Outdoor work has always been important to me, both on and off the farm. As someone who enjoys working with my hands to make something that is inspiring and productive, horticulture was a natural field for me to consider as a career. Horticulture requires both physical strength and mental skill that are practical and based on solving a real-life problem, rather than simply being an intellectual exercise or arbitrary conditions. Horticulture as a term is a fairly broad definition of a variety of careers and activities; Is it simply backyard gardening or is it biological research culminating in the genetic modification of plants for the advancement of our economy and well-being? The answer is honestly both, and in this respect horticulture is a rare field of study that offers both simple manual labor (at least on the surface) and incredibly advanced careers of research and study. Horticulture is also rare in that it has links both to age-old practices and traditions of gardening and plant production, and to new age philosophies of environmentalism, research and science. People have been growing plants for decoration and sustenance for millennia, and horticulture is the best term to describe these activities. However, horticulture is also the best description of the work done by scientists, researchers, and educators to advance our knowledge of both how plants grow and develop and how the world can use these properties. That said, to learn more about careers in horticulture, the following research paper will describe the definition of horticulture, the education and qualifications needed, and the specific careers available in horticulture. Horticulture is a broad business topic, covering many different areas. ..... middle of paper ......rs.aspx>.Lake Washington Technical College. Careers in horticulture. and online. January 15, 2014. Michigan State University. Students of the Horticulture Department. 2009. Online. February 2, 2014. Oregon State University. Oregon State Department of Horticulture. 2014. Online. January 16, 2014. .Rethwisch, Michael D. Commercial Horticultural Production. and online. February 26, 2014. Smith, Virginia A. Horticulture is a withering field. January 14, 2014. Online. January 20, 2014. University of Minnesota. Learn about horticulture at the University of Minnesota. January 2, 2014. Online. January 29th. 2014. .