Growing Together

This story appeared in a Fishers High School print publication in December, 2023.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, Horticulture is the art or practice of garden cultivation and management. It includes the production of fruits, vegetables, flowers, herbs and ornamental plants and consists of both aspects, science and aesthetics.

Horticulture is also a year-long elective class offered at Fishers High School. Sophomores, juniors and seniors are eligible to take the class. Sophomore Grace Dippold, a current Horticulture student described the class to be “fun, friends and plants.” She also explained her reason for taking the class.

“I am taking Horticulture because I want to go into something horticulture related, maybe plant science or plant sales,” Dippold said.

Fishers High School Horticulture teacher Samuel Lawrence shows students leaves of plants and teaches them how to make observations in the greenhouse. Students in photo from left to right: sophomore Roland Kramer, juniors Carter Schmidt and Alexandra Clark. Photo by Veda Thangudu.

Junior Leah Manley-George is also fascinated by plants. She believes there is a high possibility she will pursue a career relating to Horticulture.

“I have over 116 [plants] in my room alone,” Manley-George said. “I just like to learn about [plants] and watch how they react to different conditions.”

Horticulture is taught by the Future Farmers of America adviser, Samuel Lawrence. He has been teaching for 17 years, and he is currently in his third year at FHS.

“We are trying to have a product that we produce,” Lawrence said. “There are pawpaw trees and other citrus shrubs. When it gets a little bit cooler, we get poinsettias and we put them in the greenhouse. Next semester we'll be raising annuals and perennials, which are just basically flowers and fruits and vegetables you'd have for flower gardens or vegetable gardens.”

For the final exam, Horticulture students are working on a project. Both Manley-George and Dippold are excited about this. The students will be making a centerpiece during the final class period. 

“A big part of horticulture is also floriculture, which is decorating flowers,” Dippold said. “We're going to put together the arrangement during classes with pine needles, ornaments, candles and pine cones for our final.”

Lawrence demonstrating how to take care of plants and trim them for growth in the greenhouse during class on Dec. 6. Photo by Veda Thangudu.

Manley-George mentioned multiple aspects of the class that she liked, some being the experimentation, the community and the opportunity to learn sales skills.

“I like being supported by my teachers and having a good connection with them,” Manley-George said. “Most, if not all, of his students have a great connection with Mr. Lawrence. He's a wonderful person to be around, and that's another factor that helps me learn.”

The students visit the greenhouse during almost all class periods. According to Lawrence, although the class is mostly student-driven, there are lectures between greenhouse days.

“A typical class period is us going to the greenhouse, evaluating what plants are already in there, [talking about] how we might help them, how the affects them, the lighting conditions and how we need to alter that,” Manley-George said. “We'll do some research if we need to.”

One of Lawrence’s favorite parts of teaching Horticulture is when things go wrong. He believes those are situations in which students learn best. 

“We went and collected some plant samples from outside and we brought a bunch of bugs in with them accidentally,” Lawrence said. “And that's great because it gave the students an opportunity to see what happens when those bugs actually get on plants and how to identify and treat them. If everything was growing really well, they would never have learned that. So, I really like when things go wrong because you can problem-solve. And, not just me, but the students come up with ideas, and we can put that problem-solving in action.”

Next year, Horticulture will count as a science credit instead of an elective credit and will be available to take under the name Plant Science.

“I would recommend you take it because of the teacher [and] the opportunities you get to learn about plants,” Manley-George said.