Centennial Garden Club Turns Attention to Prince William County Schools’ Greenhouse

Marie Balboni, chairman of Centennial GC youth gardening, and club member Bonnie Timko reached out to the students of Independent Hill School in Prince William County, Va.

Independent Hill School is a special education school within Prince William County Public Schools. The facility serves special needs students from kindergarten to age 22 throughout the county.

The school received a greenhouse in the mid 1980’s from IBM. By working in the greenhouse, the students develop skills which give them the ability to work in the community.

The green house is loved by them. Some students are only able to put soil into the pots, place seeds, water the plants, and/or make signs. The tasks are individualized by their teacher in regards to capability.

Marie and Bonnie met with Eastern Gault, green house teacher, and asked her for a wish list of what she could use for the students and the green house. Centennial members provided the following wish list items:

• Container pots for plants all sizes – (even used ones)- hanging basket pots
• Water hose 75 feet – with two wands
• A shovel to help move compost to areas around the green house
• Empty spools of thread
• A bird house
• Screens to place over large soil containers to help catch the soil
• Large trays to place small plants on for their sale this spring