WOODBURY — Mother’s Day weekend brought color to Nonnewaug with the horticulture class hosting its annual Woodbury FFA Spring Plant Sale.

Horticulture students spent the past few months growing the plants in the school’s greenhouses, starting them from seeds and plugs. They worked to pot up the various plants and arrange them into hanging baskets and container gardens. 

Students were each assigned a greenhouse to work in and were responsible for watering, fertilizing, and caring for all of the plants in their greenhouse. Throughout this time, students were able to learn about important aspects of plant production. Some of these lessons included proper watering and pest management.

The day before the sale, students spent the class period setting up. Students arranged the flats on a rack outside of the entrance and displayed some hanging baskets there as well. They cleaned one of the greenhouses for customers and put the rest of the plants in the other greenhouses.

“The sale went well [with a] steady stream of customers early, but I believe the cool and wet weather played a factor,” said Eric Birkenberger, horticulture teacher at Nonnewaug. 

While the sale didn’t do poorly, it also didn’t do as well as Birkenberger hoped. There were still plants leftover that didn’t sell, including plants that are normally big sellers. An example of this are the hanging baskets, both grown and designed by the horticulture students.

“Along with the baskets we have Geraniums, many flats of impatiens, and petunias. These are items that usually sell out, so I’m not sure what the issue was this year because the class produced a great crop of plants,” said Birkenberger. “We have many vegetables left but that is normal. The extra vegetables will be planted in the agriscience vegetable garden, located behind the horse barn. This garden will be planted and maintained by the farm-to-table class.”

The sale is important to Nonnewaug’s agriscience program because it provides the chapter with funding and it provides the students with experience. Students worked the day of the sale, allowing them to learn about sales and helping customers. The funding raised through the sale is necessary to the chapter as it helps students to be able to continue to learn hands on.

“All funds raised will go into the horticulture and FFA account. The horticulture account uses the money to purchase next year’s plants and seeds,” Birkenberger explained. “The FFA account uses the money to pay for leadership opportunities and to help defray the cost of social activities as well as food and refreshments at our activities.”