In light of Horticulture’s coming mother’s day sale, it’s a valuable time to take a look at the class’s hard work throughout the last two semesters. According to Mrs. Hopper-Kelly this has been their most productive year yet, hampered only by spurts of cold weather. However the recent spouts of sun have proven valuable to the fledgling plants, who are now comfortably blooming within the greenhouse. Rather than using pesticides, horticulture students use natural controls such as jumping spiders and ladybugs to clean plants of harmful species like aphids and whiteflies. These natural methods make these plants both a wonderful way to support horticulture, and a plant gift for anybody, not just mothers!
Horticulture has also seen new partners this year. The class has partnered with the Natural Plant Network to donate plants to restoration projects, such as the Golden Eagle Audobon Society which are “dedicated to building an understanding, appreciation, and respect for the natural world.” Horticulture class has also partnered with Global Gardens, an organization that provides plants to refugees in the hopes of creating steady revenue streams from production and sale. Plants leftover following the Mother’s day sale get donated to the Saint Marks and Risen Christ Parishes, where they get planted in the parishes’ gardens.
At the beginning of the year horticulture students get the chance to look through seed catalogs and choose plants they wish to grow, like gourds and hot peppers! Horticulture is a fun, rewarding class that lets students foster their independent interest in plants, Mrs. Hopper-Kelly describes how when growing plants “one day it just clicks”. It’s certainly a getting down in the dirt kind of class, but a rewarding one nonetheless. If you want to support Horticulture, their Mother’s Day sale lasts from Thursday, May 11th through Saturday, May 13th. The schedule of the sale is as follows: Thursday,May 11th from 2:45pm to 5:00pm. Friday, May 12th from 3:00pm to 5:00pm. Saturday, May 13th from 8:30am to 1:00pm, always at the greenhouse near the garden.
The Bishop Kelly Newspaper 