The Michigan State University Student Horticulture Association will host its annual Spring Show and Plant Sale on April 21-22 at the MSU Plant and Soil Sciences Building. The event is an annual showcase of students’ landscaping and greenhouse skills that raises funds for annual scholarships and travel to conferences, competitions and horticulture industry trade shows.
Since 1989, the MSU Student Horticulture Association has transformed the conservatory on campus into a themed landscape display with indoor and outdoor plants available for purchase.
This year’s theme, “Over the River and Through the Woods,” will feature a river, a fireplace patio and a cottage, complete with a porch. The display was designed by Tyler Gilson, association president and MSU Horticulture senior, who stated that the greatest challenge over the past three years has been to create a unique design each year for the same space.
“Making sure that everything comes together seamlessly, while creating a landscape that our guests can enjoy, has been one of the most rewarding parts of my time at MSU,” Gilson said.
In conjunction with the indoor landscape portion of the show, a plant sale will be held from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on April 21 and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on April 22.Student members of the undergraduate association have been prepping for the sale all winter, growing houseplants, succulents, annuals, perennials and shrubs.
“I have been involved with the Student Horticulture Association for the past 18 years,” said Marcus Duck, faculty advisor. “Each year I’m excited to see the results of the months of hard work our students put into this event.”
Plants will be available for purchase by the general public, with proceeds from the sale supporting the association’s activities for the 2018-2019 academic year.
Throughout its nearly 30-year history, the spring show and plant sale has funded multiple scholarships, student admission to the Great Lakes Trade Expo in Lansing and travel costs to the National Collegiate Landscape Competition, where MSU placed third this year.
While discussing the benefits of the spring show, Duck said, “The students are able to take what they have learned from their experiences in the industry and MSU classes and apply those skills to real life plant production, networking, marketing, retail sales and landscape design and installation practices. No other activity in our program exposes the students to more hands-on opportunities than this.”