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Overview

Who would have thunk it? An authority no less than Forbes magazine has reported that Horticulture is a booming industry for entrepreneurs and a profession in which six-figure incomes are feasible. If you thought Horticulture was a backyard hobby, think again: it's a lucrative business.

So just what does this thriving enterprise involve, you ask? Basically Horticulture is the art, science, and business of growing fruits, vegetables, ornamental plants, and turfgrasses. Horticulturists arrange plants and flowers around the exterior landscapes of residences, office buildings, baseball fields, and virtually every respectable golf course. They also grow, maintain, market, and distribute all manner of plants. They improve plants through genetic manipulation, too.

If you major in Horticulture, you'll learn a lot about agriculture and the biological sciences. In fact, you'll become an expert in all things plant-related: plant structures, plant diseases, plant genetics, soils, and the insects and organisms that affect plants. You are likely to specialize as well. Specialties include Landscape Horticulture, which combines plant science and principles of design to create cheerful environments; Ornamental Production; and Commercial Fruit and Vegetable Production.