What Environmental Horticulturists Do
Positions are available for environmental horticulture graduates in
the following areas:
Botanical/Theme Park Gardens: The many theme parks and botanical gardens
in Florida offer numerous employment opportunities involving landscape
management, plant production, plant collection, and educational displays
of scientific technology used to grow plants.
Communications: Writing for agricultural and garden magazines, newspapers,
radio or television can be a rewarding field for men and women trained
in environmental horticulture.
Government Service: You can become a county extension specialist in
environmental horticulture; a State of Florida, Division of Plant Industry
or USDA inspector; or a city, county or state park superintendent.
Grower Services: Seed firms, manufacturers of fertilizers, spray materials
and equipment need personnel with horticultural training to perform
a wide variety of tasks in research, development, technical service,
and sales work.
Business: You can operate your own business or be a manager of a nursery,
landscaping service, greenhouse, flower-plant shop, or garden center.
Companies marketing cut flowers and flowering plants, foliage, or woody
and tropical nursery plants employ graduates of our department. You
might prefer being a buyer of these items for a chain store, a government
institution, or a wholesale distribution firm.
Production: You can operate or become employed by companies producing
and selling turf, plant cuttings, or other finished plants.
Research: You can become a scientist or research assistant. Scientists
are constantly seeking to improve the quality of environmental plants
and their handling, storage, and marketing. Scientists may specialize
in plant breeding, plant nutrition, plant growth regulation by chemicals,
or other fascinating areas of plant research. Many employment opportunities
are available in agri-business firms and government research divisions.
Teaching: You can be a teacher. Environmental horticulturists with
proper qualifications can teach in high schools, technical schools,
community colleges, and universities. County extension agents and extension
specialists develop instructional programs to effect technology transfer.
Landscape Management: You can operate or become employed by companies
involved with landscape maintenance of apartment complexes, shopping
centers, and other developments.
Golf Course/
Athletic Field Management: You can become a superintendent at a golf
course, athletic field, or other turf facilities, overseeing the
turf and ornamental plants on-site.
Job Placement In Horticulture
Qualified students frequently find jobs prior to graduation. Notices
of available positions sent to the Environmental Horticulture Department
are posted on the departmental bulletin boards and announced to students
via e-mail. Faculty at all of our locations help students find full-time
employment. The Career Resource Center at the University of
Florida helps graduating seniors secure jobs by arranging interviews with interested
companies, keeping up-to-date records of job opportunities, and sponsoring
career conferences. They can be contacted at (352) 392-1601 or www.crc.ufl.edu/.
Environmental Horticulturist is a Rewarding Profession
Interesting Work: The variety of tasks and diversity in environmental
horticulture allow you to choose between indoor and outdoor work. There
is an interesting and rewarding career in any and all aspects of growing
plants for enjoyment and human welfare.
Good Salary: Starting salaries for environmental horticulture graduates
compare favorably with salaries in other agricultural commodities and
range from $25,000 - $35,000 or more per annum. Graduates usually move
up to management positions quickly, and see their salaries increase.
Opportunity
For Service: Environmental horticulture is rewarding in itself. It
provides you with the opportunity to help make the world a better
place by making man’s environment more livable. Reduction of
air pollution, soil erosion, noise abatement, and improved aesthetic
quality are but a few examples of the beneficial effects of knowledgeable
plant selection and utilization.
Who Hires Environmental Horticulturists?
Some of the organizations that hire environmental horticulturists
include:
• Agriculture chemical companies
• Agriculture equipment companies
• Arboreta, botanical gardens, municipal and state parks
• City, county, and state agencies
• Environmental consulting firms
• Fertilizer companies
• Flower growers and wholesalers
• Garden centers
• Garden magazines
• Golf Courses
• High Schools
• Landscape construction and maintenance companies
• Nurseries
• Retail flower shops
• Seed companies
• Sod farms
• State Cooperative Extension Service
• State Department of Agriculture
• Theme parks
• Tissue culture firms
• Turf management firms
• Universities and Community Colleges
• U.S. Department of Agriculture
The above information is from The Career Resource Center
University of Florida
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