Dennis
J. Wolnick, associate professor of floriculture
in the College of Agricultural Sciences, busily arranges potted flowering
plants to be judged by students practicing for the National Intercollegiate
Flower Judging and Design Contest to be held in Texas next month. Five
students from Penn State will take part in the competition in which they
will judge fresh cut flowers, flowering potted plants, foliage plants
and hanging baskets provided by commercial floral wholesalers and greenhouse
growers in Texas. The competition, which involves students from across
the nation, is designed to teach students how to be better growers, better
commercial buyers, and better retailers and consumers by learning the
qualities that lead to longer flower and plant shelf life. According to
Wolnick, overall quality of a flower or plant is made up of many characteristics,
such as straight stems; bright, clear flower color; insect- and disease-free
foliage; and vigorous growth. Some of the flowers shown here were grown
as part of class projects by greenhouse production students.
Photos: Greg Grieco