By: Brianna Bobo
Figuring out what to get your mother, grandma, or your aunt for Mother’s Day just got easier. The FFA sells a variety of plants right before Mother’s Day, making them a thoughtful and sweet gift. The annual sale will be held May 4 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Agriculture teacher Seth Purlee teaches his students how to operate the greenhouse. Students plant seeds, trim, water, fertilize and do general upkeep of the greenhouse’s daily operations to get plants ready for the sale. He said plants will be sold the week prior to Mother’s Day and the weekend of, as long as they’re still available.
There will be a big variety of plants being sold, including marigolds, wave petunias, begonias, sweet potato vines (blaskie and green), impatiens, and more.
“We will also have peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini and squash,” said Purlee. “There will be some hanging baskets of wave petunias, ferns and spider plants. Ferns are top sellers along with wave petunias.”
Ferns are $15 and all flowers are usually between $3-$5 depending on the season.
“All money goes to the FFA to pay for contests and activities that the FFA takes part in throughout the year,” said Purlee, adding that FFA has been doing this sale for many years.
Sophomore Alexis Maudlin has been a part of the plant sale for two years. From this plant sale, Maudlin has learned how to talk to people and how to keep the plants looking good and healthy so that people can buy them.
She said taking care of the plants consists of watering them regularly and fertilizing them.
“The most popular plant I think is the marigold because it sells out before anything,” she said.
The students usually start planting at the beginning of the second semester, which is in January. It takes three to four months to get the plants ready by May.
“I definitely have learned a lot more about the plants, like where people like to put them in the greenhouse and where they put them in the garden,” she said. “I recommend you come to the plant sell. There are many different plants and just a fun environment when you’re at the greenhouse.”