Image provided by: Clackamas Community College; Oregon City, OR
About The print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1977-1989 | View Entire Issue (March 8, 1978)
Educational ideas bloom under instructor's nurturing Linda Corbett waters plants in the horticulture departments greenhouses. Corbett, a second year student, is a teaching assistant this year and has By Happie Thacker Of The Print Spring is here and a young man's thoughts turn to -- plant ing. At least they do if that young man is Horticulture In structor Phil Evans. In the two years Evans has been at the College, he has made many improvements to the grounds around Clairmont where the horticulture department is located. Last year he arranged for the school to have an All American Selection display garden to grow and display the best new varie ties of flowers and vegetables that hybridizers have developed. These hybridizers, or plant breeders, send their seeds to a non-profit organization which tests them and awards ribbons to the best ones. Photos by Sam Baer A student prepares seed boxes. Later these seedlings will be transplanted into flower beds around Clairmont to provide color and beauty during the summer months. J I Page 8 Phil Evans . . . horticulture instructor with dreams conducted a workshop on houseplants and« community education classes. “The All American Selection committee really appreciates our efforts to publicize these plants," said Evans. "We'd like to have the public see these grounds as an educational place to come and see these new varieties. They should be blooming in late June or July." Another educational display Evans has started is a planting of different varieties of lawn grass. These different grasses are planted next to the greenhouses so the public can see them grow ing before planting a lawn. "I had lots of dreams for this area," Evans said, "but I'm hav ing trouble getting it accomp lished." One of the reasons for this trouble is his desire to empha size individual choice among his horitculture students. "By having a program ori ented around student interests, we do a little of this and a little of that," Evans said. Evans would like to plant experimental vegetable gardens that would give people a chance to see new varieties of vegetables as they are developed. "But instruction comes first," Evans said, "there's not much point in forcing vegetable garden ing on people that aren't inter ested." According to Evans most of his students are interested in landscaping rather than gar dening. About half of them have their own land and want nursery or greenhouse operations and the rest are interested in landscape design, he said. Wages for those in landscap ing range from $3.50 to $5.50 or $7.50 per hour while nursery workers get only minimum wages. "The wages aren't as high as, say, a truck driver or a ware houseman," Evans said, "but if you like the life then it'lwl it-" There are also opportunS for starting one's own parti business with a minimum equipment, according to Eva Another thing that is keel Evans from completing hll for the grounds around1 Cil mont is his recruiting profl He has been going to M schools in the area and has rm plans to go to the stateful Farmers of America (FFA)l vention March 20 and 22fl "We'd like to have Iffl students enrolled eacflfl Evans said. In order to compensate! the lack of students intern in his planting programs® has been using work study a dents. "Now that I'm not trim finish everything from onfl period to the next, but tel work study students Ifil what the class starts, I'm gel a lot accomplished," he said] "I would like to sei™ work study students whowod like to establish vegetable a flower gardens. The number! work study students seems ■ low during late spring and sa mer when we need then® most." I n spite of the lack of stum help and the desire to teachl students what they want! learn, Evans has great» Evans hopes to accomplish M a bit next term. "By the end of school want to get all the grass gree have all the roses budding, gel cut flower garden started! supply campus offices with! flowers, get flowers planted io J the beds, get the grass startei the arboretum and get the J etable gardens; planted,' Ei said. Wednesday, Marc I
