Five students in a landscaping class at Trinity Lutheran High School have put in a lot of work inside the school’s greenhouse.
The flowers, hanging baskets, vegetable plants, herbs and succulents are now in full bloom.
This week, they will be available for the public to purchase.
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The greenhouse hours are from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. The greenhouse is located on the back side of the school, 7120 N. County Road 875E, Seymour.
“We’ve got quite a bit of stuff, so it all goes to good proceeds,” junior Libby Wischmeier said.
The money to buy supplies for the greenhouse came from the FFA chapter’s funds, so funds raised during the sale will replenish that account and help members attend conventions and participate in other activities.
Wischmeier and junior Michael Claycamp both helped with the greenhouse last year, too. Claycamp said he was the only student in a horticulture class last school year.
“Some of the other (agriculture) classes came in and helped, so I didn’t do the whole greenhouse, but I did a lot,” he said.
Having operated a greenhouse at his home since a young age has helped Claycamp in managing the one at the school and teaching other students.
“A lot of fertilizers, with my own doing a water test, I know what to put in there, how much should go, so that’s pretty nice to know that and take it into the classroom that not all textbooks have,” he said.
This year, Claycamp said he and the other four students took on different roles at the school’s greenhouse.
“Some just put soil in pots, and Libby and I are usually planting some,” he said. “Others are transplanting the tomatoes and peppers.”
Wischmeier said she knew a little bit about transplanting from a class last year.
“But doing more of the stuff and using more fertilizers and that sort of thing has become new to me,” she said. “Usually, I just put some plain water on it, but it really makes a difference (using fertilizer). With the plants, the colors you can definitely tell are brighter with the fertilizer.”
The flowers include the popular wave petunias, double impatiens and more. Plus, there are hanging baskets.
Wischmeier said the herbs include tarragon, oregano, sage and mint.
“You definitely smell them,” she said while tending to them Thursday in the greenhouse. “We have quite a few herbs this year, actually more than we usually do.”
The succulents also are a unique feature.
“Those are a super popular plant right now,” Wischmeier said. “They are more of your indoorsy plants that you could put in your office and things of that nature. They last forever. They are really low-maintenance. The succulents that are red-tipped ones have been in our greenhouse since last fall, and we just started really watering them and fertilizing this spring, and they really came out of it.”
Wischmeier and Claycamp liked seeing the horticulture class come together to get the greenhouse ready for the sale.
“It’s nice to see the plants grow and take care of them,” Wischmeier said. “You do need certain different types of fertilizers, so we’re learning about that along the way, too. It’s nice to just see everything in full bloom now because we’ve worked hard for it.”
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A plant and flower sale is from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at the greenhouse at Trinity Lutheran High School, 7120 N. County Road 875E, Seymour.
Flowers, hanging baskets, vegetable plants, herbs and succulents will be available for purchase.
Proceeds will go to the school’s FFA chapter.
Information: Call 812-524-8547
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