Horticulture

What is Environmental Horticulture?  The word "horticulture," derived from Latin, means "to cultivate a garden."  "Environmental" refers to the quality of our surroundings and human living spaces. Today we define Environmental Horticulture as the science and art of cultivating plants for human and environmental benefit.

Among the fastest growing industries in America, California's environmental horticulture industry enhances people's lives by improving their surroundings with healthy, living, oxygen-producing plants.  The environmental horticulture industry is all around us in green parks, finely manicured commercial properties, shade trees on neighborhood streets, interior landscapes in shopping malls, and the trees, shrubs and flowers that beautify private homes.

California's environmental horticulture industry leads the nation by commanding over a quarter of U.S. wholesale nursery production and retail sales, and creating thousands of jobs and new businesses each year.  In Sonoma County the expansion of the industry has increased the demand for qualified employees to fill various rewarding career positions that offer good salaries and benefits.  At Santa Rosa Junior College we are preparing students to fill those positions.

The Environmental Horticulture Program Offers a Variety of Career Options
Whether you want to run your own business or prefer the security of working for an established company, the environmental horticulture industry provides a dynamic future for the career-oriented individual. Environmental horticulture includes wholesale and retail nursery businesses, greenhouse production of cut flowers and indoor plants, and floral design services.  It also encompasses the entire landscape and turf industry, which designs, installs, constructs, plants, and maintains attractive and useful outdoor environments.  Current horticulture job opportunities.




 

Quality Instruction
SRJC's award-winning environmental horticulture instructors are dedicated experts who provide the very best instruction and service to students.  Some adjunct faculty are owners of successful local horticulture businesses and are industry leaders themselves.

Most courses incorporate hands-on learning activities where knowledge and skills are gained through real experience in realistic settings, such as a greenhouse, nursery, or in a landscape project on the campus grounds.  SRJC's Environmental Horticulture Program is strongly supported by the horticulture industry in Sonoma County that regularly seeks out SRJC graduates to fill good job positions.  Many enterprises hire students part-time while they are still completing coursework.

Certificate Programs
The following certificates are designed as a career ladder in which most courses in the smaller unit certificates can be carried over to the requirements for the larger, more comprehensive certificates.  Students can build their qualifications as they take more horticulture courses.

• Environmental Horticulture - Garden Design Career Certificate
• Environmental Horticulture - Garden Design with CAD Skills Career Certificate
• Environmental Horticulture - Landscape Maintenance Skills Competency Certificate
• Environmental Horticulture - Landscape Management Career Certificate
• Environmental Horticulture - Landscape Technician Competency Certificate
• Environmental Horticulture - Nursery Management Career Certificate
• Environmental Horticulture - Nursery Technician Competency Certificate
• Environmental Horticulture - Retail Garden Center Skills Competency Certificate

Associate Degree Programs
Associate degrees are available to students who complete additional course requirements beyond the certificates. 

• Environmental Horticulture - Garden Design Major
• Environmental Horticulture - Garden Design w/CAD Skills Major
• Environmental Horticulture - Landscape Management Major
• Environmental Horticulture - Nursery Management Major