Ornamental Horticulturist

Want to create wedding bouquets? Dream of owning a nursery? An Ornamental Horticulturist works with plants used in decoration or recreation. This is commonly done at a nursery, floral shop, or landscaping company.

Whether you own your own nursery or work as an Ornamental Horticulturist for someone else, your knowledge draws in customers. Because you know the light, heat, and watering requirements of each shrub, tree, plant, and herb, you are quick with answers. Customers often come into the nursery with a specific need. They want a low-maintenance flowerbed, have a completely shaded north side of the house, or need a plant to thrive in a swamp.

As a Florist or employee, you work with fresh, dried, and silk flowers. You put together corsages, boutonnieres, and other floral arrangements. You investigate flower providers, place orders, arrange for shipments, receive deliveries, and properly store each type of plant. Each flower requires different amounts of light, humidity, and water, so you carefully care for them. You also take orders and create wedding arrangements, such as floral bouquets and pew decorations.

You might also work as an Ornamental Horticulturist with a landscaping company, or consult those who do. In this position, you offer advice on what plants to place in a new housing division, for example. Or you specialize in a particular product, such as golf course grasses, and counsel owners on their selections. Wherever you dig in the dirt, your passion shines through as you rattle off genus names, water requirements, and height characteristics.