High School Horticulture Expo to Return to MCCC Next Weekend

Spring will burst forth at Mercer County Community College (MCCC) March 11 and 12 and the community is invited to enjoy the spectacle. Now in its fifth year at MCCC, the college's Horticulture Program and the New Jersey Department of Agriculture will partner as hosts for the New Jersey High School Horticulture Expo. The show is presented to the public free of charge.

Suggested visiting hours are: Friday, March 11 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday, March 12 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Exhibits will be displayed on the second floor skywalk, surrounding the quad on the West Windsor campus, 1200 Old Trenton Road.

According to Associate Professor Amy Ricco, Coordinator of the MCCC Horticulture Program, more than 500 high school students from 30 schools will participate, including representatives of the FFA Student Leadership Organization. Students hail from schools that offer horticulture and agriculture programs.

Judging of all entries will be take place on March 11. Students will be judged in 30 categories including a live floral design competition on Friday morning. Other categories include house plants, terrariums, dish gardens, bedding plants grown from seed, and themed floral arrangements such as holidays, wedding and congratulatory bouquets. The prizes will include Best in Division and Best in Show.

Ricco notes that MCCC is one of only four community colleges in the state to offer Horticulture and Plant Science degree programs and adds that job prospects in the field remain strong.

Directions to MCCC's West Windsor campus are available at www.mccc.edu.

Pictured: A welcoming arrangement from last year's High School Horticulture Expo.

To post a comment, you must register and login.