Buy plants, support AHS' FFA program

Plan to get to the Farmers Market early Saturday for the Aiken High School FFA Plant Sale.

Students will be there bright and early at 7:30 a.m. to help customers pick out vegetables, herbs and ornamentals to take home, and lines usually form quickly.

"I hope we have a line," said Aiken High agriculture teacher Meghan Wood with a grin.

Most plants began as tiny seeds in the high school's greenhouses and have grown under the careful guidance of FFA students.

"They take care of everything," Wood said. "They plant, fertilize and water. We planted at the end of January, middle of February. FFA officers take a lot of pride in it because they put so much effort and time into it."

Proceeds from the sale will benefit student leadership, greenhouse experiences and greenhouse maintenance.

Vegetable plants available will be peppers - bell, hot and ornamental, tomatoes, squash, broccoli and beans.

Rosemary, thyme, flat and curled parsley and sage and five varieties of basil - lemon, lime, purple ruffle, spicy globe and sweet - make up the herb plants.

And there will be a wide variety of ornamentals to choose from including Easter lilies, petunias, geraniums, snap dragons, lantana, begonias, purple cone flowers, pineapple sage, sweet potato vine, marigold and hanging baskets.

The Aiken High greenhouses are open to the public 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The Farmers Market is located at the corner of Richland Avenue and Williamsburg Street.

For more information, call Wood at 641-2500.