A Dozen Florida Garden Center Employees Earn Certification

Employees at Rock City Gardens on Florida’s Treasure Coast are proud of their accomplishment. Last month, 12 of them earned an FNGLA Certified Horticulture Professional (FCHP) designation, the symbol of horticultural knowledge.

Administered by the Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscape Association, FCHP tests industry professionals on their knowledge and skills in plant and pest identification, proper fertilization and irrigation, plant growth and green industry best management practices.

“Our employees have always been knowledgeable,” says Dan Crisafulli, Rock City Gardens managing director, “but certification is a way to verify their knowledge and show their professionalism.”

And the pride they feel in themselves makes them feel proud of where they work.

“When a customer comes to Rock City Gardens and sees that 14 employees are certified, it gives them confidence that the information we provide them is accurate,” he says.

Rock City Gardens, owned by Tom and Rhonda Lowe, is a retail garden center, nursery and even botanical park, that offers a full range of services. Their location is in Wabasso on US Highway 1, just north of Vero Beach. In addition to their retail outlet, landscape division and interiorscape services, they grow their own flowers on site. A unique service is called “personal pots” offering design, installation and even maintenance of container gardens.

With so many services offered, employees must be versed in many horticultural aspects. Ann McMullian, FCHP, horticulture director from Indian River Community College brought training to Rock City Gardens to prepare them for the certification exam. This training had an additional benefit of bringing the employees to the next skill level.

“The additional skills they gained from the class made our employees even more knowledgeable, as well as assisted them in becoming certified,” says Crisafulli. “And certification has become the standard by which nurseries and garden centers are judged.”

For more information on industry certification, or a complete list of certified professionals who “know what grows”, contact Merry or Marilyn at FNGLA at 800-375-3642 or mmott@fngla.org.