Class spotlight: Horticulture

Horticulture class

Photo: The horticulture classroom’s aeroponic tower garden unit

The horticulture classroom’s aeroponic tower garden unit Photo courtesy of Thea Womack.

Course selection. To many, this yearly tradition of plugging in classes for next year is a routine of filling the mountains of credit requirements, but to some, it’s a magical time of year when students can bring their interests and passions to life for a couple of short semesters. This year, SCO hopes to bring some of this magic to you by spotlighting the incredible diversity of electives offered here at Blair. 

The first installment in this journey is through science. For many students, science classes exist to give credit and little else, but Blair has a variety of choices for scientifically curious students. One example of this is Blair science teacher Courtney Mason's horticulture class. The class has no official prerequisites, just a recommendation of having taken biology. Most of the class body is seniors looking for a relaxing but rewarding experience learning how to garden and do hands-on work with plants. To get a better idea of what a typical horticulture class period looks like, SCO staff visited the class. 

The classroom was packed with potted plants tumbling from ceiling-mounted hangers and encouraging posters. In one corner stood a sleek tower garden. The wide black tables were arranged into small groups to let students work together more easily. As the bell rang, students filtered in, taking their seats at the tables and chatting quietly. 

Soon after the bell, Mason started class with a chat about what her students had worked on last week. The class was comfortable, enjoying her jokes and commentary. Senior Emma Bergfalk adds that Mason is a wonderful influence on the class. “[She’s] a lovely person and a lovely teacher…she makes class what it is,” she says. 

After giving some quick directions, she brought the class to the greenhouse on the roof, letting them water and measure the growth of their assorted plants. Students jumped to action, using rulers to measure and record the development of their seedlings. As some students found their plants dead, Mason offered them guidance. “Since we don’t have class on weekends, we can’t water them, so the soil might not stay saturated,” she explains to the class. 

After returning to the classroom, Mason played a couple of videos about the growth of almond trees, asking her students to write down details about them. She encouraged them to fact check anything that seemed dubious, which the students then discussed, finding inconsistencies in some of the video’s claims. 

Beyond just looking at plants, Bergfalk explains that one of the major focuses of the class is projects related to ecology in the Blair community. “At the beginning of the year, when the weather was nicer, we did a lot of weeding… or taking care of the rain gardens [which] are a really cool little space where we have a bunch of plants native to Maryland,” she explains.

Mason builds on this by explaining that the class tries to work outside as much as possible. “We’re responsible for maintaining a rain garden outside. So when the weather is in our favor, we will try to be outside as much as possible, doing work around campus,” she adds. 

Because of its more relaxed nature, many seniors decide to take the class as an easier science elective. Bergfalk describes why she decided to take the class. “I had some senior friends taking [horticulture], and they really strongly recommended it to me. They said it was a great class in that they got to have fun, and it felt useful… they said it was so therapeutic to plant your own seeds, weed, and be a part of the school,” she says. 

Experts find that spending time in green spaces or with plants can relieve mental and physical stress. According to the National Institute of Health, “Many studies… concur that higher proportions of green space, especially biodiverse habitats, are associated with less depression, anxiety and stress."

Given the benefits of gardening alongside a glowing recommendation, why not sign up for the class next year? Regardless of what grade you’re in, you can look into adding horticulture class to your four-year plan. We hope to see you tending to your own seedlings in the greenhouse next year!

If you’re interested in taking the class, it has a flyer explaining the details of the class and can be found on the science elective and science course selection lists.