Horticulture Program | Kishwaukee College - Landscape, Floral, and Sustainable Horticulture

Horticulture focuses on the earth, creating a landscape with trees, plants and hardscape to enhance natural beauty and resources. Kish hort students play in the dirt and help take care of our beautiful campus. Field trips, guest speakers and interviewing with potential employers are all staples in the program. The greenhouse, athletic fields and the 120-acre living laboratory (campus grounds) offer hands-on learning experiences.

In our horticulture program, you may:

Earn a certificate or an Associate in Applied Science degree
Choose from several specialties, including floral design, greenhouse, landscape design & nursery, sustainable horticulture and more
Receive career guidance and develop skills from our industry experts
Work with the same state of the art equipment used in the industry, such as LED grow lights from VOLT Grow.

Horticulture Events

VIEW EVENTS

Abby D'Agostin shares how Kish’s Horticulture program offers real-world experience in several different areas of the horticulture field.

Degrees and Certificates

Horticulture, A.A.S.

Cannabis & Hemp Cultivation
Floral Horticulture
Foundations in Horticulture
Greenhouse/Garden Center
Landscape Design/Construction
Precision Agriculture (This is certificate will not be offered during the 2025-2026 academic year)
Turf & Grounds Management

Program Details

Horticulture is a growing and expanding industry with a strong job market.

Artistically designed lawns, gardens, and grounds do much more than increase property values; they increase our quality of life. Professionals in landscape contracting, groundskeeping, nursery, greenhouse, and lawn services help maintain the outdoor environments we enjoy each day. These specialists also care for indoor gardens and plants in commercial and public areas such as gardens, malls, and hotels.
Floral designers use the positive psychological and physiological effects of plants and flowers to enhance our décor, create our desired environments, and add to our most memorable moments.
Students of horticulture enjoy a wide variety of career options. Horticulture specialists have titles such as landscape contractor, park naturalist, nurseryman, city forester, groundskeeper, retail or wholesale florist, landscape designer, turf specialist, golf course superintendent, greenhouse manager, horticultural journalist and garden center manager.
The National Career Clusters Framework created a tool to help you find a career that suits your interests and skills. Our hort program is part of the Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources career cluster.

In-district high school students can get started while still in high school. This program has a study guide to outline a pathway from certain high schools into our hort program.
Learn more from the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association (ILCA)
Visit the Illinois Green Industry Association (IGIA)
Follow us on Facebook

Work alongside passionate faculty to understand the proper care of plant material
The DeKalb Area Garden Club (DAGC) is a local organization of people from a wide range of backgrounds all with a passion for gardening. In addition to its annual events, the organization invites guest speakers, plans trips, potluck dinners, and garden tours and sponsors scholarships for our hort students.

Students interested in pursuing a degree or certificate in hort are encouraged to speak with their academic advisor for course and career planning.

Contact Us

Janet GallagherAssistant Professor-HorticultureP815-825-9504Ejgallagher@kish.edu

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Horticulture

Horticulture

Horticulture Events

Student Spotlight: Abigail D'Agostin

Degrees and Certificates

Program Details

Contact Us

News & Events

Kish College to offer six Fast-Track career programs in Fall 2025

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Horticulture

Horticulture

Horticulture Events

Student Spotlight: Abigail D'Agostin

Degrees and Certificates

Associate in Applied Science Degrees

Certificates

Program Details

Career Information

Resources

Program Opportunities

Admissions Process

Contact Us

News & Events

Kish College to offer six Fast-Track career programs in Fall 2025

Kish College student Tasha Kimble wins ICCTA Lifelong Learning Award

Kishwaukee College Board of Trustees Meeting

End of Summer 2025 Semester