About Us
About the Niagara Parks
School of Horticulture
The Niagara Parks School of Horticulture has been growing world leaders in horticulture and cultivating exceptional careers since 1936. We are proud to offer some of the industry’s most highly regarded credentials through a unique post-secondary experience that gives students the advanced practical, theoretical and technical skills demanded by today’s complex horticulture industry.
Studying at the Niagara Parks School of Horticulture is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to gain hands-on learning experiences in some of the most visited and iconic gardens in the world!
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Our mandate is to provide an unprecedented experiential learning environment in horticulture to foster self-reliance and collegiality in developing horticultural leaders.
Our History
Located on the grounds of the renowned Botanical Gardens, the Niagara Parks School of Horticulture was established in 1936 in response to a growing need for skilled gardeners to tend to Niagara Parks’ expanding parkland along the Niagara River Parkway. Initially called the Training School for Apprentice Gardeners, the school was renamed the Niagara Parks Commission School of Horticulture in 1959, and finally became the Niagara Parks School of Horticulture in 1990.
Our school’s early training fundamentals were designed by Swedish landscape architect Knut Mattias Broman, and based on the longstanding gardener apprenticeship program offered at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, England. Broman was also the first superintendent of the Niagara Parks School of Horticulture.
Pictured: School of Horticulture lecture hall in the Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens, 1950
Our Philosophy
We aim to provide rich experiential learning opportunities to help students nurture the growth of well-rounded skills and build confidence while developing strong leadership abilities. Three central pillars make up our core values:
- academic excellence,
- practical experience though an apprenticeship style and
- professional development of our students.
Room to Grow
We offer two different post-secondary options, including a paid progressive apprentice program.
- Niagara Parks Diploma in Professional Horticulture (NPD): 3 years
- Certificate in Professional Horticulture: 1 year. For post-graduate applicants that have completed a recognized post-secondary horticulture program, or a related field of study.
In the News
In the News
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NIAGARA PARKS SCHOOL OF HORTICULTURE STUDENT TO DESIGN GARDEN AT 2024 MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL FLOWER AND GARDEN SHOW
"Elissa Astorino, a 21-year-old from Niagara Falls, will create her own garden and work on internationally renowned garden designer Peter Donegan’s presentation."
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FUELING A PASSION TO HELP OTHERS
"For the past few years, Destiny Lacasse has been working toward a career in horticulture therapy."
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MEET DARRELL BLEY, THE OUTSTANDING EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR FOR 2020
"Darrell Bley, curator and horticulture instructor at the Niagara Parks School of Horticulture, received more than 16 letters of recommendation from former students, colleagues, and industry leaders for the title of Outstanding Educator of the Year for 2020."
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SCHOOL OF HORTICULTURE AT LANDSCAPE ONTARIO CONGRESS 2018
"Congratulations to the School of Horticulture students involved and Technical Instructor Brett Booth, for an impressive Landscape Ontario Congress garden."
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