What is Amenity Horticulture?
Amenity horticulture is sometimes described as ‘gardening and landscaping’, ‘ornamental horticulture’ or ‘recreational horticulture’. However, as the nature and scope of the horticulture industry has broadened and evolved, these tags, although convenient, do not adequately describe the range of different industries that fall under the umbrella of ‘amenity horticulture’. Major sectors within the amenity horticulture industry typically include the following: • Arboriculture • Landscape industry • Parks and gardens • Turf management • Nurseries – retail and wholesale • Interior landscaping • Floriculture Each sector uses specialised technical skills and management strategies, but they are all underpinned by the basic horticultural skills of soil and water management, plant nutrition, pests and disease management, and plant knowledge.
