In the greenhouse behind Manheim Central High School, plants are growing - and so are the students. Every day, the Greenhouse Management and Landscape Design class is learning new things, facing challenges and honing leadership skills.

The class will hold its inaugural plant sale from 3:30 to 5 p.m. on Fridays, April 30 and May 7, and from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays, May 1 and 8. The sale will be held at the greenhouse, 400 E. Adele Ave.

For many years, Manheim Central students sold tomato plants at the Landis Valley Herb and Garden Faire. "This year, we decided as a class that we wanted to use our greenhouse to not only grow tomatoes, but to focus on marketing, learning new things and expanding a little," said junior Anna Haldeman. "We decided to do more."

Plants available at the sale will include 31 varieties of tomatoes, 21 types of peppers and eight kinds of herbs, plus four varieties of squash along with watermelon, cantaloupe and eggplant.

"People should come and check out the sale because this year we have so many varieties of plants and because you can come here to where we're growing them and see what we're doing," stated junior Sandra Mendoza. "Everything we grow is heirloom."

Working in the greenhouse had been an extracurricular activity at Manheim Central for years, but this is the first time this course is being offered as a semester-long class.

Zach Witmer, a senior, said the class interested him because of the subject matter and the teacher, Seth Kensinger.

"Everybody loves Dr. K, so I really wanted to take a class with him," he noted. "This turned out to be so much fun. We're learning about running our own business and what it takes to have a successful business, as well as what it takes to grow successful plants."

Junior Ellie McCabe had worked in the greenhouse before but is enjoying taking this class for credit. "I wanted to spend more time getting into the specifics of planting," she explained. "We get to spend a lot of time in the greenhouse, which I love."

Kensinger said his class, which has seven students, has learned many new skills, such as how to use a rototiller, with growth happening every day. "They are learning by doing rather than sitting at a desk in front of a computer," he stated.

Lauren Grove, who is in 11th grade, said her favorite part of the class has been the autonomy Kensinger has given his students.

"I really enjoy the freedom we have in this class," she shared. "We get to make a lot of our own decisions about how we want the class to go."

Proceeds from the plant sale will help with greenhouse operating costs, Anna noted. "We are really lucky to have a greenhouse like this at our school," she said. "We want to keep it running so when we leave, other kids will have the opportunity to have the same great experiences we've had."

For more information on the sale, visit http://www.manheimcentral.org/Page/1233 or search for @mc.ag.greenhouse on Facebook or Instagram.