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Grow Careers exists for just one reason, to ensure there is a vibrant and skilled workforce capable of maintaining a competitive economy and ensuring that our natural environment, in all its forms, is in safe hands.
Our vision is to be a clear, inspiring source of information for entering into, or progressing within, the horticultural industry. Our mission is to both increase the number of new entrants into the sector, and inform progression and diversification of careers within the industry.

To achieve the above we provide guidance and advice to anyone that needs it. We are here to help, be it through providing profiles of those already working within the industry to inspire and excite, respond to careers questions via email, or share the advice we have collected from experienced horticultural professionals.

Grow Careers Scotland 2023 Recording

If you missed this year’s Grow Careers Scotland event, or simply want to revisit it, the recordings can be found in the CIH webinars library.

David Domoney CHort FCIHort – Careers in Horticulture

David Domoney, Chartered horticulturist, writer, broadcaster and ambassador for the Chartered Institute of Horticulture, shares his experiences of working within the horticulture industry. A regular on ITV’S This Morning and co-presenter of Alan Titchmarsh’s Love Your Garden, David explains why horticulture is so much more than simply gardening.

Leah Jones

Team Leader

I love changing the machines over getting dirty driving the forklift that’s just me it’s perfect for me…

Meet Leah

Lachlan Rae

Head Gardener

What is great about the horticultural industry is the variation of professions and disciplines…

Meet Lachlan

Marc Jones

Managing Director

There are so many reasons working with plants has been my first love…

Meet Marc

Michael Walker

Consultant

Michael shares his tips on the skills required to progress to Head Gardener roles, the challenges and opportunities in the sector and the concept of ‘sense of place’.

Meet Michael

What does a career in horticulture actually look like? 

Can’t decide which area of horticulture is right for you?

 

 

 

Art & design
Set your imagination free by designing fabulous gardens, green spaces and floral displays. Help shape the physical environment around us, which has a huge effect on our everyday moods and health. You can also express yourself in art and the media, painting pictures, taking photographs, broadcasting online, on radio and TV, and writing books and magazine articles.

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Business Production & Food
The UK horticulture industry is worth over £5 billion each year. Businesses that grow fruit and veg employ over 50,000 people, while ornamental plant nurseries and garden centres produce and sell millions of plants, generating thousands more jobs. And it’s not just the green fingered among us who are valued, there are plenty of opportunities for technical or mechanically-minded workers, as well as sales people and entrepreneurs.

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Heritage & Conservation
Are you brave enough to take charge of our country’s garden and landscape crown jewels? Many of our historic gardens are used as beautiful stage sets for films and TV dramas, and they also contain some of the most valuable plant collections in the world. You will be responsible for conserving rare plants and crafts skills to hand on to the next generation. You can also unlock historical mysteries and symbols to tell the stories of how these gardens were created and what they mean.

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Health & Wellbeing
Plants and horticulture help heal and boost people’s fitness and mental health. People suffering all levels of physical and mental ailments can be helped and sometimes rehabilitated through helping to grow plants and gardening. The scents, sights and textures of gardens, as well as the act of gardening itself can re-awaken memories and reignite stifled energies and abilities.

As well as those listed below, other related jobs include Project coordinator, Garden Designer for sensory or therapeutic gardens and Gardener.

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Plant Science & Technology
Make a difference by developing new food crops and technologies which will help to feed an ever growing global population and aid their wellbeing. Help find urgently needed solutions to the environmental challenges we face. New pests and diseases are appearing all the time and we need scientists to help us fight them.

While it is easy to categorise different careers within horticultural science and technology, many problems require more than one specialisation so many scientists work in multidisciplinary teams to solve specific problems.  This creates a complete range of career paths from the narrow specialist to the broad general scientist or engineer.
There are many science careers either within horticulture or interacting with horticulture and the topics below attempt to give a general flavour.  However, there are many more for example engineers designing machinery or greenhouses and mathematicians studying plant populations, Plant Health Inspectors and Lecturers.

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Sports, Leisure & Green Space
The best sportsman need the best turf to play on, and it takes the top science, muscle and machinery to keep it playing well. Green spaces are everywhere from town squares and parks to golf courses and hospitals, offering fitness, beauty, health and variety. Our parks and public gardens are the green lungs for our cities, and you could help create and manage them for thousands of people to enjoy.

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