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