Did you know that “plants talk to each other?” Well, if you did know that, you must be a botany teacher. And that is who I’m interviewing today, Mrs. Miller; a botany teacher at EMS.

Q1 What got you into plants?
I got into teaching botany by accident! I got an email begging teachers to take the botany elective and I jumped on it! I love exploring through hands-on experiences!

Q2 Do you have a degree in plants, If so what do you use it for?
Nope! I just love doing it and learning it as I go!

Q3 What is your favorite plant and why is it your favorite?
My favorite plant is pumpkins! They are super easy to grow and I would love to start a pumpkin farm here at the school.

Q4 What is the best part about teaching botany?
My favorite part is getting to plant things and watching students be excited about seeing them grow! I also love exploring outside and finding plants and looking at them under the microscope to learn more about them!

Q5 What is the worst part about teaching botany?
Keeping our classroom plants alive! I have a couple of small greenhouses but they tend to get overheated and then the plants don’t live long. Students also forget to water them which makes keeping them alive really hard!

Q6 Why did you choose to be a botany teacher?
I asked to be the botany teacher because I grew up on a farm and love learning about plants! I learn so much along with the students and I am super interested in understanding plants and their importance more!

Q7 Where did you go to get your degree? How long did it take?
I have a bachelor’s degree from ESU in elementary education with an endorsement in social studies for middle school. I have a certification for teaching science which I got by passing a really hard test called the science praxis!

Q8 What is the most important thing that you teach your kid about plants?
In botany, we learn about all the anatomy of a plant and how it helps the plant live/what function it has. We also learn about pollination and how plants reproduce!

Q9 Are there any types of fertilizers?
There are different fertilizers. Chemical (man-made) and natural (animal waste) both have benefits for plants. Chemical fertilizers typically come from phosphorus and unfortunately, our world’s supply of phosphorus is dwindling and will impact our future food supplies.

Q10 What does the type of soil do to the plant?
There are lots of different types of soil. Each plant has adapted differently and benefits from different soil types. The best “nutrition” you can give a plant is compost which is where insects/decomposers break down fecal matter and food to make a super nutritious type of soil!

Q11 What is the role of plants in the ecosystem?
Plants are producers which means that they have a huge job of creating all of the “energy” used in the ecosystem. They make their energy from the sun in a process called photosynthesis. This creates all the energy that animals use to live.

Q12 What is the difference between a fruit and a vegetable?
Fruits contain seeds and come from the reproductive parts of a plant. Vegetables can consist of roots, stems, and leaves, typically.

Q13: What do plants mean to you?
Plants are a huge part of our human lives, and we don’t even realize how significant they are! We need them to provide the clean air we breathe, provide food and other materials and they are also beautiful to look at and make nature so exciting!

Q14 When is the best season for growing plants?
The best season for planting is typically spring and fall! Spring for flowers and vegetables and fall for bulbs and most crops.

Q15 What is the rarest plant out there?
“Kansas State University is home to a rare type of flower, Amorphophallus titanum, also known as titan arum but more commonly referred to as the corpse flower.” When I was at a summer soybean conference in 2017 at Kansas State University we got to see this plant! It had bloomed the year before and the whole room smelled terrible, like dead animals; hence the name, corpse flower.

Well, that was the interview with Mrs Miller. Thank you Mrs. Miller for taking time out of your busy schedule and thank you for answering the questions. I was surprised to find out…One of my favorite plants is the purple rose because they are so pretty. What is your favorite plant?  If you want to find out more about botany, read this