Last year, our Horticulture Enterprise team kick-started an exciting project by ordering 1,125 bulbs, carefully selecting what to grow and how many. We then developed a detailed planting plan and arranged them into pots, preparing for two major sales: March 22nd, celebrating the spring equinox, and May 3rd, during our Spring into the Gardens event. Both sales will take place at the Nevin Welcome Center, alongside other Learning by Leading teams.

Our goal is to raise funds for our team and the broader Learning by Leading program while sharing the beauty of plants with the community. This project has deepened our understanding of bulb horticulture, seasonal cycles, and plant sales. By working together—from planning to planting to selling—we’ve built both teamwork skills and a stronger connection to the gardens.

We are also fundraising with Brent and Becky’s Bulbs, where a portion of online sales will support our efforts. You can order online here to contribute! Select an organization: Type:  Cornell Botanic Gardens, and click GO. The order will be shipped directly to your address!

This experience has been incredibly rewarding, teaching us the value of thoughtful planning, hands-on learning, and engaging the community with plants. Our team, including students from multiple class years, has worked collaboratively to make this project a success. We look forward to sharing our work with you this spring! 

Team Co-Leads: Zoe James ‘26, Samantha Bilello ’26

Team Members: Ying Gan ‘25, Kai Ellis ‘25, Sophia Warren ‘25, Nathan Rhoads ‘26, Kayoko Thornton ‘27, Jacqueline Rohrbacher ‘27, Jada Ihejirika ‘27, Amelia Catala-Castellar ‘28