Case Study - Horticulturist

Name: Kate Mangen
Job: Horticulturalist (www.gardenworks.ie)

I am currently working as a Plant Area Manager in Gardenworks, Malahide; a plant lover’s paradise! When I was growing up gardening was always a big thing in my house as my Dad is a very keen gardener so my interest began at an early age.

In my final year at school I decided I wanted to do something a bit different and Horticulture is just that. I get a buzz out of doing creative interesting things and working outside and doing physical work (not sitting at a desk all day) is also important to me.

I studied Horticulture in the National Botanic Gardens and received a Diploma in Amenity Horticulture after my 3 years there. I was really drawn to this particular course because it was so varied. The horticultural subjects included Plant Identification, Garden & Landscape design, Floristry & Green Keeping. Business subjects included Marketing, Business Management, Communications and HR to name a just a few.

As part of the course 2nd year students are expected to complete 6 months’ work experience in the horticultural industry. This is so valuable as it gives you an insight into the areas you really like and the areas that you would rather avoid in your future career.

An interest in plants is a must in this profession! Good communication skills are important, openness to change as it is a fast moving industry with trends changing all the time, flexibility is important; but mostly hard work and not being afraid to get your hands dirty are crucial!

Anyone pursuing a career in this area should talk to the people who are currently working in or studying in the horticultural industry. People will be more than happy to give advice because they were once asking the same questions themselves. I would advise anyone to visit the colleges that you would consider going to and get as much course information as possible from these colleges.