Kansas State University - Royal Purple Yearbook (Manhattan, KS)

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IN FULL BLOOM Flower beds enhance horticulture labs BY RENEE MARTIN INSTRUCTIONS were simple: study the plant samples and identify the distinguishing characteristics. But for the students in Mary Albrecht ' s bedding and foliage class, the produced only puzzled looks. The divided into small groups, sat quietly staring at the plant life in front of them. Albrecht broke the silence. You know, just at the names won ' t help you identify them, she said. Albrecht roamed from group to group and dropped various hints. Why don ' t you check the nodes? she asked a group who had run out of different characteristics to examine. Each member of the group intently studied the carnation ' s nodes, but they waited for Albrecht to move on before What does she mean about the nodes? a woman asked. After a few more minutes of deep discussion on the nodes, Albrecht came to the group ' s rescue, pointing out that one plant had very swollen nodes, while the other plant ' s were less That ' s what we thought, a man said. But we thought that it was too obvious to be right. No matter how or subtle the were, students in Albrecht ' s class learned to rely on visual inspection. The class, which was required for most horticulture majors, familiarized students with various forms of plant life. The main purpose of the class is plant Albrecht said. We probably cover approximately 200 plants that the students learn. I want them to have a working knowledge of plant material, understand the concept of working with a local grower and understand how plants are produced and said Albrecht. After discussing the differences, the class fi led out to the flower beds north of Throckmorton Hall. The beds served as a laboratory where students studied plants in their natural environment. Albrecht continued her lecture from the middle of the bed, pointing out the plants her class had inside. She said the bed, blossoming with different flowers, was vital to her class. It ' s better to have the plants in the beds so students can see how they look in the Albrecht said. With the beds, we get to see them growing in their natural state, said Bryan Lappin, junior in It ' s much better to see them alive and growing than to look at an old, dried specimen. WITH MORE THAN 200 plants to identify, the plants in a landscape is vital in learning the plants ' characteristics. (Photo by Christopher T. Assaf)

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STEVE HETER LIVES ON A farm east of Alta Vista where his goats and bicycle creations keep him Heter ' s favorite bikes were the longhorn, left, the marlin, center, and his first bike, the fluorescent orange bicycle in the window. (Photo by Mike Venso) INSIDE THE SCULPTURE studio in West Stadium, Heter moves the broken hook of his bitchy witch dipper. Heter spent several hours a week working on wood, metal, stone and his bicycle sculptures. (Photo by Mike Venso)

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THE FLOWER BEDS to the northwest of the dairy barn are utilized by the bedding and foliage class. The students got to see the plants in their natural environment, which helped in identification and remembering characteristics. (Photo by Christopher T. Assaf) INTRIGUED BY A flower during the first class session is Woody Moriarty, senior in The students had to learn the characteristics of each plant—and not just the name—by inspection. (Photo by Christopher T. Assaf)