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mokenamessenger.com life & arts
the Mokena Messenger | May 4, 2017 | 27
LW transition students to sell flowers, more at annual plant sale
Amanda Stoll, Assistant Editor
Again this year, students
in the Lincoln-Way Transition
Program have been hard
at work growing a variety of
flowers, herbs, spices, vegetables
and potted plants in
the greenhouse at Lincoln-
Way Central High School.
The transition program
helps students with special
needs to gain life and job
skills after high school graduation.
Their annual plant
sales include the poinsettia
sale that is held annually
before Christmas, and the
spring plant sale, which is
coming up this weekend and
next weekend.
An array of garden- and
planter-worthy perennials
are overflowing in doublestacked
trays in the greenhouse
awaiting the sale, all
of which have been grown
by the students with little
more than supervision from
their instructor.
“I just monitor to make
sure everything is okay,
but they really know the
process,” special services
teacher Josh Kreske said.
“They’ve done a nice job
picking up how it’s supposed
to be done.”
He said the students started
working in the greenhouse
in February. At that
time, they began planting,
fertilizing, and monitoring
for disease and bugs.
“If they’ve done it in the
past, they have an idea of
how it goes about, but we
have a lot of new students
this year,” Kreske said. “But,
after the first couple times
they came in, they were able
to set up their work area by
themselves, and they work
really independently.”
The project — which is
one of many the students
do throughout the year —
is not designed to steer the
students toward horticulture
or agriculture jobs, but rather
to give them transferable
Breanna Ceci demonstrates how to carefully remove dead leaf without damaging the
plant at Lincoln-Way Central High School on Thursday, April 27. All of the plants in the
greenhouse have been grown and tended to by students in the Lincoln-Way Transition
Program since February, and they are available for sale Saturday, May 6 and 13, from 9
a.m.-noon. Photos by Amanda Stoll/22nd Century Media
skills they can use at any
job.
“It just teaches them
work skills,”Kreske said. “It
teaches them how to follow
multi-step directions, work
as a member of the team,
get things done in a certain
amount of time [and] meet
certain requirements that
it has to look a certain way
before it can be a finished
product.”
Breanna Ceci is one of
the students who has been
working in the greenhouse
this semester, and she is
quick to recognize dead or
dying leaves on the plants.
She said it is important to
remove them carefully so as
not to damage the plant and
demonstrated the proper
way to “pinch” the leaves to
remove them.
Petunias, begonias, zinnias,
marigolds, impatiens, celosia
and alyssum, as well as salvia
Lincoln-Way Transition Program Flower and
Vegetable Sale
When: 9 a.m.-noon Saturday, May 6 and 13
Where: Lincoln-Way Central High School, 1801 E.
Lincoln Highway, New Lenox
More information: lwtransition@lw210.org
— which is new to the sale
this year — will be sold for
$2 per six pack or $12 per flat;
Geraniums will be sold for $3
per six pack or $18 per flat.
Potted plants, including
coleus, vegetables, spices
and herbs, will be sold for
$2 each, and larger potted
plants, such as wandering
Jew, Swedish ivy, spider
plants and citronella will be
sold for $5 each.
The greenhouse is located
off Schoolhouse Road on the
East side of the school, and
proceeds from the sale go
back to support the Lincoln-
Way Transition Program.
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Lora Healy
A variety of flowers, vegetables, herbs, spices and potted
plants have been grown by students in the Lincoln-Way
Transition Program. Proceeds from the sale support the
program.
Breanna Ceci (left) and Katlyn Boner pose for a photo
in the greenhouse. They are among the students in the
Lincoln-Way Transition Program who have grown the
plants for the spring flower and vegetable sale.
708.326.9170 ext. 31
l.healy@22ndcenturymedia.com