Greenhouse gang readies for upcoming gardening

By: Zuhayr Alam

Hidden in the back of the biology offices on the main floor is a secret garden, the CFHS greenhouse. There, in the dimly lit warm and damp room are propagate geraniums and peppers and tomatoes and a variety of other plants. This room is also home to the greenhouse club, which has been meeting for four years now.

The club starts every year by planting many seeds or putting already grown plants into the soil. The members of the club learn about how to grow plants and about the plants themselves by observing the various stages of plants’ lives and adjusting their growth conditions to have optimal growth. At the end of the year, the club sells the plants to teachers or anyone who will take them. Anyone can donate a few dollars to the club so that they can purchase supplies for next year.

Biology teacher Susan Considine is one of the leading teachers of the club, and said that math teacher Ethan Wiechmann convinced her to get involved.

“Mr. Weichman was really excited that we had a greenhouse in the school and thought that we should work together to get students involved with using the greenhouse,” Considine said. “We are both very passionate about gardening and think that is it great that we have an opportunity to share that passion with others.”

Last month, the club planted multiple different varieties of peppers, and two weeks ago, the peppers were big enough to be transplanted from the small container that they were all germinating in into large individual cells.

Senior Isaac Lawrence has been involved with the club for three years and said the club has benefitted his high school career.

“It was not detrimental in any way. It could be seen as something which could help you to relax during a long, stressed filled day,” Lawrence said. “It has helped me build my passion for science, botany and other subjects like that.”

Lawrence said the club has helped him decide what to do in the future.

“Besides helping with the botany unit in AP Biology last year, it has helped me decide what I want to do in the future after high school.”

Considine wants to build on the 10 members this year.

“We would love to have new members to the club and to see this club grow in the years to come,” Considine said. “We meet during A-shift of power hour on Tuesdays.”