Isaac's Greenhouse

Princeton Day School maintains a 600 square foot climate-controlled greenhouse in a courtyard across from the Upper School science labs.  The greenhouse supports all three divisions and is home to a large rotating collection of plants for research and teaching.

Features

• Diverse plant collection representing many regions of the world

• Hydroponic grow tower with lighting and timers

• 8’ x 2’ grow bench with lighting run by timers

• Small classroom area

• Stainless potting tables and rolling material bins

• WIFI, Apple TV, and large monitor

• 80 gallon rain barrel for water sensitive plants 

• Rolling growing benches

• Adjacent landscaped courtyard for additional plant display 

• Climate controlled
   

Use of the greenhouse

PDS faculty use the greenhouse for study and research in evolution, ecology, sustainability, biology, plant neurobiology, language, fine arts, mathematics, and so much more. Classes visit the greenhouse and plant material is brought into other classrooms. Studying the mutualistic relationship between plants and animals allows the students to better understand their own role in a much larger ecosystem. All plants employ a diverse set of strategies for survival. The PDS greenhouse collection can give students some insight into understanding the impacts of climate change on plant survival. In early spring our Garden Coordinator raises over 600 seedlings for the famous PDS garden and wildly popular seedling sale.

Sample of Interdisciplinary Curriculum in Isaac’s Greenhouse:

LS Science Practical Mycology, food chains, food webs, and the roll of decomposers within those webs.
MS Science Plant Neurobiology: Do plants think? Mycelium, Periodic table unit and nitrogen concentrations impacts on nightshade plants.
US Science Evolution, ecology, biotech, flytrap energy, Wisconsin fast plant breeding for trait isolation, Mutalism, grafting, natives vs invasives, plant survival strategies, soil chemistry, physics, gravity, and graphing plant growth
Math Plant growth measurement, statistics and data analysis, Fibonacci and plants, Biomimicry and geometry in nature
Architecture, Photo & Art Negative space drawings, Botanic illustrations, Large format photo plant studies
3rd Grade Terrariums
4th Grade Writing - plant for life, math using the growth analysis of invasive species, growth of bean plant comparisons
MS Humanities Ancient grains and the establishment of agriculture
US English Poetry
US Latin/Greek Linnaeus’ botanical Latin, Roman pleasure gardens
Dance Stop motion video plant growth videos that inspire dances
US Spanish Impacts of climate change and cultural migration, plant gift to students
STEAM Automated vertical gardening watered by Arduino

Greenhouse staff

The greenhouse is managed by Eric Rempe erempe@pds.org.