Fall is a time for cozying up and staying in as the weather gets colder. One way to make the fall and winter more colorful and lively this year is to get a bouquet from the Floral Sale, which takes place in the Student Center every Thursday from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
These arrangements are made by horticulture students at American River College. Ahtziri Gil is a student assistant and horticulture major who works hand in hand with the floral design teacher to run the floral sales. The shipment of flowers arrives on Mondays, the students make the floral arrangements on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and sell them on Thursdays, according to Gil. In addition to bouquets, there are also corsages and succulents.
“It’s really nice and fun. People love it, the staff love it, everyone looks forward to it,” Gil said.
Gil became passionate about agriculture and horticulture after taking a floral class in high school and has since worked in flower shops, greenhouses and nurseries. After graduating, she is considering going for her floral certificate and potentially managing a flower business.
In addition to a love for flowers and plants, some students also have a love of cultivating them.
“I really like plants. I really like growing things. I raised chickens and livestock in high school. I really like having things grow and taking care of stuff,” said Brendan Latronica, a sophomore taking Horticulture 202, Corsage and Wedding Floral Design while helping run the floral sale.
Latronica’s interest in horticulture was sparked, similar to Gil, by taking agriculture and floral classes in high school. When he saw that ARC was offering these classes, he signed up for fun. He is even considering pursuing it as a career.
“Working with plants and animals would be awesome,” Latronica says.
In addition to being a place where people can buy flowers and connect with others in the community, the floral sales are also a visual representation of this new career avenue. For any students who are interested in plants and animals, but don’t know that it can be a career option, seeing the output of a horticultural education can serve as inspiration for those with a green thumb.
Located in the front of the sale in the main hall of the Student Center were stunning arrangements of warm shades of red, orange, purple and green. The contrast of different varieties of flowers—short and tall, thin and stocky, wide and narrow—created a balance that was pleasing to the eye. These floral arrangements were made by Nassma Alrayis who is taking the floral design class for the fall 2024 semester.
“You have to think of how each flower is going to complement one another and organize it in a way where it doesn’t overpower and shade over differing kinds of flowers,” Alrayis says.
These particular arrangements were designed with the idea of the arrival of fall in mind. The students are presented with different flowers, colors and materials every week in order to be able to let their creativity run. Alrayis has been an event planner for a year and works events such as weddings, graduations and birthdays.
“I wanted to get more hands-on experience working with artificial and real flowers,” Alrayis says.
While some students take these classes to set them up for a career in horticulture, others do so in order to advance in their current career.
“It’s very cool to learn how you can put flowers you would never expect to go along together and make sure they are actually aligned well and sitting well with one another, complementing one another,” Alrayis says.
While flowers may traditionally be associated with spring, they can liven up a space and give a room positive energy all year long. In a world that is becoming increasingly digitized and automated, it is more important than ever to spend time connecting with nature.
