental purposes, but this does not tell the whole story
Horticulture has been fundamental to most civilisations, with plants being essential not only for food, materials and decoration but also the general health and well being of the population. Great empires have been built in the pursuit and cultivation of plants.
Why do we need horticulture?
Horticulture provides nutritious food but also sustains and enriches our homes, communities and landscapes.
Research shows that horticulture has a positive impact on our health and well being, spending time in a park, garden or other green space significantly reduces stress and addresses both physical and mental anxiety.
A 2018 research paper by HTA (Horticultural Trades Association) on the Economic Impact of Ornamental Horticulture and Landscaping in the UK highlights this profession as supporting a workforce of over 568,000 people,
There are many different types of horticulture career, the possibilities are endless
Landscape horticulture
The professional world of landscape horticulture combines the creative with the practical, and covers a wide range of businesses from small companies like self employed gardener or designer, to larger companies where you may be a team leader, contract manager or all the way up to managing Director.
There are a wide range of employment opportunities, a variety of gardens, parks and public spaces. You could specialise in areas such as coastal regions, waterways or sites of wildlife and ecological importance.
Horticulture Research
Studying for a horticulture science degree can lead to a career in botany, research, plant breeding, plant health or teaching.
Ornamental horticulture
Ornamental horticulture involves the production of plants in a wide range of sizes and shapes from tiny plug plants all the way up to massive mature trees.
Art & Design
Do you have an artistic flair, You could create a career in art and the media, painting pictures, photography, broadcasting online, on radio and TV, and writing books and magazine articles.
Retail horticulture
Lots of horticulturists start out helping in a local garden centre or nursery and catch the bug. There are many opportunities in retail, and career progression can be swift, often a career in garden sundries can be forged.
Vegetable & Fruit horticulture
You could be responsible for the production, growing, harvesting and distribution of vegetable and fruit crops. It is an ever-growing and popular area of production, from small scale all the way up to cutting edge technology.
Amenity and Turf
Most sports need some kind of horticultural management, it is an exciting international industry and includes all aspects of the production and maintenance of sports or leisure venues, you could work with venues such as Wimbledon, The Oval, Twickenham, Wembley, Sunningdale, Tottenham Hotspur F.C and lots more.
with such a wealth of opportunities available to you the question is where do you start? We have been asking some professionals currently working within the industry a bit about how they got to where they are and why they love it so much, and with any luck this will guide and inspire you to join them!