Greenhouse
Welcome to the Ballard High School Greenhouse
The greenhouse was built with donations from the BHS foundation and was originally spearheaded by Ballard teacher Toni Bukowski.
The greenhouse is now named after Mrs. B to honor her dedication to sustainability and making connections to the greater community by teaching students about plants.
Ms. India Carlson, ikcarlson@seattleschools.org took over the program over 15 years ago.
Current projects include a climate garden to monitor weather and its effect on plants, pollination studies, growing plants for use in the food science class, and studying native plants.
Check out the Project Budburst site. The greenhouse program serves over 130 students per year and continues to grow.
Washington science teachers get creative during pandemic learning | Home Hydroponics
The Seattle Times Education Lab : Updated Jan. 4, 2021 at 6:21 am
By Hannah Furfaro, Seattle Times staff reporter
“India Carlson, who teaches botany and environmental horticulture at Ballard High School, gives plants to students during a curbside pickup event at the school Dec. 10. (Erika Schultz / The Seattle Times)”
“Every two weeks or so, Carlson, a botany and environmental horticulture teacher at Ballard High School, dons a mask and gloves, carts out trays of plants to the back of the school and awaits her students.
She hands out colorful coleus, catnip, geraniums and succulents. The teens arrive one by one, have quick chats with the teacher they mostly see over video lessons, and depart with new flora to care for at home. On a few occasions, she’s dropped off plants at her students’ homes. This is science class during the pandemic: teachers turning typically hands-on lessons on their head, and finding lively ways to engage students learning remotely.”
Sharing excitement
“The Ballard High greenhouse is home to pineapple plants and a kumquat tree. Carlson has an affinity for unusual plants — especially ones you’re unlikely to find in Seattle. “Mostly it’s cloned plants, though, that I started cloning before school started,” Carlson said. “I knew I wanted to give plants to students.”
Read more at seattletimes.com
Hannah Furfaro: hfurfaro@seattletimes.com
“India Carlson, who teaches botany and environmental horticulture, speaks with Ballard High School student Norah Bunnell, 17, during a curbside pickup event at the school Dec. 10. (Erika Schultz / The Seattle Times)”
“Ballard HS teacher India Carlson has cloned plants to give away to her students to help cultivate their interest in botany and environmental horticulture. “I look to hook people early on plants,” she says. (Erika Schultz / The Seattle Times)”
Please refer to the BHS Course Catalog for more detailed information about each course offered at Ballard High School.
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SPS Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month!
Our Ballard HS botany and environmental horticulture teacher, India Carlson, talked with Lab Out Loud | Science for the classroom and beyond programming about teaching science with plants.
“Our guest this week is India Carlson, a botany and environmental horticulture teacher at Ballard High School in Seattle, Washington. In a typical year, India’s students spend a significant portion of time working in the school garden and greenhouse.
Faced with the unique challenges of learning science at home this year, India decided to clone a plant for every one of her students to use at home for learning, experimentation, and even finding joy. India joins us to talk about the logistics of sending plants home, the unexpected benefits of the program, and how this experience has prompted her students to appreciate more of the environment around them.”
Curbside | Jan 2021
May 2019 | Annual BHS Plant Sale was a Success!
BHS Teacher India Carlson tells us they sold sustainably grown vegetable starts and annual flowers, with all proceeds that went straight to the Botany and Horticulture program at Ballard HS!
The Greenhouse is located in NW203 and on 15th Ave NW, just next to the high school. The Annual Plant Sale raised over double what was raised last year!
Feb 2017 | NW Flower and Garden Show
Ballard competed at the NW Flower and Garden Show | Garden Wars against Nathan Hale High School in Feb 2017. We took a team of 3 students to design and build a garden at the show.
This was the first time that high school programs compete in Garden Wars.
Feb 2016 | Plant Sale
The Greenhouse grows vegetable and flower starts for the spring plant sale to take place in May. Students can volunteer after-school in the greenhouse and the garden for community Service Hours.
We are always looking for way to connect out work to the community so if you have any ideas please contact BHS Teacher India Carlson at ikcarlson@seattleschools.org
Sept 2014 | NW Flower and Garden Show
Congratulations to the BHS garden team. They won the most creative design award in the student category at the 2014 NW Flower and Garden show for the urban chic them of Paris rooftop artist’s garden.
Feb 2013 | NW Flower and Garden Show
BHS students won again in the “most creative design” category in the Funky competition! The grade theme was based on Jurassic Park and was titled Greenasaurus Rex.
This makes 3 years running that Ballard students have won an award at the show.
This year’s statistics are: 6 devoted students, 150 service learning hours, 23 consecutive days of work after school and on the weekend, 90$ in spray paint, 50$ in goodwill items, About 60 plant Donations from Limback lumber, Miller Paint, the ReStore, Swanson’s and the loaning of Mr. Bones from Ms. Vogel’s