Hello. My name is Isabel Linares, and I am a senior in Advanced Plants at Churchill County High School. Growing in plant systems has helped me find my next steps. I am going to Brigham Young University, Idaho, in the fall to major in horticulture. After that, I plan on becoming a florist. I have always had a love for flowers, but I hadn’t ever thought about it as a career. I took a career quiz that gave job recommendations that would work with my personality, and "florist" came up. The more I thought about it, the more perfect and exciting that sounded to me. I decided to sign up for the amazing plant systems class and immediately fell in love with all things horticulture. Planting seeds that sprouted, grew, and eventually blossomed made me so happy. I hope to share that feeling with future customers when I am a florist.
I am so proud of my little seedlings and look forward to seeing their growth every time I enter the greenhouses. My top favorites to grow are, of course, flowers. Currently, I have some exceptionally beautiful purple Chinese houses (Collinsia heterophylla) that are blossoming, which I grew from seed. Although they are called Chinese houses, they are actually an annual wildflower that is native to California. The common name comes from the flower's whorled shape, which is said to resemble tiny pagodas. I have many other flowers growing from seed, such as carnations, hollyhocks, primroses, and more. I also love growing herbs because I get to learn about them firsthand and their uses (hello, future bouquets). At my table in the greenhouse, I also have thriving rosemary and thyme.
I have had struggles getting rosemary to germinate in the past. The key is being patient. I now love challenging plants. According to Mrs. Sammons, rosemary can be a tricky seed to start, so I am especially proud of these seedlings. Last year, when I was part of Plant Systems 1, I had some dill that grew to two to three feet. I didn’t know how tall dill could get, so I was very shocked by its height.
Recently, I had the fun opportunity to study with a master florist (and Plant Systems adopted mom). Kim Urso from Yellow Petal Flower Farm invited students from plant systems and the FFA floriculture team to help her decorate 60 tables at the Rafter 3C for the recent Joe Nichols concert. I loved the opportunity to work as a team and decorate on such a large scale. We also made our community a little extra beautiful.
Because I plan to major in horticulture, this class has given me an amazing head start. I have learned that growing plants takes time and work. I have learned so many terms I wouldn’t have known before. I can also identify a wide range of plants, including trees, when I am in nature. And I have a much better understanding of what a specific plant needs to survive, because no two species are the same. Each plant is special in its own way, and plant systems is a wonderful way to learn it!
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