Horticulture is the cultivation of both ornamental plants and the production of fruit and vegetables on a commercial scale. The cut flower industry can also be included. In terms of places or businesses that are included under the umbrella of the term ‘horticulture’ are:
- Private (that includes the humble garden that we call ours at home (including balconies or your indoor plants, more on this later), public and botanical gardens,
- Plant nurseries where we buy plants and gardening equipment
- Garden design
- Farms that grow the fresh produce and flowers we buy
Within this broad industry, there are a range of jobs, including (but not limited to):
- Gardener/horticulturalist
- Designers
- Propagation scientists
- Landscape managers
- Soil scientists
- Growers of flowers, nursery plants and fruit and vegetables
Some people seem to assume that ‘gardening’ and ‘horticulture’ are different, and that ‘horticulture’ is posh not for them. In reality, they are one and the same. They both involve the tending of plants, to create amazing gardens or growing our food, it can often just be the scale that differs.
All photos are my own.