Horticulture is the section of agriculture that deals with the cultivation of herbs, vegetables, flowers, fruits, ornamental trees and also garden landscaping, maintenance of nurseries, green houses, orchards and plantations.Moving away from the days when backyard cultivation of plants and vegetables was more of a hobby, horticulture has now become an organised sector of agriculture.

Horticulture includes floriculture or cultivation of flowers, cultivation of fruits (Pomology) and cultivation of vegetables (Olericulture). Natural products that can be cultivated in a garden or orchard are covered under horticulture.

With changing lifestyles, people are becoming more health and diet conscious than ever before. This is leading to rapid growth of this field. The export market has also grown rapidly.
Till a few decades ago, this career was not very lucrative as most of the cultivation was done by farmers. This has changed over the past few years and many multinational firms have also entered the fray, cultivating fruits, vegetables and flowers at a large scale. The knowledge and skill of horticulturists is now in great demand.

Horticultural crops generally include fruits, vegetables, spices, flowers and plantations like tea, coffee. Exotic flowers such as roses, hibiscus, amaryllis, daffodils, dahlias, chrysanthemums, lily, sunflower, gladioli, orchids, various types of grasses and cacti which are used in gardens; fruits and vegetables, beverages like tea, coffee are some of the plants grown by horticulturists.

The work of a horticulturist involves research into cultivation, soil condition and seeds in order to increase the production and quality of flowers, vegetables and fruits. They use various techniques such as tissue culture, advanced cell structuring, molecular genetics or micro propagation in order to produce plants of desired quality and quantity.
The work can be commercial where the produce is meant for sale or for decorative such as maintenance of gardens, lawns, nurseries, and greenhouses.

Work includes developing new and better varieties of plants in order to meet commercial and aesthetic demands.

The various activities that horticulturists undertake are:

• Farming, which includes soil preparation, sowing, harvesting, testing and usage of fertilisers and nutrients. The work is hard and time consuming.
• Gardening involves grafting, seed collection, and de-budding of flowers, trees, shrubs and ornamental plants.
• Processing is an essential part of this industry since most of the products are transported over long distances or need to be preserved for days. The process from collecting the raw material to packaging the end product, all form part of the horticulturist's work.
• Research involves creating new and improved varieties of flowers, fruits, and vegetables at government or private research and development laboratories.
  

Formal training, though not essential, gives you an advantage in the field, as it is expanding rapidly. To be a horticulturalist one must have at least a BSc in Horticulture. Then you can do an MSc with specialisation in Floriculture, Pomology, Olericulture or Landscape horticulture. You can also specialise in Food Processing or Food Preservation. Another option you can choose is by getting a BSc degree in Agriculture and then an MSc in Agriculture with specialisation in Horticulture, Pomology, Vegetable crops and Floriculture, Genetics & Plant Breeding, Plant Pathology, Plant Protection and Soil Science, Tea Husbandry and Technology, Crop Physiology and Nematology, etc Interest in plant life, ability to withstand hard labour, patience, tolerance, accuracy, perseverance, eye for detail, keen sense of perception, these are personal qualities you need to be a horticulturist

The foremost requirement is a love for plant life and willingness to work outdoors in difficult conditions, patience, accuracy, and an eye for detail will get you ahead in this career. This career is very attractive as the demand grows for good quality produce. The introduction of modern technology has also shaken up the field and made it more sophisticated. There are other related careers like landscape architecture, agriculture, food processing which offer good employment options too.

Most of the degree level courses in this field are for the duration of three years. You need to have a degree in pure sciences before pursuing an M.Sc. in oceanography. For a Ph.D., M.Sc. in any of the basic sciences is required to commence marine research. Duration of the courses is 3 years.
Some of the more reputed institutions offering courses in the area of oceanography are: