I’m a plant person. Why? Just look outside. Most of that green stuff outside is related to horticulture. It’s amazing. The plant world is full of all kinds of interesting plants. Take Mirabilis jalapa ‘Broken Colors,’ also called Four O’Clock , for example. The flowers are variegated on the same plant. Look it up on Google; it’s a really interesting plant to look at.
According to the Iowa State University Department of Horticulture website, “practically everyone is positively affected on a daily basis by horticulture.”
What is horticulture?
Horticulture is, as defined in my Home Horticulture class, the study of taking care of plants. Basically, horticulture includes fruits, vegetables, flowers, potted plants and ornamental plants.
The grass in front of D.H. Hill Library by the wolf ears is horticulture. The tons of Narcissus that are blooming around campus are horticulture. If you really want to get technical, the fruit in the C-Stores and in Clark Dining Hall that’s wrapped in saran wrap is horticulture. The explanation for how fruit can keep when wrapped is a specific area within the world of horticulture called post-harvest physiology that works to extend the keeping quality, but is horticulture nonetheless.
There’s more to horticulture, though, than just food and grass. There’s always research going on. Another aspect is the aesthetic appeal and the fragrance of the flowers. Ever since I was little, I’ve picked areas of my parent’s and my grandmother’s yards and drawn sketches of how I’d like the landscape to look. Although I haven’t actually gotten anyone to agree to let me redo the landscaping in their yard, I haven’t given up yet.
Fragrance
Fragrance is often forgotten in the world of horticulture. It can stimulate memory, trigger emotional responses and affect hunger. Fragrance is used in treating some Alzheimer’s patients through aromatherapy which promotes memory stimulation.
However, with changes in breeding, fragrance is lost in some plants because other things are being selected when breeding. Typically breeding is done to enhance the color, the size, the length of time the plant is flowering or the disease resistance of the plant.
Some plants within the horticulture world are grown and harvested for their medicinal value.
A kind of plant called foxglove produces digitalin which is used in heart medications like Digitoxin and Digoxin . Both help create a steadier heartbeat. The difference is how they’re eliminated from the body. Digitoxin is eliminated by the liver while Digoxin is eliminated by the kidneys.
Research in horticultural science is really important at N.C. State because of our land grand institution status. Land grant institutions were created in the late 1800s to focus on agriculture, science and engineering.
Horticulture classes
If you ever get the chance to take a horticulture class, you should. They’re always amazing classes. I’ve taken several myself and, in all honesty, I wish I had more than one semester left so I could take more.
For a basic introductory horticulture class, Home Horticulture is perfect. In this class you talk about how to take care of plants, help them grow and make cut flowers last longer. You will also discuss indoor and outdoor gardening.
When it all comes down to it, horticulture is important in everyone’s life, whether you realize it or not. The fresh fruit you eat, the cut flowers you give or get on Valentine’s Day, and the flowers you see blooming every spring and summer are a part of horticulture. Just appreciate it instead of taking it for granted. Every spring is a new chance to appreciate the impact of horticulture, and this spring is getting an early start.
