I went through a similar quandry. In my case I had an Environmental Studies BA and was considering a MS in Hort with a design emphasis or a MLA degree. I interviewed half a dozen people in the field including an LA and everyone told me that field experience was more valuable than degrees unless I specifically wanted to do the types of large projects an LA degree gives one access to. In the end I did take some additional LA & Hort classes but did not go for an additional degree. In my experience clients that care about degrees are quite rare. One caveat, California is a more regulated place than Maine so regulatory considerations may force your hand (I side with Ivan Illich on this matter).
I do think field experience in both garden maintenance and installation is extremely valuable for would be designers/ LAs. I have worked on projects designed by highly academically credentialed people who made a hash of it - they had good concepts but they didn't understand how the elements behaved in the real world.
Rosarians are often niche specialists. If you're really good and good at promoting yourself you might make a go of it as rose expert alone. If you don't already have a strong IPM background I'd work on that.

My experience has been that a degree means everything - if you don't have one. After you have it, experience is what matters.

Larry

Few people care whether or not you have the degree. I always say that you should go to school for the education and not the diploma. If the education is to benefit you then it is worth it. If you expect added success because of the credential, you'll be disappointed.

Look at what viable opportunities there are where you intend to work. Try to figure where you can gain the most for your personal and financial needs. Assess what it will take to be of enough value to people to be competitive at it. Determine what you need in terms of education and experience to be there. Then decide if the time, money, reduction in income, and loss of time applied to working in the field is going to put you ahead or behind with that added degree.

Only you can determine that.

The younger you are, the more value the degree has because the down time to get it is usually wasted otherwise and the more time you have to build experience afterward (and more time to pay those student loans, if the parental units are not covering tuition). The pesonal cost to get an education as an older student can be very much higher than the tuition.

"I always say that you should go to school for the education and not the diploma"

Those are very wise words.

I've been to university twice and pursued twodegrees. Both were invaluable both for my self development and for my career.

Now I'm in horticulture (without a tie, without a hort degree and with dirty hands. Unlike most folks as I get older I like getting back into the physical work and 'hands-on' and vow never to wear a tie again except to a marriage or a funeral.

If you love plants, gardening, etc. then go for it. The more knowledge you have of a subject the more fascinating it becomes.

To follow Alpiner's last sentence I would add that education speeds up your ability to process and understand what you experience.

For example:

If you are self taught and trim a hedge, you will notice that it thickens up as it continues to grow. You may then conclude that everywhere you cut, you'll thicken the hedge, so you try to thicken the bottom where it is a little thin by hitting it with the power shears.

Take that same experience and add in a little bit of knowledge about plant hormones and you may have pinched a few terminal buds rather than whacking it back where there is no light to grow. The result would have been much different.

Thank you all for the insightful replies.

Greenhands, I am looking into getting a PM license, need to pass a test at state leval and register with my county. My county ext. agent has explained the diference between incidental spraying and needing a lisc. as an independant. Yes, roses are my thing.

laag and alpiner, good advice seems I need to look at smaller pieces a few at a time. Since I am in the 'older student' range and income is an equal goal to education, I am going to take Landscape design 1 and 2 and the required pre req, Plant ID 1 and 2 this fall/ spring. I am really looking to take the landscape as I am experieced at planning beds and 'correcting' corners at the retail leval for walk ins. I know I need a bigger picture prospective. Then I will decide from there to continue for the degree or not.

One of our frequent independants has shown interest in using me as an assistant on site for small jobs, freeing her for the larger jobs. If it pans out I will be thrilled.

again, thanks. Cheers, deb

In addition, don't overlook the value of good books. Older students of gardening can make up for lack of classroom learning and mentoring by tutoring themselves with the right resources.

Pruning, pesticide and fertilizer application, grafting, basic design, are available in books for both the trade and the home gardener.

Over the years, I have come to realize that structured learning works best with the young - it actually is a process that teaches them how to learn and how to teach themselves. After you get to a certain level of life experience - even if it is not in your current field of endeavor - you have attained a degree of self-teaching ability.

I'd suggest checking out some of the books recommended on this forum (hopefully the threads are still archived) or get some fresh recommendations from the pros here. I just found a good book on organic methods for rose growing - written for home gardeners and very basic, but it covers the fundamentals including integrated pest management.

The library and bookstore are your friends. Check out the Timber Press, the American Horticultural Society and even the UK's Royal Horticultural Society for their available books.