The bond between horticulture and humans is longstanding and all encompassing. We encounter plants daily, at home, at work and at leisure -- flowers in a garden, trees in the park, and fruits and vegetables on our tables. We eat the products of horticulture, we enjoy the beauty and benefits it provides and we live in an environment made better by professional horticulture.

Horticulture is a vast global industry that involves everything from nursery plant growth to grounds maintenance, retail production and sales. During the past decade, the industry has seen the demand for qualified practitioners surge dramatically.

In 2002, Americans spent more than $68 billion on landscaping, plants and green services in order to extend their homes into the garden, according to the National Garden Association. A recent article in American Demographics quotes an NGA market analyst as saying, "If you are in the gardening business ... you may be wondering what all the fuss is over a sour economy."

The success of Kent State's horticulture technology program -- offered exclusively at the university's Geauga and Salem Campuses -- clearly supports that claim.