About Rick

Rick Harlow is an instructor of Horticulture, a Board Certified Master Arborist, and Licensed Pesticide Advisor in Southern California. His passion for plants and animals began in childhood, as his most cherished experiences were spent on family farms in California and Michigan.

His family heritage of love for the hard work of growing things led him to achieve a degree in Ornamental Horticulture at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, California. During this season, he established a landscaping business called Environmental Enhancement. Following this degree, he subsequently earned a Bachelor of Science in Ornamental Horticulture from California State Polytechnic University in Pomona, and broadened his business services to include landscape design, installation, maintenance, and consulting.

Through his landscape business, Rick discovered a love for sharing knowledge with others and equipping them to make the most of their landscapes and gardens. He held advising and consulting roles with the University Community Association in Irvine, and the Outdoor Learning Center, where he designed specialized landscape strategies for public spaces. Rick was responsible for the design and installation of an outdoor garden classroom for the students of Eastbluff Elementary School in Newport Beach.

Rick began teaching at Orange Coast College in 2005 where he finds a great deal of satisfaction in interacting with eager and bright students within a thriving Horticulture department. Among his many projects at the college, Rick leads the award-winning OCC Horticulture Club of students and alumni as they work together on concepts such as “A Therapeutic Garden for the Visually Impaired.”

As Rick’s professional emphasis has shifted to teaching, his landscape services are concentrated on Arboriculture, Tree Care, guest speaking, and consulting.