Horticulture Blogsite: School courtyard : Before and After

I was given Horticulture to teach as a class in September 2013.  Our enclosed school courtyard by the library had been left derelict for the past 5 years,  What a great project for the Horticulture class to learn how to reclaim and landscape a green space into a sustainable environment .   The fall class had the duties of pruning the trees,  cutting and digging out the weeds and reconditioning the soil with sand.  The spring horticulture class would spade the soil again and remove the new sprouting weeds. The bedding plans raised in the school green house would be planted in the flower beds in the courtyard. In addition, we would plant sustainable gardens that would include: radishes, lettuce, spinach, swiss chard,    beets, corn, peas, beans, tomatoes and sunflowers.   I have decided to create a horticulture blogsite to help others consider reclaiming unused ground space to grow organic vegetables and  to learn to nurture houseplants.   http://mrleeshortilcutureblogsite.blogspot.ca

Garden Fundamentals

Garden Fundamentals include the following categories:
1. Soils
2. Climate
3. Botany
4. Plant nutrition
5. Plant propagation
6. Pest Control

Mission Statement

Horticulture is a fascinating subject that the inhabitants of Canada have limited knowledge. In our post-industrial society that has become increasingly a service oriented economy, people have distanced themselves from the land.  Growing and nurturing plants for food has become the domain of large corporate farms or the importation of food from developing countries. In a sense we have lost the ability to feed ourselves.  In our urban cities , we have arable land surrounding our dwellings that could be used to grow food to supplement our diet with organically grown food.  Moreover, we do grow flowers to add beauty to our yards.  In Calgary, where we have a four month growing period, the residents are the largest buyers per capita in all of North America in buying bedding plants.  Transplanting flowering bedding plants is big business. On more than one occasion all the bedding plants that are planted on the May long weekend, supposedly the last day where there is no danger of a killing frost have been destroyed by an untimely cold snap which is great news for the retailers selling bedding plants. Come spring the market is inundated with plants from Costco, Safeway, Lowe's, Home Depot, Rona, Golden Acres, Sunnyside and the surrounding nurseries. These plants that we buy are started as seedlings as far away as Kenya, Mexico, Ecuador, California and grown in the greenhouses of the Fraser valley in British  Columbia.  The environmental carbon footprint for importing bedding plants is enormous and we as consumers should be starting our own bedding plants from seeds.  By learning to grow our own plants we  will become a more environmentally responsible consumer.  Moreover, by learning to grow our own plants we will be able to reconnect to our natural state that will provide  a natural recreational and emotional relief in our urbanized lives to improve our quality of life.  This blog will explore different activities where one can grow one's own plants.  Creating indoor gardens in container pots that can be wintered inside the house during the winter months is another alternative or even starting your own bedding plants in the early month of April will create a unique natural lifestyle to reconnect with nature.   I am including a photo of a Zen Cactus garden, I made as an example of a low tech container garden that is low maintenance that adds color to your house and is aesthetically pleasing during the winter months.  Maintaining houseplants removes airborne toxins in the air while  contributing oxygen while removing carbon dioxide.

Cut Flowers

Fill out the flower chart for the following flowers:

1. Freesia
2. Gerbera
3. Gladiolus

Click on the following link: Types of Flowers Chart

Cut Flowers
Fill out the flower chart for the following flowers:

1. Daffodil
2. Delphinium/Larkspur
3. Dendrobium

Click on the following link Types Of Flowers Chart

Types Of Cut Flowers

1. Fill in the Cut Flower Charts for the following flowers.
    Using google look up the cut flower.  Wikipedia is a good source.

1.1 Anthurium
1.2 Bouvardia
1.3 Carnation

2.  Click on this link  Types of Cut Flowers
     2.1  Download the chart to your folder
     2.2  Fill in the chart
     2.3  Print your name on the chart
     2.4  Print out the three charts
     2.5  Submit your charts to the teacher

Mr Lee's Horticulture

Agriculture 10 (5 credits)
Pre-requisite: None
In the Agricultural 10 program, students learn about basic planting practices, care and feeding of plants, as well as soil conditions, watering and working within a greenhouse. Students learn some basic flower arranging skills and creating new seasonal designs. As well students learn the basics of marketing plants, seeds and services in field of Horticulture.
AGR 1050 Plant Propagation
AGR 1070 Landscaping 1
AGR 1080 Floral Design-Mechanics
AGR 1085 Floral Design 1
AGR 1150 Greenhouse/Nursery Crops 1

Agriculture 20 ( 5 credits )
Pre-requisite: Agriculture 10
In Agriculture 20 students will apply knowledge learned in the previous modules to the growing and maintenance of a greenhouse crop. Students will identify and describe plants that are grown in Alberta climates, examine plant anatomy and growth requirements. Floral and landscape design, general marketing principles and the careers available to those interested in this area will also be covered.
AGR 2030 Field Crops 1
AGR 2150 Nursery/Greenhouse Crops 2
AGR 2060 Landscape/Turf Management 1
AGR 2085 Floral Design 2
AGR 2095 Indoor Plants
AGR 3000 Agriculture Safety

Agriculture 30 (5 credits)
Prerequisite: Agriculture 20
In agriculture 30 students will continue to apply the knowledge learned in previous modules. They will extend their techniques in developing field crops by looking deeper at the genetics and technology available. Plant identification, maintenance, floral design for specific occasions, marketing techniques within a closed system will also be covered. Throughout the course, students will also be exposed to careers that encompass the Horticultural field.
AGR 3100 Biotechnology
AGR 3060 Landscaping 3
AGR 3085 Floral Design 3
AGR 3095 Display Design
AGR 3150 Greenhouse/Nursery Crops 3