(St. Leon, IN) – When you enter East Central High School from Schuman Road or Trojan Road you will notice new landscaping that was completed by East Central High School Landscape and Turf Management students as a part of a $3,000 National FFA Organization Living to Serve Grant that the FFA chapter received in the fall semester of 2022.
This is part of an ongoing project called EC Re-Leaf and was completed without any costs to the school. EC Re-Leaf promotes the use of native plants in the landscape.
The Landscape and Turf Management students began the project by removing old juniper shrubs from the existing planting beds along the main drive along the north side of the high school with the help of Rick Singer and Tom Beck, Sunman-Dearborn Maintenance personnel.
An initial design was drawn up, and plants were ordered from Natorp’s in Mason, Ohio.
Fifty-nine plants were delivered in May to complete the landscape beds along the driveway, and nearly 100 native perennials produced from seed in the ECHS greenhouse were planted in various beds on campus to provide more greenery on the campus in May to complete the project at the east entrance.
Students correctly planted the shrubs and perennials and also mulched the areas. Landscape Management and Horticultural Science students will provide continual care and maintenance to the plantings from now on.
The plants consist of 59 native, deciduous shrubs and trees, and over 100 native perennials which included flowering plants and sun-loving perennials.
The shrubs were planted by the Landscape Management 2 students, and the perennials were planted by the Landscape and Turf Management students.
All of the plants will provide not only an attractive landscape, but also food and habitat for bird species, pollen, and nectar for pollinators, and will give visitors to the high school a chance to see how native plants can be used in the landscape.
This area will also have signage to identify the plants.
This planting is a welcome addition to the high school and provided students in the ECHS agriculture program and FFA chapter a practical, real-world experience.
Questions about the project can be directed to Roy Johnson, Agriculture Instructor & FFA Advisor (Email- [email protected]).
(East Central High School FFA press release)
