Mural in progress at Mid-Prairie Home School Assistance Program greenhouse

By Molly Roberts
Posted 9/21/21

This is the second year the Mid-Prairie Homeschool Assistance Program’s Roots and Shoots club has conducted its fall mum sale. Organizer Laura Mallory, a teacher with the Homeschool Assistance …

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Mural in progress at Mid-Prairie Home School Assistance Program greenhouse

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This is the second year the Mid-Prairie Homeschool Assistance Program’s Roots and Shoots club has conducted its fall mum sale. Organizer Laura Mallory, a teacher with the Homeschool Assistance Program, said the club learned some things last year which helped them improve this year’s sale.

One change was the number of plugs put into each combo pot, containing both mums and grass. Mallory said the students and families were involved in the decision to put four plugs into each pot instead of three.

“We talked with them and talked about how last year they weren’t as full,” Mallory said. “We made a triangle with three and this year by using four we were able to make a square, which meant that it would be fuller around the grass.”

Mallory also said the gardeners waited longer to put the grass into the combo pots, putting the mum plugs in first and then returning about three weeks later to add the grass. This prevented the grass from growing so high that it blocked sunlight from getting to the growing mums.

Another major change to the Roots and Shoots program is the state of the greenhouse — it now has the beginnings of a mural drawn on its back.

Clara Tse, a 9th grader, is creating a beautiful mural featuring flowers and other natural elements. Tse said she has always been interested in art.

“I’ve always been doodling and drawing comics in my spare time. My sister actually was an artist and she played a big part in inspiring me to start drawing, as well,” she said.

Mallory said the Homeschool Assistance Program held a contest to see who would create the mural and Tse’s submission was the one that garnered the most votes.

Tse said the weather this summer made drawing and priming the mural difficult, but once she started coming later in the evenings on the weekends, the work started to go more smoothly.

Tse said her design was inspired in part by the band BTS, who did an album about self-love featuring flowers.

“I thought it would be cool to add some flowers that I personally liked,” Tse said. “I took inspiration from the album, which has personal meaning to me. The flowers I chose represent positive meanings that I thought could go well with the school. Some flowers that they had on the album were primarias. I did some research on the different meanings of that flower and some points I wrote were that it represents new beginnings, purity, grace and charm.”

Tse also incorporated peonies into her design after finding a quote that resonated with her: “Remember how your actions reflect on yourself and others and always strive to act honorably and respectfully. Don’t be afraid to apologize if you made a mistake and share your love with others to improve their lives as well.”

Tse said she liked how peonies represent prosperity, good fortune, compassion and honor.

The greenhouse, which was originally donated to the program by Mallory’s family, will soon have a finished, beautiful floral mural decorating it.

“The mural makes me feel awesome,” Mallory said. “It makes me feel really blessed. It makes my heart smile.”