Nursery story
Top Jobs, p1
Growing retail nurseries prefer workers with experience, roots in horticulture
By Heidi Howell
Bee Creative Staff Writer
If
you’re an outdoors person who doesn’t mind weather extremes or dirt
under your fingernails, a nursery career might be right for you.
“When
I interview people I look at their nails – that tells you whether they
like to work in the dirt or not,” says Jay DeGraff, co-owner with George
Schumacher of The Greenery Nursery (www.greenerynsy.com) in Turlock.
“True gardeners don’t use gloves; they aren’t afraid to dig and get
their hands and clothes dirty.”
Diana Montgomery, store manager
for Scenic Nursery (www.scenicnursery.com) in Modesto, says, “A lot of
people think it’s very serene and relaxed in a nursery. It gets
stressful. You’re not just standing out there with a hose.” She says
gardening can seem leisurely, but there’s a lot involved in keeping
plants alive, healthy and looking their best.
Spring is the nursery’s heaviest season, followed by another spike for fall planting in September and October.
Nursery
workers need to be detail oriented, enjoy working out of doors and like
working with people. Being available on weekends is also a plus.
“Weekend help is big in the retail nursery business,” Montgomery says.
“(Workers) have to be able to stand on their feet eight hours a day on
concrete – sometimes it’s not as easy as it sounds.”
The job
requires energy and initiative. Montgomery says many of her workers are
cross-trained. “You learn how to do other jobs, like bedding and
cashiering. You learn your shrub names. The biggest thing you’ll learn
is fertilizers and all your chemicals and (book) references.”
Because
nursery workers are predominantly college students, eventually they
graduate and often move on, so turnover can be high. Others are
horticulture majors gaining real-world experience to fulfill graduation
requirements.
Older workers are also welcome, Montgomery notes.
She says candidates need to be in good physical condition. “Even
standing behind a cash register is not easy; plants weigh a lot when
they’re wet. This isn’t something to be taken lightly,” she says, adding
that she just hired some people in their 40s who work part-time and
enjoy the discount.
Jay DeGraff says, “You’ve got to like what
you do, because this isn’t something you learn overnight. It takes nine
to 12 months to get fairly comfortable, because you get so many
questions from customers.” He says taking a plant identification course
at Modesto Junior College is very helpful.
The bottom line is,
“If somebody’s just trying to work in a nursery to get a job and get by,
we’re not looking for people for short-term, six-month, fill-in jobs.
It doesn’t work, generally,” he says. Most of the applicants he sees
have little to no plant background other than liking gardening and being
around plants. “We hire people depending on their qualifications: Are
they good with people? Do they greet the public well? Do they have a
nice appearance?” DeGraff explains. “You’ve got to be cleaned up and on
time to work with the public.”
He continues, “My partner and I
are very picky about who we hire. When I get applications, I weed
through them; not everybody that walks in here gets a job. We have a
certain image that we put forth to the public. We’re going to hire
somebody that we think can further that image,” DeGraff says. “People
get attached to you. They come in and ask for you by name.”
Once
you land a job with a nursery, you may want to consider obtaining a
horticulture degree and/or certification. “MJC has probably one of the
best horticulture programs around,” he says. “I’ve had people working
here while obtaining their horticulture degree – that’s the best place
to start.”
Diana Montgomery notes that many local high schools
have agriculture and horticulture programs. “California State
University, Stanislaus and MJC too, have wonderful ag departments.
They’ve got some great teachers and programs there.” Other options
include the University of California, Davis, and California Polytechnic
University in San Luis Obispo.
Taking individual courses at local
colleges is another option for nursery workers, as is obtaining a
California Certified Nursery Professional (CCN Pro) designation from the
California Association of Nurseries and Garden Centers (www.cangc.org).
Montgomery’s recommendations for those considering a career in
horticulture: “Go out and garden with your mom, dad, yourself or a
grandparent. If you’re not into plants or are bug phobic, don’t go into
it,” she warns.
There are currently openings at both The Greenery
Nursery and Scenic Nursery. To apply, stop by and pick up an
application. Resumes are appreciated, but not required.
“We have a
pretty nice, inviting setting; that’s usually why people are looking
for a job. They’ve been shoppers or customers of ours and they like the
environment,” DeGraff says.
“It’s a fun place to work,” Montgomery adds. “And we probably have some of the nicest customers you ever want to meet.”
© HHWS for The Modesto Bee
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