Horticulture & Landscaping SHSM
Explore how you can set goals and reflect on your experiences in the Horticulture and Landscaping SHSM to not only earn your specialized diploma but also achieve the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Canada at the same time!
How you can link your SHSM experiences with Award Canada:
Horticulture and landscaping certifications, plant identification and sustainability training, greenhouse and nursery projects, landscape design activities, and industry placements in green industries.
Example SMART Goal: Over the next 13 weeks, I will spend one hour a week enhancing my plant identification and maintenance skills through SHSM placements, focusing on designing sustainable landscapes.
Example Assessor: SHSM Lead
Example log for ORB: Practiced identifying and caring for native plants during a landscaping project today. I learned how to identify a Golden Pothos!
Physically active outdoor work such as planting, digging, pruning, landscape construction, and maintaining gardens or green spaces through hands-on activities.
Example SMART Goal: For 13 weeks, I will spend one hour a week improving my physical strength and endurance by engaging in SHSM landscaping tasks like heavy lifting and prolonged outdoor work.
Example Assessor: SHSM Instructor or Placement Supervisor.
Example log for ORB: Worked on heavy lifting and clearing tasks for a garden installation, building my stamina.
Volunteering through community garden projects, school landscaping initiatives, or environmental beautification efforts that support sustainable and accessible green spaces.
Example SMART Goal: I will volunteer 1 hour weekly, maintaining community gardens through my SHSM program, helping beautify public spaces.
Example Assessor: Community Garden Supervisor
Example log for ORB: Today we planted some tomatoes and carrots. Learned how often to water them. The garden is starting to come together!
(Completed as a team over 2 days and 1 night. Your team will plan, do, and review the journey together—learning through teamwork, challenge, and reflection.)
General Activity Description:
A horticulture and landscaping exploration where your team travels on foot to an outdoor site to design and build a sustainable garden. You’ll learn about plant selection, landscaping techniques, and working with natural materials, while also exploring local plant species and outdoor survival skills.
Example Team SMART Goal (Bronze – 2 Days, 1 Night):
As a team, we’ll complete a 2-day journey designing and creating a small sustainable garden project. We’ll research plant types and landscaping techniques, document our progress, and reflect on how we worked together to plan, build, and maintain the space.
Example Assessor/Supervisor:
SHSM Lead Teacher, or Approved Award Leader
Example Group Debrief (Progress-Focused):
Designing and building a garden helped us understand how planning and teamwork are essential in landscaping projects. We improved at sharing tasks like planting, organizing materials, and documenting our progress. Next time, we’d plan our design more carefully in advance and prepare the tools and materials we needed.
Career Pathways
- Landscape and horticulture technicians and specialists 2225
- Other small engine and small equipment repairers 7335
- Forestry professionals 2122
- Landscape and horticulture technicians and specialists 2225
- Landscaping and grounds maintenance labourers 8612
- Other administrative services managers 0114
- Architects 2151
- Biologists and related scientists 2121
- Landscape and horticulture technicians and specialists 2225
- Contractors and supervisors, landscaping, grounds maintenance, and horticulture services 8255
- Gardeners 2225
- Landscaping and grounds maintenance labourers 8612
- Nursery and greenhouse workers 8432
- Retail salespersons 6421
