Plant Production & Garden Center Summer Internship

• Position Summary
• This internship runs from mid-May through the summer and is designed for students who want to work directly with plants from propagation through retail sale. Interns will focus on plant care, growing systems, inventory flow, and customer-facing horticulture, gaining a behind-the-scenes understanding of how a high-volume garden center operates.

Cross Creek is a multi-division, family-owned company with over 50 years of experience in landscape construction, grounds management, and horticulture, operating two retail garden centers and two production farms supplying annuals, perennials, shrubs, and trees throughout the region. This internship focuses on understanding how plants grow and thrive, combining hands-on production experience with retail horticulture and customer interaction.

Program Layout

• Garden Center Operations
• Support daily retail nursery functions, including watering, plant maintenance, restocking, merchandising, and customer assistance. Learn how plant quality, presentation, and seasonal timing impact sales. Identify top-selling plants and observe how ordering is affected by weather and customer demand.

• Propagation & Herbaceous Production
• Spend time at one of the production farms assisting with cutting propagation, potting, spacing, labeling, fertility programs, and pest monitoring. Learn production timelines for annuals, perennials, and groundcovers.

• Woody Plant Production
• Spend time at the second production farm assisting with shrub and tree production, including spacing, pruning, tagging, root work, loading, and seasonal preparation. Build plant identification skills and understand grading standards.

Interns will start at the garden centers before spending time at each of the two production farms, gaining a full picture of how plants move from farm to retail.

Key Learning Outcomes

Hands-on experience with plant propagation and production systems

Understanding of inventory flow from farm to retail

Improved plant identification and care knowledge

Experience communicating plant care information to customers

Qualifications

Current enrollment in a college or accredited academic program

Interest in horticulture, plant science, or nursery operations

Comfortable with repetitive plant tasks and outdoor work

Ability to lift up to 50 pounds

Schedule & Benefits

Starting mid-May, running through the summer

Four 9-hour workdays per week with three-day weekends

Direct experience with plant growing and retail operations

Mentorship from growers and retail leadership

Flexible scheduling for summer commitments