Ag teachers don't have to like that they must compete with the big box stores for your plant sale? We all hear what their prices are "so much lower". And your answers to their objections always fall flat, no matter how true they are... "big box uses smaller pots", "their plants aren't as healthy", and the list goes on.
But you can like some of the good things that the big box home improvement stores do correctly. They know how to display plants to sell them. They want it to be as easy for customers as possible to pick up a plant and take it home. So you and your students should do more to get plants within arm's reach of your customers. The photo is a good example for Lyman Hall FFA. Instead of just plants on a greenhouse bench arranged by species, they have a 3-tiered display stand that appears to be built at the school.
So they accomplished a few things with this. 1) More plants within arm's reach. 2) Filled an empty space 3) Provided several different species of plants in one place 4) Created a circular structure that is accessible from all sides.
What would I do differently? Not much. Be sure to fill in the display stand as folks pick from the assortment. If this proves to be a popular display, then back fill it with your best and brightest plants from the tables behind it. Make sure customers can look at the display and still allow others to walk behind them to access other parts of your plant sale.
If Greenhouses are so exciting that your always wet your plants, then stop by the OLT Plant Science Page and see what we have to offer.