Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Horticulture Courses – Understanding the Ins and Outs of Growing Plantsfor Food and Ornaments

Before we built concrete buildings and houses, we had vast tracts of land with nothing on them but plants.  The homes we built then were made of the strongest materials from the trees that we could easily find around us. We planted food crops near our homes so we could feed ourselves without having to forage far from home. We realized that we mostly depend on plants for nourishment and even the animals we raise for food also depended on them. Thus, there came a need to make plants grow faster and bigger, and then we needed wider and bigger lands to use as farms where we can plant vegetables, fruit trees and other crops that will feed millions of people here and abroad. But not only did we need to plant food crops; we also needed parks, golf courses and gardens where we could spend some relaxing moments.

We constructed these facilities using different species of grass, trees, and even exotic plants we imported from other countries, will all colors of the rainbow and in all sizes and shapes.  But in order to do this, we had to develop a way to study how to plant them, where to plant them, and how to grow and maintain their utility and beauty at the same time. This is how horticulture came to be. In simple terms, horticulture is both science and culture that involves growing vegetables, fruit trees and ornamental plants. It is true that agriculture deals with growing plants for food in general using available science and technology that we now have.  But horticulture, in particular, deals with growing plants not only for food but also for other purposes such as medicine and as ornaments and for their aesthetic value, as in using them for landscaping.

Experts describe horticulture as both a science and an art form. Taking horticulture courses will prepare you for this exceptional field of work that is both with utilitarian and aesthetic purposes.

Plants, flowers and trees, all being part of nature can easily grow by themselves.  They have been doing it for millennia and even without our intervention they multiplied and sorted themselves out.  They survived and will continue to survive without us. Indeed, instead of helping them, has been proven that humans have caused the extinction of some of their species. Unfortunate as it is, our current lifestyle and modern needs require that we manipulate their cultivation so we can optimize productivity and make use of them in the best possible way.  Plants can’t adapt fast enough to our demands so we need to find efficient ways of planting and harvesting plant products.  We have understand how they grow and how to maximize existing conditions for all kinds of plants, whether for the garden, golf course, park or for farms.  There are different horticulture courses that deal with ornamentals, food crops, and fruit trees, and it’s up to you to choose which one to take.  It will depend on your own interest and capabilities.

If you are planning to become an excellent professional landscape artist, you have to study horticulture.  Landscapers use plants so you need to study how plants grow so you can prepare the land properly and let the plants grow healthy. The design of the garden and its location will determine the kinds of plants you will place in it so you need to learn to identify plants and how to take care of them so they won’t fall prey to insects and birds that feed on them. You will be more successful in the landscaping business with a background in horticulture.  If you don’t  know enough about plants, flowers and trees, you cannot design and construct a garden that will be a delight to the owners.  You cannot begin to accept bigger jobs which will bring bigger income.

Herbs have many uses – for cooking, as medicines and as ingredients for perfumes. But you can only use them if you know what they are, how they smell, where they grow and how their scent, flavor and texture can affect the product you are creating.  Studying horticulture will provide you with the knowledge that you can use for these purposes. Herbs have a complicated nature and understanding it will bring you the success you need.  One interesting part of horticulture courses is aromatherapy – using essential oils extracted from plants and herbs for physical and mental healing and relaxation. It is important to study the plants and herbs suitable for this purpose because there are those that can bring harm rather than healing.

If you are looking for horticulture courses that will introduce you to the world of plants, Lifestyle Learning Direct has the best ones that you will find useful and interesting.  You can start a career in horticulture by taking a course in herb culture for example and become an expert in using herbs in your culinary adventures.

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