Staff writer
Are you itching to get your summer garden started or get your favorite annuals into planters? Is your vehicle looking a little faded and worn from winter driving? Your chance to get your gardening on as well as gussy up the family vehicle is right around the corner.
Student groups at Peabody-Burns High School will host a Spring Fling from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 16.
Horticulture students will have Warrior Soil open for your shopping enjoyment and National Honor Society students will be washing cars in the north parking area in front of the high school.
In addition, PBHS cheerleaders will offer an array of bake sale products and the sophomore class will be on hand with ice cream freezers full of homemade ice cream.
“We look forward to sharing the greenhouse with the community and we try to have a wide variety of perennials and annuals,” horticulture and science teacher Ann Leppke said. “Money raised goes back into the greenhouse fund. We are trying to build it up so we can do some beautification projects around town. We have planted in several areas, but are not yet at a point where we can donate our plants.”
Leppke said students also grew a variety of vegetables in the fall and produce was used in the cafeteria and by culinary students.
“Kids like to harvest something, especially if they can then eat it or cook with it,” she said.
“Cherry tomatoes did well, but they found large tomatoes were about the same quality as grocery store tomatoes during the winter season, so the kids thought it was a waste of space,” she said. “They planted onions, carrots, and radishes in buckets. Onions didn’t do too well, but carrots and radishes went to the salad bar and carrot tops went to some local bunnies.”
She said strawberry plants are beginning to bear fruit and are tempting for the students.
Leppke also acknowledged appreciation for gently used plastic and terra cotta planters. A wire basket has been placed near the Warrior Soil sign on the fence of the bus compound north of PBHS as a drop-off for donated plant potting supplies.
“We can always use them,” she said. “Containers are expensive to purchase — in fact, most of the ‘money’ in a plant purchase is for the dirt and container.”
Leppke and students will be available to help shoppers during Spring Fling and visit with them about gardening.
“Some years the students take an active interest in the greenhouse and some years they just do the work,” she said. “The hope is that somewhere down the line they will use what they have learned.”
Peabody-Burns National Honor Society’s 12 members will be washing cars in front of the high school to raise money to purchase Numana packaging supplies for a food-packaging event on April 30 at PBHS.
NHS sponsor and high school counselor Katie Fooshee said honor society students try to do at least two community service projects a year and the food-packaging project is the most popular.
“Our students feel a great sense of accomplishment knowing they did something for others and their time doing it felt productive and inspiring,” she said.
Peabody-Burns students will partner with Burrton High School students for the Numana packaging.
“Students earn money to buy packaging supplies and each school has set a goal of $1,500. Money they earn will be matched by a grant from Walmart,” she said. “PBHS students only need to raise another $150 and they will have met their goal.”
They are hoping the car wash will get them there. The service is an external wash only and cost is by donation.
“We prefer that people not leave their cars unattended — they should come prepared to wait,” Fooshee said. “We hope they will spend some time looking over the greenhouse and shopping for plants, maybe buy some baked goods and enjoy a bowl of ice cream.”
Fooshee also said community members are welcome to come to the PBHS new gymnasium at 10 a.m. April 30 to help with the packaging.
“We welcome volunteers,” she said. “There is no age limit.”
Registration will open soon at numanainc.com/peabody- burrton-event-2016 or contact Fooshee at (620) 983-2196.
More information about PBHS Spring Fling is available by calling (620) 983-2196.