814-Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, November 11, 2000
< City scapes 9 Display Is A HorticulturalFirsi
For Pequea Ag Science Students
ANDY ANDREWS
Lancaster Farming Staff
KINZERS (Lancaster Co.)
It has a brick grill, a bench to sit
on, is surrounded by flowers, and
you can watch the city in the dis
tance.
(No, it’s not the balcony of a
Park Avenue penthouse apart
ment or a corner suite at the Rit
tenhouse.)
Actually, it’s a major ag sci
ence project, a first for Pequea
Valley ag science students.
For the first time in their his
tory, going by shear planning,
creativity, and wits, Pequea Val
ley High School students are
planning (as one famous TV per
sonality used to say) “a big show,
a really big show,” with their
horticultural display at this
year’s Farm Show in Harrisburg.
The display, measuring 15 feet
wide by 10 feet deep in the Fami
ly Living Section of the Farm
Show, if approved, could show
case the work of horticultural
students from the school.
The theme “cityscapes” was
chosen, noted Clair Witwer, ag
science instructor at the high
school. “Ours is a rooftop gar
den,” he said as he laid down an
architectural rendering drawn by
Pequea Valley High School stu-
The horticultural display, measuring 15 feet wide by
10 feet deep in the Family Living Section of the Farm
Show, if approved, could showcase the work of horticul
tural students from the school. The theme “cityscapes”
was chosen, noted Clair Witwer, ag science instructor at
the high school. "Ours is a rooftop garden,” he said about
this architectural rendering drawn by Pequea Valley High
School students.
Discoverftfjfcwer
Tenth-graders Ryan Eldridge, left, and Danielle Diem
with biology and environmental science teacher John
Celli at the school’s woodlot.
dents.
The plans include a display
featuring a brick grill measuring
27 inches square. “You can’t fire
it up, of course,” said Witwer.
The display will feature a foun
tain with annuals placed around
it on a wooden deck.
The display will also feature a
conifer and reused planter, iron
railing, a four-foot bench, a table
measuring 20 square inches, herb
garden, social area, and other
amenities.
“And this was our backup
plan,” said Witwer. “Our origi
nal plan was even neater.”
liie students, with help from
electronic library resources and
the Internet, checked out books
such as “Balcony of Roof Gar
dening,” “Small Yard,” “Truly
Tiny Gardens,” “Container Gar
dens,” and others to learn how to
put it together.
The project involves the stu
dents in a way that allows them
to project their classroom living
to visitors from the city to the
Farm Show.
The work involves about 17
ninth through I2th graders at the
school, as part of Witwer’s horti
culture class.
About 120 students from seven
classes are enrolled in the ag sci-
The horticultural class at Pequea Valley High School stand at the sides of at the ebb
and flood benches in the school’s new greenhouse facility.
ences curriculum at Pequea Val
ley, Witwer noted.
The horticulture project had
an assist in a big way from the
recent renovations and expan
sions at the school.
Work was finished in the fall
last year on the renovated ag sci
ence laboratory, which also in
cludes a new greenhouse.
The greenhouse measures 24
by 40 feet with a concrete floor.
Tables are ebb and flood. The
house is completely computer
ized.
Cost of ag renovations; from
$750,000-$900,000, Witwer
noted.
The greenhouse is used for
propagating landscape and flori
culture material. Some material
has been planted at the school,
along with landscaping done
professionally.
Included are hanging baskets
and container flowers.
The Farm Show project calls
for annuals. The class has plant
ed many flowers, including car
nations, Alyssum, Sage, Salvia,
marigolds, Celosia, and Balsam.
Alyssum is arrayed on 288-plug
trays. Bigger seedlings are ar
rayed in 72-plug trays.
Ag science students are also
involved in other hands-on activ
ities.
Just outside the school is a
woodlot where biology classes
toured, inspecting the flora and
collecting “molds,” noted John
Celli, biology and environmental
Daniel Lynch, wildlife education specialist and deputy wildlife conservation officer
with the Pennsylvania Game Commission, in center with tie, spoke about some trees in
a protected area of the school.
Justin Heller, left, sophomore and George Feliciano
look over material collected in the woodlot.
science instructor. class brought out the anvil shears
10 prune away plant materia],
Celli believed it was important Instructors are working to en
for students to see how the ma
terial grew outside.
Witwer’s horticulture science intact as field study for students
sure the wildlife habitat remains