PROGRAMS | PERSONAL SERVICES

HORTICULTURE

This program stresses a highly creative design process in its training.  Individuals must be willing to work in a variety of conditions in some of the areas of instruction.  The main areas of concentration include Floral Design, Greenhouse Management and Landscape Construction.  Floral Design centers on arranging live and artificial flowers in a shop setting.  Special attention is paid to developing a creative eye from the basic corsage to the most elaborate wedding order.  Greenhouse Management concentrates on the daily tasks of growing and selling various tropical plants.  The basics of watering, fertilizing, transplanting, and monitoring the plants' well-being is the core of this area.  Landscaping duties include maintaining the outside property by using various hand and power tools.  Designing garden areas and installing a range of landscape products including brick and paver walkways, decorative ponds, and stone retaining walls are also included in this area.  Our curriculum is internet based and can be accessed from any computer with internet capability.  If you do not have a computer at home there are computers available in the program area during normal school hours.  Documents may be printed out in shop and taken home for weekly homework assignments. 

Recommended Scope and Sequence *  This link will connect you to the scope and sequence which lists the recommended high school and postsecondary courses for students in this program of study. This information will be valuable when scheduling courses or investigating postsecondary options. It is recommended that students take the highest level academics possible in order to take full advantage of their program. These rigorous academics will provide a seamless transition into postsecondary education without remediation and provide a student with the general knowledge necessary for the industry.

Click the image to view the Horticulture Program video clip.* * requires Adobe Flash Player

Potential Earnings
Click here to access the O*Net website. Once online, click "Crosswalk Search" and go to Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) and enter either the below SOC code or job title in the search box and click "go", this will bring up the matching job titles. Click on the job title to view information about that job.

Job Titles
11-9011.01   Nursery & Greenhouse Managers
27-1023       Floral Designers
37-1012       First-Line Supervisors/Managers of Landscaping,                   Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers
37-3011       Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers
41-2031       Retail Salespersons
45-2092       Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and
                  Greenhouse
LOCAL         Gardening Helper

Articulation Agreements
Pennsylvania College of Technology

Student Certifications
NOCTI - National Occupational Competency Testing Institute Certification
OSHA Safety Certification

INSTRUCTOR

Mr. Mark A. Vrabic

Biography
I am a happily married father of two children.

Date of hire: August 1993

Education
Associates Degree in Biology from NCACC
Bachelor's Degree in Ornamental Horticulture from Delaware Valley College
Master's Degree in Education from Gratz College

Certifications
Vocational Education II Teaching Certification – Temple University

Experience
Landscape designer, Garden Center Manager

Community service
FFA advisor

Interests
Fishing, gardening, bird watching, spending time with my family

Awards
Honor fraternity while in college

Message
Learning a valuable career, especially one that beautifies the world is very rewarding. Whether specializing in floral design, greenhouse management, or landscape design you will be exposed to plants and have the ability to grow, nurture, and create unique designs. So, if you don’t mind getting a little dirty, and working with plants, this is the career for you.

 

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