This spring marks a blooming milestone at TST BOCES—the 40th Annual Plant Sale at the student-run greenhouse at the TST BOCES Campus at 555 Warren Road in Ithaca. Since its inception, the sale has grown from a small educational project into a vibrant community tradition. But what makes this sale truly unique isn’t just the dazzling array of flowers, herbs, and vegetables—it’s the students who grow every single plant.
Each year, students from the Exceptional Education program cultivate and care for hundreds of plants as part of their supervised work experience. Under the guidance of Mrs. Brandy Nielsen, Work-Based Learning Coordinator and Supervised Work Experience Teacher, along with other dedicated educators and staff, students gain meaningful skills in horticulture, teamwork, responsibility, and customer service. All of these experiences contribute toward their Work-Based Learning (WBL) requirements.
Mrs. Nielsen, who has overseen countless plant sales and watched the program blossom over time stated, “Our students are like seeds, they all blossom at different times and in different ways. When our students are provided with the things they need, they are successful. Our students thrive in an environment that allows them to feel a sense of belonging, generosity, independence and mastery. It’s important to me that our whole TST BOCES community is involved in cultivating our students and our seeds. Over the 22 years of being part of the greenhouse many students, staff have worked together to make memories that will last a lifetime. As my predecessor, Tina Sevola would say, ‘Friends are like flowers, they bring color to your world.’”
This year, students from the classrooms of Mr. G, Gray, Mrs. Hough, Ms. Riker, Ms. Tarbet, Ms, Frosolone, Mrs. Bennett, Thompson and Ms. Lavi rolled up their sleeves, donned their gloves, and got their hands dirty—learning how to propagate, transplant, and nurture an incredible variety of greenery. The plant sale continues to honor four decades of growing skills, community, and confidence, one plant at a time.
The greenhouse that houses today’s plant sale was first built in 1971 and originally occupied by the VoPro Horticulture program. From 1971 through 1977, the greenhouse was used for vocational horticulture instruction. After the program ended, the space sat vacant for nearly seven years.
In the winter of 1985, the Smith School vocational program—led by teacher Alan Vogel—breathed new life into the space. Under his leadership, students began using the greenhouse to grow plants, establishing what would become an annual plant sale tradition that continues to this day.
Pictured: (L to R) Alan Vogel (started greenhouse), Tina Sevola and Brandy Nielsen
In Bloom for 2025:
This year, the greenhouse is overflowing with perennials, annuals, vegetables, strawberries, herbs, and colorful hanging baskets. Highlights from this year’s offerings include:
Vibrant Gerbera daisies, Sunpatiens, and Zinnias
Fragrant lavender, thyme, and peppermint
Homegrown veggies like tomatoes, peppers, squash, and eggplant
A wide variety of stunning hanging baskets including Fuchsia, Petchoa, Lofos, and Ivy Geraniums
The 40th Annual Sale Details:
Location:
TST BOCES Greenhouse
555 Warren Road (Enter in the south entrance, click here to see a map)
Staff-Only Preview:
📅 Friday, May 2
🕗 8:00 AM – 2:45 PM
Public Sale:
📅 Saturday, May 3 (One Day Only!)
🕘 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Weekday Hours starting May 5, until sold out:
📅 May 5 onward
🕗 8:00 AM – 2:45 PM (Monday–Friday)
Please note: The Plant Sale is a cash or check only event.
