The Wilmington morning star., 1946-05-27
MORE ABOUT
GARDENS
FROM PAGE ONE

parks ana gardens while o
of the other vegetation is yet
in bud.
Settling in the Castle Hayne sec
ton several years ago, a handful
Of sons and daughters of Holland
brought to their adopted heath, a
rare knowledge of agriculture and
an Unsuitable love for flowers. They
have, and r continuing to make
both traits pay dividends. For
Castle Hayne is fast becoming the
commercial floWer-growing center
of the South. And there is sound
reason for the Castle Hayne sue
cess-they start future bloom grow
ers learning the art at the tender
age OF six years.
Sounds rather fantastic, but ii
is true, nevertheless.
Flower Gardens
Out at Wrightsboro school, flow
err gardens have been a part OF
daily school chores for nine years
now and the children, from first
graders on up to the young Master
and Miss almost ready for high
school, take rare pride in produc-
ing fine flowers in small garden
plots. And they enjoy every min
ute they devote to the planting,
care and cultivation Of this and that
gorgeous member of the flower
family.
While school curricula neces-
sarily requires that flower-growing
at Wrightsboro be secondary to
the three RS, when the bell rings
for recess or garden period, there
is an enthusiastic dash for rake,
hoe and spade and water buckets,
too, as each grade gets time off
from perhaps the more important
things such as history, spelling, OF
geography, to devote a quarter.
hour perhaps to the cultivation OF
their beloved flowers.
Started 8 Years Ago
According to Miss Nellie Fen
tress, popular principal and gen.
eral superintendent of flower grow.
ing at Wrightsboro school, the pro-
ject was started nine years e
with eight plots. Now there are IL,
and a twelfth in the making, an ar
tistic setting with a conrete base
which the eighth graders hope to
have IN picturesque beauty early
this fall.
Garden plots are all of approx
mately the same size, Is x Is feet
and all are well planned and kept
up by the different grades, first
through the eighth. With a school
enrolment of over 400, student
participation is almost 100 per cent
and as a result, some fine flowers
are produced out there each spring
and fall. Situated some fifty yards
PACK OF the school building, the
garden plots are all well
Tor both convenience and adapta.
olllty. A water line has been run
almost to the edge of the gardens
SO that the youthful flower-growers,
and future commercial operators,
90 not have far to carry water for
their particular plot.
Point System
Prlzes are awarded on a point
system at the close If each school
year, with judging taking place
about five weeks apart. Points are
scored for cleanliness, beauty and
plot arrangement and this year.
three prizes had to be awarded in.
stead of the customary two, be.
cause the judges eel unable tc
decide between the primary AND
grammar grade plots for one of the
prizes. First judging took place
Miss Fentress told The Star. or
April 5th, with the final iudpin0
on May 2. Miss Vick's Fol1rtS
graders walked off with one of thu
flower garden prizes while d,nli.
cate prizes were awarded TO Mis-.
Bakers Seventh grade pupils ano
Miss Coker's Fifth graders
flower growing at Wrightsboro
school has earned the commenda.
ton OF the City, County Board ot
Eaueation and gardening equip
ment has come to the schoo,
uirough nat source. Grade Moth
ers possibly looking to the future
o. lne castle Hayae section as a
hover producing center, also con,
trlouted rakes, hoes, etc., while
soine otner equipment, so jealousy
used by the students, was purcaas-
ed with school funds.
Dlsclalming any credit for the