Cleveland Public Schools Horticulture Program

WBOE Radio Lessons in Horticulture

"Hello boys and girls; it’s time now for another meeting of your Green Thumb garden club" -- Your announcer, Miss Ervine Jaworski

Green Thumb Club membership card
Membership card for "The Plain Dealer Green Thumb Club" July, 1967.

Radio was the distance learning media of the mid-twentieth century for students in the Cleveland Public Schools. The broadcast station, WBOE, 90.3FM was the predecessor to what later became the National Public Radio, (NPR) broadcast station, 90.3FM in Cleveland, Ohio.

Some of the radio broadcasts were part of a science curriculum for elementary school children. This curriculum consisted of lesson plans, scripts, instruction guides for teachers, specimens and supplies. These science lessons were coordinated with the growing seasons and provided hands-on opportunities for students to plant, observe and examine how plants grow. This curriculum fostered an awareness of the dynamic natural environment outside of the classroom. In addition, the programs were used to promote the school garden program and provide seasonal gardening lessons to all students.

These recordings in particular are all from from the "Green Thumb Club" series of radio horticulture lessons, broadcasted by W.B.O.E., 90.3FM for students in the Cleveland Public Schools Horticulture Program in the 1960's through the 1970's. The recordings were donated to Special Collections at the Michael Schwartz Library, Cleveland State University by Dr. Peter J. Wotowiec, whose voice you can hear on the recording entitled "Enrollment for Home Garden Projects".

Listen to Individual Recordings:

These audio recordings are listed in order to roughly coincide with the school year, beginning in fall and ending in spring after the gardening season begins.

Environmental Action logo
A Call to Environmental Action: Arbor Day lesson about trees and a call to 3rd grade students to join the Environmental Action Club.
Instructor: Mr. Tom Gaetano
Accompanying Program Material:
Cover from 1964 awards booklet
1964 School Garden Awards: Recognition of student achievement in both school and home gardens.
Broadcasters: Mr. Herbert Meyer and Mr. Joseph Brosch
Accompanying Program Material:
Cover from 1965 awards booklet
1965 School Garden Awards: Recognition of student achievement in both school and home gardens.
Broadcasters: Mr. Herbert Meyer and Mr. Joseph Brosch
Accompanying Program Material:
Cover from 1973 awards booklet
1973 School Garden Awards: Recognition of student achievement in both school and home gardens.
Instructor: Mr. Herbert Meyer and Mr. Joseph Brosch
Accompanying Program Material:
Diagram of a bulb
Planting Dutch Bulbs Indoors: A radio lesson to teach students about “the basic fundamentals of the uses of bulbs.” 
Instructors: Dr. Edward John and Mr. Tom Gaetano with guest John Vandenberg, executive of the Vandenberg Bulb Company
Diagram of a bulb
Holland Bulbs and Onion Bulb Project: Covers more of the biology of bulbs, including information about onion bulbs.
Instructor: Mr. Tom Gaetano
Accompanying Program Material:
Diagram of a coleus
Start a Plant From a Coleus Cutting, Part 1: A Step-by-step, hands-on instructions on how to create a new plant from a softwood cutting, such as a coleus plant, as in this example.
Instructor: Mr. Joseph Brosch
Accompanying Program Material:
Diagram of a coleus
Start a Plant from a Coleus Cutting, Part 2: A follow-up of a lesson done three weeks earlier on starting a plant from a [coleus] cutting.  The newly rooted plants are transplanted to a larger growing container.
Instructor: Mr. Keith Justice
Accompanying Program Material:
Students working on plants
Repotting and Care of Ivy Cuttings: A continuation of a lesson that began the previous semester about starting new plants from ivy cuttings. In this lesson, students learn how to repot their new ivy plants which have taken root. Also includes announcements about new gardens for 4th graders and benefits of membership in the Green Thumb Club.
Instructors: Mr. Carlton Jenkins and Mr. Joseph Brosch
Page from Evergreens lesson
Evergreens: Christmas Trees, Greens, & Decorations: A lesson about conifers, their use in the celebration of Christmas, and safety tips to remember during the Christmas season.
Instructor: Mr. Frank Kukowitch
Accompanying Program Material:
Cover of Teachers Enrollment Guide
Home Garden Enrollment for Teachers: A broadcast to familiarize classroom teachers about the different garden kits options that would be offered to students later in the school year.
Instructor: Mr. Leslie Beamish and Mr. David Forsythe
Accompanying Program Material:
Garden projects list
Enrollment for Home Garden Projects: Instructors help students select a home garden project by discussing the various gardening options offered by the Cleveland Public Schools Horticulture Program.
Instructors: Dr. Peter Wotowiec and Mr. Leslie Beamish
Accompanying Program Material:
Instructions from 2nd grade planting kit
An Adventure in Gardening, Grade 2: Explains how second graders can enroll for a home garden.
Instructors: Mr. Leslie Beamish and Mr. Frank Page
Accompanying Program Material:
Diagram of a bulb
Flowering Dutch Bulbs and Easter Plants, Spring: A review of the information about bulbs covered in the earlier (fall) lesson, including the process of forcing bulbs and the proper care of the bulbs after bloom to ensure re-flowering next year and propagation methods for these plants.
Instructor: Mr. Edward Johnson
Accompanying Program Material:
Tips for a Successful Garden
Planting Warm and Cool Season Crops: A combination of two separate radio lessons -- planting warm season crops (later in the spring) and planting cool season crops (earlier in the spring.)
Instructors: Mr. Leslie Beamish, Mr. Keith Justice, and Miss Mary Alyce Florence.
Accompanying Program Material:
Cover for Getting Real Value From Your School Project
Summer Garden Care: Instruction for students in grade 3-6 on caring for their school garden in the summer after it is planted with attention to weeds as "garden robbers".
Instructors: Mr. Jack Durell and Mr. Leslie Beamish
Accompanying Program Material: