LOUISIANA La. — Students at UL Lafayette interested in horticulture and landscape learn how to grow a business.

“I don’t care how good a horticulturist you are, if you can’t manage the people and the business, it’s not going to be a viable business,”

said Dennis Wollard, UL Lafayette associate professor of horticulture.

Last year, the college of applied life sciences began offering students an option to focus their studies on landscape and horticulture management. The curriculum is balanced between horticulture and business in response to what students wanted — a focus on business, Wollard said.

Fifteen students have enrolled in the program since it began last summer, Wollard said. Before the program, students majored in plant science with a concentration on horticulture. Then, the program averaged one student a semester.

The program began last year, but had its first graduate this past May.

In the program, students don’t just learn how to care for plants or how to manage pests, but learn how to grow their business from doing their taxes and handling permits to managing their employees. Course work includes human resources, management, accounting and marketing. Students are also required to take communication courses.

Senior Aaron Menard incorporated those classroom skills to his own business, Superior Landscaping. Melancon started the business last February. Business is blooming so much that he took this semester off to catch up on jobs.

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Marsha Sills
msills@theadvertiser.com

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Lawn & Landscape Magazine