The display of plants for the enjoyment of the public, with or without interpretive signage, characterizes a great range of landscapes that are open to public view. Prominent among such sites are theme parks (think of the Disney parks, Sea World, Marineland, Universal Studios, etc.), zoos, hotel grounds, school and university campuses, city parks and recreation areas, airports and convention centers, shopping malls, and tourist attractions of all kinds.
Horticulturists play a role in selecting plants and, with landscape designers, choose their placement (and replacement), manage their nutrition, irrigation, pests and diseases, pruning, and procure and manage plants for seasonal purposes. Plants contribute to managing pollution and climate change though their selection, use and positioning in the urban landscape. Special challenges can come up, such as new trends for green roofs and walls, disguising transit lines, massive concepts such as Singapore's Gardens by the Bay development or Dubai's new gardens.
Public Gardens
Traditionally, public gardens include botanical gardens and arboretums, but the definition can extend beyond these limits. Botanical gardens and arboreta have a mission in that they collect and display plants, sometimes opting for horticultural displays that draw in the paying public, and sometimes focusing on conservation, native plant germplasm, and collections of particular plant groups. Besides outdoor collections, many botanical gardens will have a conservatory for tender, non-native plants.
The organization of such gardens requires a director, various assistants, financial managements, record-keeping, research, education and interpretation, and public relations, to name a few. Knowledge of taxonomy, propagation, arboriculture, horticultural operations, volunteer coordination, fund-raising, and numerous other skills offer broad opportunities to careers in public gardens. Some gardens receive support from municipal governments while others charge admission and conduct extensive fund-raising programs.