One of the most rewarding aspects of my job is introducing the next generation to the opportunities within the landscaping industry. Today, I had the privilege of spending time with a group of horticulture students from Heritage High School during a hands-on job-shadowing day.
We explored various aspects of floriculture, from initial design and material selection to installation and maintenance.
A special thanks to our East Region Floriculturist, Rachael Breen. Watching her share her passion and real-world expertise with the students was the highlight of my day. Thank you, Rachael, for being such an incredible mentor. I also want to thank Camber Starling for putting this program together—and for her commitment to Agri-Business career experiences for students across Wake County.
Engaging with students like this reinforces my love for this profession. The future of our industry is in capable hands, and I look forward to seeing what lies ahead for them.
Keep reading for a special note from Kurt Bland.
—Jason Boyd, Bland Landscaping Co. Recruiting Manager
Programs like this are how we get the next generation excited about our profession, at a time when many are questioning what their future profession may look like.
Huge thanks to Rachael Breen and Jason Boyd for leading by example and getting these youthful minds out onto a job site to talk about plants and to see firsthand how we use a varied program of annual flowers to bring moments of colorful joy into people’s lives every day.
In an age where LLMs and AI chatbots are making life less real for some, I believe it is so very important that we keep showing young people from all types of backgrounds that plants are cool and working outdoors is a great alternative to sitting behind a desk and talking to a computer.—Kurt Bland, Bland Landscaping Co. President
