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