The curriculum of this one-year horticultural foundation program has been designed to provide students with a thorough understanding of horticultural principles and practices. The program covers a broad spectrum of horticultural practices including plant propagation techniques, greenhouse production, nursery crop production, landscape design, landscape construction, and plant identification. As well, pest and disease management, pruning techniques, and maintenance practices are investigated. Throughout the program, special emphasis will be placed on many aspects of sustainable horticultural practices. The curriculum used in this program meets the provincial standards set for all one-year horticulture foundation programs. Approximately 50% of the program will be spent in actual “hands-on” training on- and off-campus. This includes three months working in the industry. The program is taught at the G.R. Paine Horticulture Centre, on a 5-acre site near the Nanaimo campus. The site contains a “Harnoise Nordique” style greenhouse, a headerhouse, a classroom and lab facility, as well as a containerized nursery. Students also practice their skills at the Milner Gardens and Woodland, in Qualicum, a garden estate environment where they participate in the day-to-day, season-to-season operational activities.

Graduates of this program may find employment in the following industries: * landscape maintenance and installation companies; * municipal and regional Parks Departments. * floriculture and vegetable greenhouse operations; * ornamental and forest seedling nurseries; * garden centres and horticultural retail outlets; * landscape design firms; * turf enterprises; * golf courses; * horticultural supply companies; * irrigation design and installation firms; * arborist assistant; * small scale agriculture; * community supported agriculuture. Successful completion of this program enables graduates to continue their studies in Apprenticeship or a two-year Diploma program at Kwantlen Polytechnic University in Langley.