A 1,300 square foot greenhouse at Mattawa’s F.J. McElligott Secondary School is providing students with various horticultural and life skills, as well as funding student activities.
The facility was donated to the school in 2014 by local resident Laura Ross. Ross, who, along with her family used the greenhouse for decades before passing it on to the school board.
For the past seven years, students from various classes have participated in the planting of plugs and seeds. Nearly 28,000 were planted by students this year. In addition to planting, students also share chores like daily deadheading, watering, basket creation, and general maintenance of the plants, which then are sold.