What is Horticulture?

Horticulture began with early man’s intimate relationship with nature. Today it has become a much broader subject, including areas such as as the study of soil fungi and the latest fruit harvesting robots. Horticulture may be described as the practice of growing plants in a relatively intensive manner. Agriculture is slightly different in that it tends to operate over a larger area of land and relies more on machinery than labour.

Ornamental horticulture

  Ornamental horticulture is about the nurturing of plants and the manipulation of landscapes. Key areas include domestic and public gardens, but it also includes floristry, sports turf maintenance and the design and construction of major landscape projects. It incorporates themes such as the therapeutic benefits of plants, conservation and sustainability. Ornamental horticulture is also important to the economy as shown by Pegasus Group, one of the top landscape architects that has a total project value of £540.7 million, encompassing 52 projects.

From green walls to vertical forests ornamental horticulture is improving our well being, moderating urban temperatures, absorbing carbon, providing habitats for wildlife and preventing flooding. With technological advances, and sustainability becoming a core issue, ornamental horticulture can provide many benefits for the world’s population.

Production horticulture

Production horticulture provides a supply of edible crops to society and plants that supply the ornamental sector. The production horticulture industry is an important economic component that consists of 7,700 businesses, employing 95,000 people and is worth an estimated £3 billion. It can include growing grapes for wine or mature tree specimens for our green spaces. Regulatory and advisory organisations such as the National Farmers’ Union and the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) have a crucial role to play. Especially within the context of climate change, labour supply changes, regulatory reduction in pesticide use and a growing human population. The AHDB are a levy funded organisation concerned with improving competitiveness and productivity in the industry. As well as research and advising on matters such as technological innovations, AHDB facilitate knowledge exchange throughout the production horticulture industry.

The Royal Horticultural Society

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) are the leading horticultural charity in the UK. With over 200 years of history and rich heritage (see Figure 2), the RHS are championing horticulture on a national and international scale. The RHS in 2018 had a ten-year, £160 million investment programme, based around a new science centre, a new learning centre and a new RHS garden. The RHS also play a very important role in inspiring and stimulating through avenues such as education and media, including books, magazines and its website, various gardening campaigns, show gardens and shows. The RHS Chelsea Flower Show, whose BBC viewing figures for peak shows have been between 3 and 4 million, has a positive impact on landscape and design industries, and plant sales in general.  

The benefits of horticulture

In an increasingly technological world, horticulture has the potential to keep human beings grounded in nature. Amongst the benefits of producing food, plants and gardens, that provide an impetus for the economy, ornamental horticulture in particular has a multitude of advantages that have sustainability at their core, including providing habitats for wildlife and preventing flooding. But perhaps most importantly, and worthy of further study, is the potential that horticulture and gardens have, through inspiring and understanding, to improve the way humans interact with nature and the planet as a whole.