Req 8b — Horticulture Roadmap

Horticulture is the science and art of growing plants for food, beauty, and the environment. This branch takes you from a real-world field visit through vocabulary, a hands-on skill, landscape thinking, and a multi-week project—all five requirements must be completed.

Work through each child requirement in order. Use this page as your roadmap before opening the first detailed page.

What You’ll Complete

• Req 8b1 — Learning by Visiting Growing Spaces: Visit a public garden, nursery, greenhouse, arboretum, or conservatory and report what you learned about horticulture there.
• Req 8b2 — Speaking the Language of Horticulture: Define 14 key horticultural terms, find your USDA hardiness zone, and list 10 climate-appropriate landscape plants with common and scientific names.
• Req 8b3 — Choose a Hands-On Skill: Pick ONE of four practical skills—propagation, transplanting, pruning, or planting a tree or shrub.
• Req 8b4 — Smart Landscape Choices: Explain why good design and right-plant-right-place principles matter, including mature size and growth rate.
• Req 8b5 — Choose a Horticulture Project: Complete ALL sub-requirements within ONE of four multi-step project tracks—bedding plants, fruit/berry/nut crops, woody ornamentals, or home gardening.

Timing Note

Requirements 8b1 and 8b2 can be done at any time. Req 8b3 (skill) and Req 8b5 (project) both involve living plants and may span several weeks or a full growing season—start them early so you have time to observe and record results before your counselor conference.