Parkside High School students launch garden

Monday morning, students and community members gathered at Parkside High School to celebrate the launch of their garden.

The A+ Garden Centre is operated by students at Parkside High School. Jerry Kelley,  the horticulture instructor at Parkside High School works with local groups to teach students how to grow and sell a variety of plants.

"We are always busy, even in the summer we are growing plants getting ready for fall.They learn a lot of team building skills, and because it's a business they are learning how to evaluate them, how to market these plants," says Kelley.

"I really enjoy working with the customers and being able to go out to the community, " Sierra Hixon, a student at Parkside.

However, planting and selling dozens of flowers and plants isn't all they are doing. 

"Our Lower Eastern Shore Beekeepers Association provide support for us in our apiary," says Kelley.

Kelley says they learn the ins and outs of beekeeping and extracting honey, and all these activities  already have these busy bees buzzing about their future careers.

"I'm kind of interested in agriculture," says Hixon.

"I was thinking of maybe becoming a park ranger after this," says Stephenie  Linton, a student at Parkside.

Lisa Murphy, from the University of Marland Extension says,"We love working with these students, they are such a joy. It brings a lot to us and I think we bring a lot too them."

For more information on A+ Garden Centre click here.