Home and Garden enthusiasts have nearly cleaned out the assorted spring and summer flowers on sale at the Marion County Technical Education Center. Lynwood Chestnut, instructor of the Horticulture program at the school, said support has been given from individuals in neighboring counties and across the border from Fayetteville, N.C.
“I have maybe four or five good customers from Fayetteville that come by often every year,” he said.
“Yeah, we’re closing out actually. The big sale is gone, he said, adding that the school year is closing out and everything is on sale. However, as Chestnut stands in front multiple greenhouses that cultivate the dozens of annual assortments, less then half of the arrangements are placed in front of them.
“We’ve been selling since March. This is the fundraiser for the students participating in the FFA chapter,” he said. The students are involved in the entire process, he added, from planting, watering, fertilizing the greenhouse to preparing displays and sales. Chestnut said the process for the spring season runs from January to March.
“Mostly everything we sell pretty much goes because we try to have a variety,” he said. Perennials, hanging baskets, ferns, snap dragons, annuals and all types of veggie plants are popular. Chestnut teaches a group of 20 students who are all part of the fundraising activity.
“We have some students that work very hard and all of them make a good effort,” he said, just days away from wrapping up his sixth year.
One particular student, Mullins High School freshman Allen Michael Ward gives considerable effort before boarding the bus back to school, helping out two ladies that made the drive from Horry County. “He was a student that was in an explorer class offered here during the fall, but because of budget cuts we no longer able to continue that program the second semester,” Chestnut said.
However, because Ward really enjoyed participating in the class, provisions were made to allow him to continue on,” he said.
“He’s probably one of my best students,” he said, adding at a young age Ward has advanced and works hard.
Karen Vaught, holding a Mexican Petunia, said she thinks the program offers a wonderful selection.
“We enjoy coming out here. We come every year here and get our flowers,” she said.
Below, Marion County Technical Education Center Horticulture instructor Lynwood Chestnut and his students hold fundraising sales throughout the year at MCTEC. Karen Vaught and her family travel from Horry County to buy flowers at the school.
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