These skill standards, developed through a consortium of educational and industry partners in Illinois, serve as guides to workforce preparation program providers to define content for their programs and to employers to establish the skills and standards necessary for job acquisition and performance. The skill standards include the following components for each skill defined: performance area; performance skill; skill standard; and performance elements and assessment criteria. This publication contains skill standards for retail garden center occupations defined on eight levels (parking lot attendant; delivery person; stock person; salesperson; hard goods and gifts manager; indoor plant manager; outdoor plant manager; and garden center manager) by increasing level of difficulty. Thirty skill standards are included in the areas of payment points; customer service; merchandising; maintaining tools and equipment; clean-up; displaying merchandising; soils; waste disposal; plant delivery; loss control; weed and insect control; emergency procedures; financial analysis; stocking and pricing merchandise; maintaining facilities; plant care; plant arrangements; landscape design; wreaths and Christmas trees; signs; aquatic plants and animals; accident and insurance reports and claims; and consumer complaints. The following items are appended: glossary; lists of Illinois Occupational Skill Standards and Credentialing Council, Agriculture and Natural Resources Subcouncil, and Retail Garden Center Standards Development Committee members; Agriculture and Natural Resources Subcouncil Retail Garden Center Cluster Recognition Proposal; and a list of workplace skills. (KC)