Advice You Can Count On -
We want each of our customers to be supported by seasoned nursery professionals.
Our goal is to offer professional service and accurate advice so that your visits to our store lead to success in your garden. That’s why we support the Texas Nursery and Landscape Association, both monetarily and through volunteer services. We encourage every employee to earn the TCNP badge, as well as to advance and merit Master Certification in their quest for excellence.
What “certification” in the nursery industry means to you.
The Texas Nursery and Landscape Association, an esteemed organization with roots in our state that go back more than 60 years, created and developed the industry’s two official certification programs.
- The first level: Texas Certified Nursery Professional (TCNP).
- The advanced level: Texas Master Certified Nursery Professional (TMCNP).
Both are held to very high standards -
To be eligible, an individual must have completed 2000 hours of industry work or have attained equivalent university
degrees in horticultural studies and at least six months of on-the-job experience. TCNP candidates train to a syllabus that covers every aspect of the nursery business. The manual itself is hundreds of pages and must be thoroughly mastered. The qualifying exam covers marketing, customer service, plant identification, pest and disease management, plant pathology, plant nutrition, irrigation methods, plant selection and the principles of landscape design. Applicants must pass all sections of the exam.
Only after successful completion of the comprehensive tests may a nursery employee earn certification and the title Texas Certified Nursery Professional -- an important step to a career in the nursery trade.
The TCNP program defines a peer-review process that identifies and acknowledges individuals possessing high levels of professional ability. Consumers may rely on these nursery professionals, knowing that
- information gained is science-based and reliable
- continuing education is required of members to maintain certification
- the association promotes the highest ethical standards
Beyond the TCNP level lies the “Texas Master Certified Nursery Professional” (TMCNP) program. This certification requires far more of a nursery professional. In fact, earning this degree requires an intensive knowledge of the horticultural and nursery skills mentioned above, augmented with further training by professors and instructors of Texas A&M University.
This additional training provides knowledge of the latest research and technology. The exam is exacting, rigorous and costly. The number of applicants is limited. The resulting corps of professionals provide a ready source of the latest information and the best practices that our nursery industry can offer.
We are proud to be associated with these professional programs and to employ more Texas Certified and Master Certified Nursery Professionals than any other retail organization in Texas. So come see us. We can assist you as you improve your corner of the world.