Careers in Horticulture

1644 Words4 Pages

Outdoor work has always been important to me, both on the farm and off it. As someone who enjoys working with my hands to accomplish something that is challenging and productive, horticulture was a natural field for me to look into as a career. Horticulture requires both physical strength and mental ability that is practical and based on solving a real-life problem, rather than simply being an intellectual exercise or on arbitrary conditions. Horticulture as a term is a rather broad definition of a variety of careers and activities; is it merely backyard gardening or is it biological research culminating in genetically modifying plants for the advancement of our economy and well-being? The answer is honestly both, and in this aspect, horticulture is a rare field of study offering both simple (on the face of it, at least) manual labor and incredibly advanced research and study careers. Horticulture is also rare in that it has ties to both age-old practices and traditions of gardening and plant production and new-age philosophies of environmentalism, research, and science. People have been cultivating plants for decoration and sustenance for millennia, and horticulture is the best term to describe these activities. However, horticulture is also the best description of the work done by scientists, researchers, and educators to advance our knowledge of both how plants grow and develop and how the world can utilize these properties. With that being said, to learn more about careers in horticulture the following research paper will describe the definition of horticulture, the education and qualifications necessary, and the specific careers available in horticulture. Horticulture is a broad topic of work, covering many different branche... ... middle of paper ... ...rs.aspx>. Lake Washington Technical College. Horticulture Careers. n.d. Online. 15 Jan. 2014. . Michigan State University. Department of Horticulture Students. 2009. Online. 2 Feb. 2014. . Oregon State University. Oregon State Department of Horticulture. 2014. Online. 16 Jan 2014. . Rethwisch, Michael D. Commercial Horticulture Production. n.d. Online. 26 Feb. 2014. . Smith, Virginia A. Is Horticulture a Withering Field. 14 Jan. 2014. Online. 20 Jan. 2014. . University of Minnesota. Discover Horticulture at the University of Minnesota. 2 Jan. 2014. Online. 29 Jan. 2014. .

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