AMENITY HORTICULTURE I BHT324

Study horticultural management in amenity horticulture

  • Add to your horticultural knowledge
  • Enhance your skills as a horticultural manager of parks and gardens
This is an advanced course for horticultural managers, with prior training and/or experience, who are seeking to further develop their skills in horticultural management. The course investigates the nature and scope of Amenity Horticulture with respect to providing, establishing and managing amenity horticulture sites.
 
 

Home Studies Course - Amenity Horticulture

  • Learn to manage horticultural areas, from gardens and commercial landscapes to interior plantscapes and streetscaping.
  • Study a blend of management and horticulture; and improve your skills and employability as a manager of amenity horticulture

 

COURSE STRUCTURE AND CONTENTS

There are 7 lessons in this module as follows:

  1. Nature and Scope of the Amenity Horticulture Industry
  2. Global Variations: Nature and Scope of the Amenity Industry in Different Countries
  3. Benefits of Amenity Horticulture
  4. Amenity Horticulture Management Options
  5. Influences (Legal, Social etc)
  6. Determining Best Practice
  7. Preparing for the Future

 

Duration: 100 hours

 

Aims

  • Describe the complexity of the amenity horticulture industry
  • Compare the changing complexity of the amenity industry in the UK, your own country (if different to the UK), and at least one other country.
  • Discuss the diverse benefits that amenity horticulture offers to society.
  • Explain processes underlying the natural and man-made environments used to manipulate and control amenity sites effectively within economic and environmental parameters.
  • Identify legal, social, economic and environmental conditions that impact on amenity industry.
  • Demonstrate prudent use of financial and physical resources to manage amenity landscapes.
  • Identify and review the changing complexity of the amenity industry.

The horticulture industry can be divided into two broad sectors: the production sector, which is largely involved with producing food crops, and the amenity sector, which is involved with growing plants for recreational or ornamental purposes. However, these should not be seen as clear-cut divisions. The boundaries defining the two sectors tend to vary from country to country and between horticultural institutions and employers. For example, some horticulturists might view floriculture enterprises or wholesale nurseries as being in the production sector, while others would classify them as amenity industries

 

THE CHANGING NATURE OF AMENITY HORTICULTURE

Amenity horticulture was once a labour intensive industry, requiring relatively large numbers of people carrying out a multitude of physical tasks ranging from skilled work, such as tree surgery and pruning, to heavy labouring work such as digging or moving heavy loads of soil and rocks.

Engineering and scientific innovations, particularly since the mid 20th century, have changed the nature and scope of work in amenity horticulture. Innovations have not been the only factors in bringing about change though. Changing fashions, different lifestyles, economic pressures, and environmental changes have greatly impacted on the types of facilities and services used by the amenity horticulture industry, and also influenced what people want and expect from amenity horticulture.

 

Consider the following examples:

  • Concern about water shortages is causing many gardener owners to choose different plants, or to manage their plants differently, for example, using more mulch and implementing other water conservation techniques.
  • When the cost of maintaining gardens (private or public) increases too much, we seek garden designs that are low or no management.
  • Machinery is allowing us to handle heavy jobs faster and with less manpower (e.g. using machinery to reach the tops of tall trees, mow large areas, and remove dead trees), but only if the scale of operation is large enough to make the purchase and maintenance of expensive equipment viable.
  • Services are being carried out more and more by specialist contractors (outsourcing).
  • The world’s population is increasing. This increases the market for amenity horticulture, along with everything else. There may well be potentially increased demand in line with population growth (but this is a potential, and not necessarily a reality).
  • The amount of time that people work, sleep, rest, and participate in leisure activities will affect the need for amenity horticulture facilities such as sports grounds, public parks and golf courses.
  • The way people live and use their time in developed societies is in a constant state of change. People now spend more time using electronic devices (computers, i-pods, TVs etc.), and on a pro rata basis, may spend less time using public parks or in other leisure pursuits. On the other hand, the more health and exercising programs are promoted or supported institutionally, the more people need outdoor areas to exercise, relax and find contact with nature.
  • As cities grow and land prices increase, the available land (both public and private land) for horticulture is likely to diminish. The amount of horticulture does not necessarily decrease as a result – but the nature and scope changes.
  • As people become more affluent, they have surplus money to pay people to landscape and maintain their gardens, and even care for their indoor plants.
  • Legislative changes can (and have) also affected the nature and scope of amenity horticulture. Planning laws in some places require certain landscaping to be carried out and approved as part of property developments. Other laws require planting to be undertaken or maintained in a certain way; for example, ensuring branches or roots do not damage neighbouring properties, and controlling the spread of noxious weeds. Water safety concerns result in legislation to fence pools and ponds.
  •  Knowledge and awareness of health and safety factors increases and impacts on amenity horticulture. Certain plants that cause allergy problems are being avoided; fire resistant plants are being planted in preference to highly inflammable plants. Property security is another concern in garden design.
  •  As the physical and psychological importance of plants is understood and acknowledged, the nature and degree of attention given to amenity horticulture changes.

 

 

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