The first-ever sale of plants grown in the new Harry Shaw Greenhouse at Harrells Christian Academy will be held on Saturday, May 6, from 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. in the greenhouse. Students in HCA’s horticulture, ag science, ag business, and biotechnology classes have worked hard to produce nine varieties of annual flowers plus houseplants and assorted vegetables for this special sale.
Students began their first growing season in the greenhouse by installing a custom irrigation system in conjunction with Williamson Greenhouses of Clinton. HCA Director of Maintenance Dean Wells taught students how to work the cool cells, heater, and fans, and how to troubleshoot problems.
Ag teacher Reva Weathington then taught students everything they need to know to grow and market potted plants.
“I love seeing students get excited about propagation and fertilization, inventory and market research,” she said. “I also love that at Harrells we can connect all these things back to God’s love and creative power.”
As a part of their class assignment to identify 70 different plants, Mrs. Weathington’s horticulture students chose begonias, calibrachoa, geraniums, impatiens, petunias, menarda, petunias, portulaca, verbena, and vinca to grow for the sale. As the plants started emerging from the soil, senior ag student Billy Prestage made a video commercial for the sale to spread the word on social media. Senior Corey Pruitt is in charge of all watering, disease prevention, and temperature control for this project.
“It’s just fun going out there to watch plants grow,” he said. “I’m from the city so I don’t really see that a lot.”
The Harry Shaw Greenhouse was established through funds raised at a breakfast attended by over 200 community members from five counties who wanted to support and “grow” future agricultural leaders in February of 2015. In addition, HCA partnered with Cargile in Raleigh, who gave a generous donation to see this first achievement in the vision for an ag complex at Harrells come to fruition.
The May 6 sale will feature hanging baskets, 6-inch pots, and vegetable pots. All proceeds will benefit the ag program at HCA.