By LISA BRITTON

Baker City Herald

Randy Newman and his students can experience a bit of spring and summer any time even when the April skies turn gray and spit snow.

andquot;I don’t know if it’s the oxygen or what, but it makes you feel good,andquot; Newman said as he inspected the plants thriving in the moist warm air of Baker High School’s greenhouse.

Newman has headed this project for more than 15 years when the FFA chapter decided to purchase a small greenhouse measuring 7 feet wide and 32 feet long.

Now there are three greenhouses, with most plants housed in the one that’s 24 feet wide and 96 feet long.

The plants are propagated by Newman’s greenhouse class, which this year has 25 students (more signed up when the name was changed from horticulture).

At first the plants were sold wholesale to local retailers, but about six years ago Newman decided to open the greenhouse to public sales.

Proceeds support activities of the FFA chapter, which average about $20,000 each year with trips to conventions and competitions.

andquot;If it wasn’t for this, we couldn’t do the stuff we do,andquot; Newman said.

The greenhouse is open from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday through the end of June (hours may extend to five days a week in June).

Prices range from 90 cents for a four-pack of plants to $2.25 for tomatoes to $25 for 16-inch hanging baskets overflowing with flowers.

Greenhouse class is part of the BHS agriculture curriculum, and covers the topics of seeds, germination, transplanting, grafting, soils and pesticides.

andquot;The first semester is all book work,andquot; Newman said.

Students started planting seeds in January, and the greenhouses now overflow with petunias, pansies, geraniums, daisies, delphinium, candy tuft, columbine, alyssum, asters, lobelia, blanket flower, lupine, sage, coneflower, larkspur, snapdragons, nicotiana, zinnias, dahlias and hollyhocks.

And that’s just the flowers.

There are also herbs and vegetables including tomatoes (several varieties), cucumbers, cabbage, cauliflower and onions.

As Newman tours the greenhouse rows, he takes note of tasks for the students transplanting seedlings, and thinning the flats where multiple seeds germinated in a tiny space.

andquot;I tell them to plant one (seed),andquot; Newman said, shaking his head.

The class meets first period, and those 50 minutes are a flurry of students putting soil in trays, transplanting tender seedlings and carrying the plants to the greenhouse.

andquot;I think we’ve planted every kind of plant there is,andquot; sophomore Taylor Anderson said as she transplanted lobelia plants.

Senior Josh Buxton admits he didn’t really plan to take greenhouse.

andquot;I kind of got forced into this class, but it turned out to be neat,andquot; he said.

He’s been in greenhouses before, but never knew how much work was required to grow all those plants.

andquot;I didn’t really understand the whole process,andquot; he said. andquot;I figured they just started in springtime.andquot;

Now, if he wants, he has the knowledge to grow his own flowers and vegetables.

andquot;It’s a good skill to learn,andquot; he said. andquot;And when you put it in as seed and bring them up, it puts some pride into your work.andquot;

The part of this class that most surprised the students, Newman said, is when he reveals the price of petunia seeds.

One ounce about 285,000 seeds costs $5,181.

andquot;It would probably not even fill a thimble,andquot; he said.

Each year the greenhouse project requires $8,000 to $10,000 for maintenance, seeds, pots and soil.

And the time invested? Newman can’t even keep track between watering for two hours every day and maintaining the equipment to ensure the greenhouse temperature never dips below 40 degrees.

The students do their fair share as well, putting in time during class as well as staffing the greenhouse when it’s open for sales.

As a reward, each student gets to take home a hanging basket for Mother’s Day, and Newman treats them to a pizza party at the end of the year.

andquot;They do a lot,andquot; he said.

After school’s out in June, students will be hired to keep the greenhouse open they receive half of the sales, and the other half goes to FFA.

Of the available plants, Newman says most perennials are hardy enough to withstand the current cool spring temperatures.

The hanging baskets are fine outside during the day, but should be brought inside at night.

He suggests waiting for warmer weather to plant annuals, such as marigolds.

andquot;If it even looks like it’s going to freeze, those’ll die,andquot; he said.