Landscape Horticulture - Explore A Career
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| Skills needed to succeed in the Landscape Horticulture field |
This is a listing of skills that will supplement your college education. Develop them early!
Learn how to
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- First Aid/CPR
- Computer - spreadsheet
- Knowledge of integrated pest management or other application of pesticides
- Chainsaw operation and maintenance
- Equipment Maintenance
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- Key Boarding
- College completion in any of the following: silviculture, forestry, arboriculture, landscaping, or horticulture programs
- Plant Identification
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Operate Vehicles
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- Learn to operate trucks, 4 x 4, and standard transmission
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| Take up a hobby |
- Gardening
- Bonsai
- Hiking
- Recreational tree climbing
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| Your working conditions |
- Either outdoors or in a greenhouse
- Heavy physical labor
- Operating equipment such as chainsaws or chippers
- Busy season is from February to June, peaking in May
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| Career Advice |
- ATTEND the Unity Career Fair - talk with the professionals in your field, conduct informational interviews
- TALK with upperclassman - where did they volunteer, intern, and find employment?
- ASK faculty, and CRC about Unity alumni who are employed in the Landscape Horticulture field. Call alumni who are working in an area you want to work; introduce yourself, let them know you are looking for advice, internship, job
- JOIN a professional horticulture or forestry association
- ATTEND area, state, regional, national wildlife conferences
- READ Journal of Forestry, Northern Journal of applied Forestry, American Forest, any and all environmental/recreation publications; Sand County Almanac, Burning of an Empire.
- CHECK the CRC Employment web site regularly Click Here
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| Jobs for Landscape Horticulture Students |
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| What types of positions can I work in? |
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Positions to look for during college to gain experience and skills:
- Nurseries that grow and sell tree and shrubs
- Landscape companies
- Greenhouses
- Tree care companies
- Lawn care companies
- Arboretums and botanical gardens
Volunteering even half a day a week for the summer will provide you with valuable
experience. You may need to ask repeatedly before being taken on as a volunteer.
When you have some experience, look for seasonal, part-time and temporary positions:
Landscape, tree and lawn care companies Arboretums and botanical gardens Garden centers, greenhouses and nurseries Municipal parks, and urban forestry departments Urban forestry consultants
Remember it's all about NETWORKING. If you don't network how is anybody to know who you are and what you have to offer? Volunteering is where you are given the chance to schmooze with the professionals, use it wisely. This is where a lot of people get their first jobs.
Definition of "NETWORKING"- Introducing yourself to, and getting to know, people who might be able to tell you about a job. "An estimated 80% of all jobs are filled by word of mouth even though they may be advertised." The Career Search Handbook
When you graduate possible job titles include
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- Landscape architect assistant
- Landscape contractor
- Landscape designer
- Arbor culturist
- Floriculturist
- Gardener, landscaper
*Note: not all of these jobs are entry level
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| After Unity, what do alumni do? |
Title and Organization
- Cultural Resource Manager, Cape Hatteras National Seashore, National Park Service
- Assistant Backyard Conservation Program Manager, Nevada Tahoe Conservation District
- Landscaping, Lord’s Cove Nursery & Landscape Co.
- Tree Care Foreman; Spray Program Foreman, Bartlett Tree Experts
- City Arborist, City of Lewiston
- Horticultural Coordinator, 34th Street District in Manhattan
- Owner, Landscape Firm
- Shore land Investigator, Wetlands Bureau of the NH Department of Environmental Science
- Senior Climber, Johnson’s Arboriculture-Tree keepers LLC
- Community Assistance Forester, Washington State Department of Natural Resources
- Tree Specialist, Natures Own Tree Specialists
Visit the CRC and get contact information for alums so
you can get advice from former Unity students.
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| Develop a gift wish list |
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If anyone asks what you would like for your birthday, Christmas, Chanukah, graduation etc. suggest the following
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- Tree Anatomy, Shigo, 1994
- Tree Maintenance, Pirone, 2000 7th ed
- Insects that Feed on Trees and Shrubs, Sinclair, 1990
- Diseases of Trees and Shrubs, Johnson, 1991 2nd ed. Rev.
- Felco #5 Hand Shears
- Climbing harness and rope
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Need some equipment in the meantime? Stop by the equipment room in the OAC. With a $20.00 refundable deposit you can take out equipment including canoes, backpacks, snowshoes, skis, wet suits and much more!
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| Grad School Links |
- GradSchool.com - Horticulture This site will allow you to search for schools that have horticulture graduate programs.
- Petersons.com
A graduate school database in which you can search over 35,000 graduate programs. Try searching for "horticulture" and/or "landscape architecture" programs
- Unity CRC Graduate School info Page CRC webpage dedicated to graduate studies
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| Professional Association Links |
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For more information about the Landscape Horticulture degree at Unity College click here
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