At Flowers From The Heart, we are proud of the fact that we have five Certified Professional Horticulturists (CPH) on staff. But what exactly does that mean to you, the consumer? It means that you can be confident that you are getting excellent gardening advice from employees who really know their stuff.
Not just anybody can be a CPH
That’s right! Just like any other professional, we go through an extensive training period. We study botany, plant propagation, entomology and other sustainable gardening basics. We also study plant naming and identification, and homescaping.
After we hit the books, we have to prove ourselves worthy. We take a written exam, testing our skills and knowledge as a horticultural professional, based on study materials and practical applications.
In addition to being book smart, we have to be garden smart. Would you want gardening advice from someone who was afraid of a little dirt? Well, neither would we! That is why CPH’s must have at least 2,000 hours in the field or one year’s work experience with a licensed nursery, landscape contractor or WSNLA approved business or institution.
After passing the exam, CPH’s are required to improve their knowledge and skills by taking classes and seminars in order to maintain their certification.
So, when you have lawn and garden questions, ask a CPH. They really know their stuff!