Have you ever wanted to grow something from start to finish? In Mrs. Smith’s Horticulture class we are learning about growing plants. This is a class project for a majority of the second semester, and has been fun thus far! We are learning about different types of flowers, ornamentals, and seeds along with their names. We are also learning about the ordering process,how to manage the green house, and preparing for the annual FFA’s plant sale in May. However, this experience may not be for everyone, but if you enjoy working with your hands it may be for you!

First, we have started the process of learning all of the times of flowers, ornamentals, trees, fruits, vegetables, and nuts. This process took about a month which was very challenging, but also prepared me for the state horticulture contest that was held at Purdue University. The contest included identification, sampling, judging, and an exam. However, this contest was very helpful in this experience because I can now figure out what kind of plants should be in the green house. 

Next, we looked at different websites of businesses that sold plants, and reviewed sales from previous years. This process was interesting because I never knew there were over millions of things to grow! We each got to pick four items we would like to grow in the greenhouse. Then, Mrs. Smith called the company to place the order. While we were waiting for the seedlings to arrive we cleaned up the greenhouse. This process is important because if there was any leftover bacteria from the plants last year, then the plants would have a hard time growing. Cleaning up included moving the tables,sweeping,spraying down everything, and making sure all the stations were ready for the plants to arrive, and be ready to plant.

Next, once the plants had arrived we carried the boxes into the greenhouse. We then created an assembly line to make the process go smoothly, and had to transplant the plants into individual containers. This process took some time because there are so many different steps, but with the assembly line it went by much more lively. While we were transplanting the plants we were also learning about the different parts of the plant such as the root, stem, seedling, seedpod, and many more. We also learned about how the different plants can grow in different ways such as full sun, partial sun, and full shade. This helped us determine the placement of the plants. I enjoyed this because it was something different rather than just book work.

Finally, Once the plants were transplanted and put in the correct place, we created a schedule when each person waters all the plants during the week. We also are examining the plant’s growth throughout the weeks leading up to the plant sale. This is also the time when we start to advertise around the community about the upcoming sale,set a date of when the customers can buy the plants, and create prices for the plants.

In conclusion, there is a lot to learn when setting up a plant sale in a greenhouse. This process can teach many life lessons, and a hands on work experience that others may not have the opportunity to. I have enjoyed this experience working alongside my classmates to hopefully produce an outstanding plant sale this spring. If you ever get the opportunity to take an elective make sure you can see if horticulture is an option for you!