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-Shilpa

No experience over there, but am graduating this Thursday (June 15) from Spokane Comm. Coll. with a 2 year degree in Greenhouse/Nursery Management. Program is great as are all the instructors. I heard Vancouver has a pretty good program too.

Vera

Hi, Laura,

A neighbor of mine, who was a serious garden hobbyist for many years, decided to make a career change to horticulture and chose the program at Edmonds. She was very happy with the program there. We live in south Seattle, so it was quite a haul to get up there for classes--it must have been worth the drive!

Best of luck with turning over your new leaf!
Angie Kantola

I went to Edmonds, Laura. Great experience. So did several of our local GWers.

Edmonds was, and probably still is, top notch..though I've heard South Seattle and Lake WA Tech are pretty good too.

Hi Doris!!

The School of Horticulture & Agribusinessfers in Ontario offers a Horticultural Technician Program designed to prepare graduates to work effectively in a variety of positions in the horticultural industry where knowledge and skills in horticultural techniques are required. They also offer a Greenhouse Technician (Co-op), Landscape Technician (Co-op) and Winery and Viticulture Technician Program (Co-op). Programs offer practical instruction and the opportunity to learn and practice in the industry.

Here is a link that might be useful: School of Horticulture

Bit of a commute from the Seattle area.......;-)

I went to Edmonds - about 27 years ago. Can't comment on current program, only one of faculty at that time still present. Maybe it would be just as well to choose college nearest you.

I studied Horticulture at South Seattle Comm. College. Their program is great, and so is the arboretum! Van Bobbitt and Sarah Skamser are excellent instructors. I recommend it, especially if it's closer to where you live.

IF you decide on enrichment rather than career you might look into the Master Gardener Program through your local university extension office.

Hi Laura,
I graduated from the Edmonds program a year ago June, with an associate's in Nursery/Greenhouse Mgmt---and I LOVED the experience. Walt Bubelis, who has taught there for 35+/- years, is awesome. I'm very happy with the level of instruction there...and I think Edmonds is highly regarded as the best choice for a two yr. Hort program in Puget Sound...

~Lisa

Thanks for the recent responses folks.

Since I first posted this, I have completed two full quarters at Edmonds towards a two-year in Nursery/Greenhouse management.
The study is a breeze but the commute is a nightmare. I used the two hour a.m. drive to study a bit and have just been given a spanish course on CD's so I can use the drive time productively.

Walt is great, so is Dave Schmidt. I have been most surprised by the make-up of the classes. Some classmates have 20 years experience in the business while others have just acquired their first-ever houseplant. I imagine its hard for the instructors to find balance.

I intend to get the two year degree and test for the CPH. I'll be looking for internships this spring or summer, so if anyone has any info to offer on that topic I'd certainly appreciate it.

There is an interesting online course this winter - Plants in Public Gardens. I'm going to take it in hopes that I can gleen info to help me list and document the nearly a thousand taxa in my backyard.

Laura

As an alumni of Lake Washington's Horticulture program I just wanted to give a shout out to the Lake Washington Institute of Technology's Environmental Horticulture Program. Don Marshall and Chris Smith are excellent instructors each well versed and respected in their fields. If you are looking into horticulture programs it's another one to consider. I've ran across many alumni students that are not only competent but highly respected members of the industry in the 14 years since I graduated from the program.