Elementary school to host garden fair

Students are nurturing and manicuring hanging baskets to be sold at the Sisters Elementary School Garden Club's fourth annual Garden Fair on Saturday, May 12, in the elementary school commons.

According to parent volunteer Karly Drake-Lusby, this year's sale will feature nearly 10 times as many baskets as last year. Baskets sold out last year during the first 45 minutes of the sale.

Proceeds from this year's sale will be used to add electricity to the school's new greenhouse.

"We can't control the temperature in here without that, and it's already gotten over 100 degrees in here during the day," said parent volunteer Beth Huitt.

Currently, with no electricity, parent volunteers regulate the temperature day and night. Drake-Lusby said the only way to keep the project going and honor the work that the kids are doing is for parent volunteers to come in the middle of the night to turn on the propane heater and then return first thing in the morning to turn off the heater and open the doors so that the plants are not burned.

Approximately 110 students in grades K-4 participate in the garden club. Students have the option of joining the club at the beginning of the school year. Kids who are homeschooled are welcome.

The club is an all-volunteer program that was initiated five years ago by Huitt, Vonda Solitz and Shannon Pollard and supported by other parents and community members. Solitz still chairs the project.

This year's upcoming sale is much more meaningful to students because they have been able to care for their baskets during the growing season. Several weeks ago each student picked out the flowers he or she wished to use and planted their baskets with one-inch plugs using organic fertilizer and inserting crystals that retain moisture.

Since then the baskets have been hanging in the greenhouse to grow, only receiving an occasional drink. Last week, students "dead headed" their baskets, so they will be full and hearty when they are sold. The smaller 10-inch baskets will sell for $20; the larger ones will be $30.

The Garden Club was first housed five years ago in a red 8 x 10 foot shed that someone donated to the school.

"It was obvious in the first year with the response that we had from the kids that it was way too small," Huitt said. "We had so many kids who were volunteering to come on their lunch hour to start gardening ... that we really had to think about getting a bigger area to work in."

During the project's second year, the decision was made to host a Garden Fair in May. That year the greenhouse at the middle school was used to grow the elementary students' plants.

"It was really challenging because we had to drive back and forth to water. The kids couldn't help with it which was kind of sad,"said Huitt.

Using the middle school's greenhouse made it possible for the club to raise over a two-year period the necessary funds to build a new greenhouse at the elementary school.

"No school funds were used in the building of the greenhouse," said Drake-Lusby.

Proceeds from the Garden Fair were used to fund the project. The Sisters Garden Club made a significant donation, and parents provided volunteer labor in the construction of the building and donated necessary supplies.

"Lutton's has been great about giving us discounts on things we have had to have to make this work," said Huitt.

Currently, about 10 parent volunteers regularly participate in the program. Many more are needed.

In addition to the baskets that students have grown, numerous vendors will sell their wares at the club's sale on May 12. The "tomato plant queen" who naturalizes tomato plants in Sisters will sell her products, as will bird house builders. There will be many products that "have to do with gardening, the home," said Drake-Lusby.

The event will also feature a barbecue, a cake walk and crafts for children, all of which will be priced nominally.

"They can make Mother's Day presents. We are really encouraging kids to come out and make something for their moms," said Drake-Lusby.

Spaces are still available for vendors for the May 12 sale. A nominal fee is charged for exhibiting. Anyone interested in participating should contact Solitz at 504-4516.