Plant sales help local high school students grow on The Murfreesboro Post

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Plant sales help local high school students grow

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By: MICHELLE WILLARD, Post Staff Writer

Posted: Tuesday, April 7, 2009 3:59 pm

Plant sales help local high school students grow | RCS

RHS Agriscience teacher Mike Shew helps junior Autumn Johnson prepare plants for sale in the high school’s greenhouse. TMP Photo by Michelle Willard

For the past 30 years, Mike Shew has taught Riverdale High School students how to grow – plants, animals and even fish.

“The students get excited to see flowers grow from seeds,” he explained. “It’s a real neat experience for them to see plants grow, especially when they’ve never seen it before.”

Shew is the head of the agriscience program at the local high school and leads the students in the greenhouse every year.

Each year his classes grow a new crop of bedding plants to sell to the public, with the proceeds going back into the agriscience program.

This year the students grew assorted flowers -- like salvia, impatiens and geraniums – ferns, tomato plants and hanging baskets.

Flats are $12, 4-packs are $1.50, assorted pots are $3 and hanging baskets cost $10.

The greenhouses are open to the public 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Friday and from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, April 11 and 18. The greenhouses are located beside Jones Baseball Field on Riverdale’s campus.

Proceeds will be used to purchase classroom and greenhouse supplies, leadership camp costs and to support RHS’s chapter of the Future Farmers of America.

“It all goes for the students,” Shew said.

Blackman High and Siegel High schools also have plant sales on going.

Blackman offers Saturday hours 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. April 18 and 25 and May 2. For more information, call 904-3850.

Seiegl’s FFA annual Plant Sale started Monday. Plants are for sale Monday-Friday from 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m.

Flats are $12, 4- packs $1.50, Hanging Baskets and Hanging Ferns $10 and 6-inch pots are $3.

Tomatoes varieties available are Supersteak, Striped, Roma, Celebrity, Pink Girl, Beef Master, Brandy Wine, Whopper, Better Bush and Better Boy, as well as Jalapeno, Bell and Cheyenne peppers

Bedding Flowers available are Begonia, Verbena, Marigold, Portucula, Inpatients, Petunias, Salvia, Vinca, Celosia, Snapdragons and Coleus.

Assorted plants for purchase are Watermelons, Wave Petunias, Ferns and Geraniums.

More information about Siegel High’s sale can be found at 904-3800 ext. 29553.

Michelle Willard can be contacted at 615-869-0816 or mwillard@murfreesboropost.com.

Tagged under RCS

Member Opinions:

By: barrettbear on 4/7/09
This is a great thing. I would rather buy and support schools then to go to Lowes.