and slightly below high-end-retail-center rates is suggested. Depending on the type of plant and how hard it is to actually find it, one-gallon-sized plants should sell for $7–$10, two- gallon plants for $10–$12, and three-gallon plants for $15– $20. If things are not moving, then you can either quickly reduce the price, have a flash sale, or bargain with custom- ers. The goal is to have no plants left over! The sales I led became quite large events. We typically


specifically sun, soil, and water needs. Including the size of the plant at maturity and a picture of the flower also serve to increase your reputation. If space allows, having simple maintenance tips is suggested. A makeshift kiosk can have generic information such as definitions for “medium” or “average” soil and types of shade (deep, bright, and dif- fused). The Missouri Botanical Garden is a great resource on many plants, and permission can be granted for using their content on signs. State extension agencies may also allow permission. It’s not a bad idea to include the price on the sign, but make sure you can cover it with a sticker should you decide to reduce the price to move specimens faster. All pots should have a price sticker. Creating a digital brochure of the plants to be sold is a great way to generate interest ahead of the sale. Consider including it on the school’s web- site. If your sale is going to be part of an ongoing program, developing a brand and logo asserts your school’s position in the environmental education community.


Profit! The day of the big sale has arrived. Hopefully you have grown a solid crop of plants and priced them appropriately. Regardless of how you grew the plants, the most each one theoretically should have cost you is $2. If their quality is solid, then pricing them slightly above big-box-store rates


had between 30 and 50 different plants for sale, with quanti- ties ranging from 10 (larger plants) to 50 for four-inch and gallon-sized plants. Up to 300 customers usually attended our sales over the course of the five total hours each sale occurred. The caveat with all of this is that it was a very choreographed, student-led effort. They grew the plants, researched the information, made the signs, and sold to customers. They knew how to set things up, as a detailed schematic was provided to them. They knew the names of the plants because they wrote the plant labels. Above all else, they learned from the experience because of its rel- evance. Many of the initiatives connected to academics like math (retail economics and budgeting), language (Latin names), grammar and art (signage), horticulture/biology (plant growth and development), and chemistry (fertilizers). Beyond the academics, connections to life skills such as social skills, collaboration, organization, time management, and strategic planning were also realized. Whether you have a greenhouse or not, plant sales have


a high return on the investment beyond the economics. The important lesson with all of these tips is to let the students take control! It is a school plant sale after all and if done cor- rectly, the money really does grow on plants!


Todd Beasley has 25 years of experience in horticulture and education. Between stops at three botanical gardens, Todd taught 5th-grade Environmental Science and continu- ing education Horticulture classes. Todd also served as the School Environmental Education Director at Heathwood Hall in Columbia, South Carolina, USA, where his students cre- ated a nationally recognized youth gardening program. Todd wrote the proposal that brought the American Horticultural Society’s Annual Children and Youth Gardening Symposium to Columbia, SC in 2016. Todd is currently owner of Primi- tive by Design, an eco-friendly garden design firm, and is an elementary education professor at the University of South Carolina.


Appendix A: U.S.-specific Resources


Growing supplies: Hummert International, BWI Grower Supplies Seeds: Johnny’s Selected Seeds, J. L. Hudson, Burpee, Territorial Seed Company Bulbs: The Terra Ceia Farms, Brent & Becky’s Starter plants, liners, & plugs: Hoffman Nursery (grasses), Bluebird Nursery, North Creek Nurseries, Emerald Coast Growers


Note: There are quite a number of other starter plant sources specifically in Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. PlantAnt is an invaluable online resource to locate plant sources.


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