Attention all gardeners, horticulturalists, and plant aficionados! The once abandoned greenhouse located right beside the bus loop is being reopened!

“We decided to take it on as a project because the cost of a greenhouse is expensive, [so it’d be a waste of money and resources if it was left idle with no use,”] explained Mrs. Cleveland, a science teacher and one of the overseers of the project. According to Mrs. Cleveland, the greenhouse was constructed with Bob Jones when it was first built, which is a long time for any building to be left unkempt.

Cleaning up the greenhouse will not be an easy job, of course; there are still many things to be repaired before plants can even be stored within it. “We have to deal with the watering issue because the watering system is broken,” said Mrs. Cleveland. “I think they’re (other teachers and students who are volunteering to help) in the process of repairing a broken door [too]. [We have to] clean out the weeds [and the interior of the greenhouse as well.”]

Revamping the greenhouse successfully means doing the job right, and doing it right takes time. Mrs. Cleveland said that they hope to begin storing plants inside of the greenhouse by January of 2017.

It’s going to be a while before the facility is finished, but progress can be accelerated with the help of students, which is why this task is a part of Patriot Path. Students are already eager to contribute in the effort and even plan on growing a few things in the greenhouse as well. “I’ll be growing succulents and possibly vegetables,” said freshman Langley Polk. She also had some ideas as to how the greenhouse may benefit the community.

“We could raise money by going to…the Madison City Farmers Market, and then we could contribute to the culinary and science department.” Langley said that she wished Bob Jones had more programs that such as the greenhouse.

She makes a point; while Bob Jones has a variety of classes for students, the school falls short in the areas of study pertaining to agriculture and horticulture (excluding environmental science, which Bob Jones offers as a class, but is a separate area of study.) When asked about this,  Mrs. Cleveland answered that she didn’t know of any other agricultural/horticultural programs except for Mr. Lanford’s Agriscience class.

According to Mr. Lanford, the general takeaways of this class are not known, but the class’s current objective is to show students how to properly use tools and how to construct basic objects. Agriscience is open to everyone, which is confirmed by Mr. Lanford. Regardless of the small amount of agricultural and horticultural classes here, Bob Jones is known for being a school that caters to students, so, as time goes on, hopefully they will provide more classes for these important areas of study.

Students can join the greenhouse project by simply signing up for it on their next Patriot Path session and can attend Mr. Lanford’s class, if they wish, by registering for it next Spring.