Spring has FINALLY sprung in northern Utah, but the students in the ‘Floral and Greenhouse’ class at Fremont High School in Ogden, Utah have been growing plants for months now.

Beginning in January, using their covered greenhouses located at the high school, the Floral and Greenhouse classes have been growing a wide variety of plants to use in their Spring Greenhouse Sale. As part of their class curriculum, they have been learning about what it takes to grow, cultivate and produce quality plants, herbs, vegetables, succulents and flowers. Also involved are skills learned about floral arrangements. They have learned how to source plants from other growers in order to get a wide variety of plants to incorporate in their arrangements that otherwise would not be able to be grown in Utah during this time. Using these different plants, they will produce beautiful arrangements and a variety of other greenery that can be purchased.

The students enrolled in the floral, greenhouse and plant and soil science classes at Fremont have developed a different knowledge base and skills that allow them to understand the operations and management of a greenhouse and how to grow a variety of plants using a very hands-on approach. They have gained a background knowledge by engaging in daily tasks of watering, monitoring temperatures in the greenhouse, controlling pests and disease of the plants and the overall management of commercial and hobby greenhouse operations. As part of the class curriculum, they have also learned a history of agriculture and crop production as well as the skills necessary to properly create floral arrangements and produce commercial plant species within a controlled environment. This knowledge has allowed them to create beautiful, healthy plants in a wide variety to use in their sale.

Throughout the year they have been using their skills and knowledge to produce high quality and beautiful floral arrangements. In doing so, they have been able to have several other greenhouse sales. Advertising for each of their sales consists of emailing parents, other teachers at the school and making and hanging flyers throughout the school. They also rely on word of mouth from friends and family. Each arrangement varies in price from $15-$20 per arrangement. The money earned goes into all the costs accrued in order to grow and source each of the plants. The students themselves are not earning the money directly instead they are earning the experience of learning to grow and produce the arrangements and how work that is included throughout the entire process.

As far as the sale itself goes, this particular sale ran from May 1 – May 3 and provided a great gift for Mother’s Day! The teacher has decided what plants to source and grow and each of the students has spent hours of time and energy to put together their final plants for sale. While there were beautiful floral arrangements available, there was also a wide variety of other plants as well. The classes have been growing and maintaining vegetable plants, succulents, herbs, potted plants and hangers for this end of year sale. Students say that they have been extremely successful at these sales in the past and that as a good rule of thumb, you should attend the sale the first day in order to receive the highest quality of selection. If you live in the Ogden area, this is definitely something you want to keep on your radar in the years to come and make sure you don’t miss out on these incredible plants for yourself!