The Mississippi State Horticulture Club has been hard at work for months – planting, propagating and pruning – in preparation for their annual plant sale that’s just two weeks out.
Months of preparation are led by the club’s greenhouse manager, who works with advisors and members to review past results, order supplies, develop plant care schedules and coordinate outreach. Hunter Waring, horticulture sophomore from Westlake, Ohio, is proud of the team’s work and excited to showcase new additions for shoppers.
“We’ve made an effort to include more native plants this year,” he said. “(We’re) showcasing the benefits of incorporating the natural beauty of Mississippi and the Southeast in home landscaping.”
Those native plants include black-eyed Susans, little bluestem and Flowerburst Fruit Bowl yarrow, along with tomatoes, cucamelon, German chamomile, cacti, begonias, billy buttons, stokes aster, mountain mint and more.
“We see a lot of the same faces year after year,” said Waring, who noted repeat customers help shape future sales. “Unlike big-box stores, we can tailor our inventory to customer preferences and even provide technical support or suggestions onsite.”
Payton Mansell, club president and environmental economics senior from Ocala, Florida, said the event funds club operations and a yearly $1,000 MSU Foundation scholarship.
“This sale gives our members hands-on experience and a chance to connect with the community,” she said. “The practical skills we gain while producing something our customers can trust make the hard work worthwhile.”
The Mississippi State University Horticulture Club will host its annual spring plant sale on April 10 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and April 11 from 8 a.m. to noon, while supplies last. The sale will be on MSU campus at the Dorman Greenhouses off Stone Boulevard at 32 Creelman Street.
For questions about the club or sale, contact Mansell at [email protected] or Professor Richard Harkess, faculty advisor, at [email protected].
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