March 29, 2007

How does your garden grow?

Doris Dillon Sunshine Garden revamped at Williams Elementary

By Jeanne Carbone Lewis
Staff Writer

If you would be happy your whole life, become a gardener. —Old Chinese proverb

A few girls wander off from weeding to admire Mrs. Schubert’s planter box of tulips. From left: Claire Chour, Jillian Takeuchi and Madeline Elliott. Photo by Jeanne Carbone Lewis

The Doris Dillon Sunshine Garden received a facelift recently and because of the dedication of the parents at Williams Elementary School, students are learning the value of gardening.

In the spring of 2006, the garden became overgrown with weeds and the trees were in need of pruning. That’s when Williams PTA President Susan Gayden applied for $2,500 grant from the city’s Keep San Jose Beautiful program to purchase plants and sprinkler parts to rejuvenate the neglected area.

“We received the beautification grant, but had to match it with volunteer planting and maintenance,” said Gayden. “Williams parent Monica Flickner used her plant expertise to design a beautiful garden, incorporating raised boxes for teachers to use with their students. In the spring of 2006 an enormous effort was undertaken including countless hours from hundreds of volunteers to prepare the garden for planting and digging holes for about 200 new plants!”

Williams students help weed the planter boxes. The boys were especially proud of catching spiders and worms. From left: Miriam Beyene, Nolan Atterbury, Nicholas Yeo and Mathew Wright. Photos by Jeanne Carbone Lewis

Flickner designed a landscape area with golden euonymus, white Santa Barbara daisies, variegated society garlic, oleander, and other easy-to-grow, drought-resistant plants that will provide year round color. It’s a skill she honed in her own yard as well as friends who asked for her tips on savvy foliage design for their gardens. And Flickner’s husband, “Flick” volunteered his time fixing the sprinklers.

But a garden requires maintenance and that’s when parents Mark and Grace Wright became chairs of the Williams Beautification Committee. Mark can be seen regularly at the school on Monday mornings tending to the garden and Grace works with the students every Friday at lunchtime teaching them the value of gardening.

“We knew we had to do something,” said Grace. “The garden was all overgrown with weeds. It’s constant upkeep. We have native plants in the garden to promote conservation. And we recycle. It’s always a learning experience for the kids to come out to the garden. We really enjoy being involved.”

Williams moms know how to get the job done. Here they take a moment to enjoy their efforts by a planter full of the California State flower, the poppy. From left: Williams Elementary School PTA President Susan Gaydon, Williams Beautification chair Grace Wright and volunteer Monica Flickner. Photo by Jeanne Carbone Lewis

The Williams Beautification Committee even sponsored a pruning clinic conducted by Master Gardener Bette Lloyd. The Doris Dillon Sunshine Garden has an assortment of fruit trees: nectarine, apple, fig, plum, etc. and all were in need of trimming. Lloyd discussed optimum pruning techniques and tools for a variety of fruit trees, roses and grape vines. After the lecture, the parents practiced their new gardening knowledge on the plants and trees in the school garden and grounds. And while the group trimmed, Lloyd enchanted the group with stories of days gone by when the entire area was an orchard when her children attended the school 30 years ago.

“It was a thrill to be back at Williams,” said Lloyd. “My neighbor, Susan Gaydon, asked me to do the class. It was really fun to teach them. They’re a good group and a great school and it was very nostalgic for me.”

But besides the dedicated Williams parents’ steadfast efforts, the kids have taken guardianship as well. The Girl Scouts have planted daffodils. Last month, the Boy Scouts installed wood chips to keep the dirt areas manageable in rainy weather. And every Friday, students can be found weeding the garden. Some become distracted while keeping the area weed-free: girls with the brightly colored flowers and the boys with beetles and bugs.

Williams kids love to watch vegetables grow with pumpkins being an special favorite. Photo courtesy of Susan Gaydon

The namesake of the garden is Doris Dillon, the Williams librarian who also ran the media center. She was also responsible for Graystone Elementary School’s library program. Known as gifted educator, she headed San Jose Unified School District’s mentor teacher program as well as served on advisory boards for both Time-Warner’s Time for Kids and Scholastic Inc.’s magazine programs. She died in 2001 of Lou Gehrig’s disease. The Doris Dillon Sunshine Garden is a tribute to her lasting memory at the school.

The garden has served Williams students well, teaching them the benefits and pleasures of gardening. In 2003, they grew vegetables and flowers, learning the difference between bulbs and seed, as well as the best-suited soil with the instruction of their teachers. They’ve even donated the fruits of the labor to Second Harvest Food Bank. Williams’ teachers bring their classrooms out for nature walks and then have the students write about their adventure in the garden. And there’s nothing like seeing the joy on students’ faces when their Swiss chard grows or their flowers bloom.

Next up for the Williams Beautification Committee is a mini-grant from San Jose Beautiful to create a wildlife habitat that will attract butterflies. The committee thinks the garden will be picture perfect for another school barbecue. And of course, gardens need maintenance so there will be campus beautification day on April 28 at 10 a.m. The community is invited to assist, trade gardening tips and make new friends.