BILLINGS — Inside the greenhouse at Will James Middle School is the making of an annual Mother’s Day greenhouse sale.
“They just kind of grow under these grow lights and then once they are big enough, we transplant them into the four-by-four trays,” explains one Will James student in Kris Cummings' tech ed and engineering class.
Another student chimes in as she trims off unsightly leaves from a hanging basket.
“Basically, a lot of the stuff that has overhang or that has rust on it we trim, which is a lot of this white stuff, or a lot of this that has turned very light green. We’re just cleaning them up so they look a lot better for selling," the student said.
Each seed is sprouted, grown and carefully groomed by some of the brightest students in Billings.
“All of these students are outstanding students. Their role is to come in to manage this greenhouse and report back to me, so I give them that responsibility to where it is truly something that becomes student-run," Cummings said.
With a little research and market comparison, and competitive prices ranging from $4 to $60, these plants are impressive, adorable and ready to go to a new home.
“Hedgehogs and pigs, there’s a bunch of different ones,” says an excited student.
“I love the way people who are looking at plants are saying ‘oh this is so pretty, this smells so good.’ It just makes my heart happy to see plants really make people happy. It doesn’t seem like a big deal, but it really is,” says Keegan Romero, a Will James eighth-grade student.
It’s also a big sale with 50-plus varieties of bedding plants, perennials, herbs, tomatoes, peppers and more than 650 hanging baskets.
“We’re looking at a culmination of over six months of work that kids have been hands-on, and they truly love being in this environment,” says Cummings.
It’s a special place where flowers and students grow, and it all starts again in the fall as proceeds roll into the student’s annual poinsettia sale.
The greenhouse sale is this weekend at Will James, Ben Steele and Lewis and Clark middle schools, with different hours Saturday and Sunday. The graphics below, provided by Billings Public Schools, outline complete details.
