Employability and Career Skills

What types of careers are available in the landscape industry?

Landscape architectLandscape designerLandscape contractorLandscape maintenanceHardscape construction?????

Landscape architect

A person trained in engineering, graphic arts and architectural technology to design landscapes

Usually work is on a larger scale such as parks, shopping centers, golf courses and large corporate complexes

Often in business for themselves

Landscape designer

Individual trained in the art of design and the science of growing horticultural plants.

These individuals work primarily with residential home sites and small corporate sites

Many are employed by a landscape company, nursery or garden center or are self employed

Landscape Contractor

person hired to install the landscape.This is the individual that transfers the design from paper to actual piece of

land.This person can be hired by the designer, work for the same company as the

designer or can serve as the designer as well.Contractors also….

Order plants and materialsknowledge of plant materialRead, understand and interpret designsManage a work crewOperate equipmentSubcontract -hire other companies to do parts of the landscape

Landscape Maintenace

In charge of care of upkeep of a landscape

Watering, fertilizing, cutting grass, weeding, pruning and spraying chemicals.

Can include changing out annuals

Full service companiesLarger companies will have separate divisions within the same company that will handle these areas

Installation - refers to the actual placing and planting of plant material into a landscape. (Sod, grading, irrigation, staking)

Construction - deals with the installation of larger items ( retaining walls, patios, pools)

Hardscapes - are items in the landscape that are not living. Rocks, walls, pathways and fountains

Maintenance - the care of upkeep of the landscape

Business termsAssets - things of tangible value that a person owns

Current - items quickly converted to cash or that will be sold within 12 months - Examples: cash, checking, savings, stocks and non-depreciable inventory of crops, livetsock etc.

Non-current - items that have a useful life of more than a year. Examples: land and depreciable items such as machinery, breeding livestock,etc

Total assets = current assets + non-current assets

Liabilities - debtsCurrent - debts that are due to be paid this year .

Examples: fertilizer and feed bills, tractor and building payments and part of mortgage due this year.

Non-current - debts not due this year. Examples: Mortgages not including this years payments

Total liabilities = Current + non-current liabilities

Net worth = total assets minus total liabilities

Inventory - an itemized list of things owned by a business with the beginning value and depreciated valueNone depreciable - items that will be used up or sold within a year. Example: Feed, supplies, soil, etcDepreciable: items that have a useful life of more than one year and lise value because of age, wear or becoming out-of-date because of technology advancements. Land is NOT depreciable property.

Professional OrganizationsNCNLA -

Mission - The NCNCLA mission is to be a flexible, knowledgeable, responsive, environmentally conscious organization providing the nursery industry with leadership, technological and business advancement opportunities and information services.Goals - Benefit its members’ economic, professional and personal growth

TCNC -Turfgrass Council of NC

Mission - The TCNC is committed to the advancement of the turgrass industry in NC.Goals - Promote education and research for turfgrass programs in NC.

ASLA - American Society of Landscape Architects

Mission - The ASLA works to increase the public’s awareness of and appreciation for the profession of landscape architects.

Goals - Promotes continuous learningexperiences which improve and increase skills through publications, activities and online information.

Benefits of Professional Organizations

Allow professionals the opportunity to network, learn and communicate with other individuals that are in the same profession.

Provide trade shows and journals to update members on new methods, products and technology for their profession.

Use membership dues to finance commodity advertisement, trade journals and educational programs for members