Agriculture and Landscape Design

Course Description:

This program is a specialized curriculum designed to prepare
students to be desirable employees of architects, landscapers, nurseries, greenhouses, florists or various
other landscape businesses. Both maintenance and establishment of lawns, as well as, landscaping
homes and businesses are included in the curriculum. The principles of design are also included along
with plant identification, budgeting, and cultivation procedures.

Skills Learned:

Some skills this program teaches are: propagation of plants, soil testing, blueprint reading, designing floral arrangements and construction with marketing skills, growing and maintaining greenhouse bedding plants and vegetables, designing (creating blueprints) and installing landscapes and hardscapes, running and maintaining equipment such as skid loaders, string trimmers, mowers and numerous hand tools.

Related Occupations and Earnings:

Related occupations include landscape designer, landscape laborer, landscape manager, project manager, supervisor, floral wholesale sales, floral designer, greenhouse labor, garden center sales, equipment sales. Other career choices are golf course groundskeeper and pesticide applicators. Earning start around $16.00/ hour with increases after 90 days.

Post-Secondary Opportunities:

Students may choose to continue their education at institutions such as Penn State University, West Virginia University, Pennsylvania School of Technology and Westmoreland/Allegheny Community Colleges.

Instructor(s):

Mr. Overdorff – Agriculture and Landscape Design Instructor
Phone Number – 724-925-3532 x. 1321
Office Hours: 7:15am to 7:45am
2:30pm to 2:45pm
Please leave a voicemail message outside of these times.

Suggested Prerequisites:

  • Algebra I & II
  • Geometry
  • Chemistry
  • Biology
  • College Prep English I-IV
  • Drafting Courses

Industry Certifications:

  • PA Pesticides
  • ICPI
  • NCMA
  • Versa Lock Basic Training

Student Requirements:

  • Active Listening
  • Controlled Precision
  • Creative Visualization
  • Manual Dexterity
  • Multi-Task
  • Ability to learn communication skills

Student Costs:

  • Work clothes
  • Work shoes (leather)
  • Safety Glasses(provided)

Text Book:

  • Landscaping principles and practices
  • Introduction to Horticulture
  • The Art of Floral Design
  • Manual of Woody Landscape Plants
  • Software: Autocad, Briscad, EZ-Plant and Realtime landscape