California GArden Archives

Growing Grounds from California Garden

© SAN DIEGO FLORAL ASSOCIATION and © John Blocker.

These stories may not be published in any form or copied onto another media without written permission from San Diego Floral Association.

Reprinted From: July/August 2023 Volume 114 No. 4

Helping Horticulture Happen

By John Blocker 

In his memoriam to Kate Sessions in California Garden in May 1940, Alfred D. Robinson, the founder of San Diego Floral Association, made the bold statement that Sessions could have been more influential as a teacher than as a grower of plants:

I hope I may be forgiven for saying that I think that K. O. S. was wasted as a nursery woman, she should have been kept in the educative class. Those who attended the Floral Association meetings know of her unrivalled power to convey knowledge and arouse enthusiasm. As she handled, none too tenderly, the specimens on exhibition, one could sense the urge to plant stirring in her audience. She did a great educative work, but it might have been much greater if this side of her nature had been better appreciated. A garden made or natural, became a museum with her entrance.

In 1907, Robinson helped found the San Diego Floral Association in order to gather a group of people to beautify the city. At that time, San Diego was a young city surrounded by coastal sage scrub and residents saw a dire need for flowers and large shade trees. Two years later, Robinson established California Garden as the publication of the Floral Association. In the first issue hestated an educational goal, “[California Garden] proposes to give practical and timely information with regard to the flower garden and the vegetable patch. It will tell each month how to take care of that which is already growing and what to plant beside.”

Rudolf Ziesenhenne was a Robinson friend and fellow begonia expert. Writing with his wife Margaret, he observed about Robinson, “In the struggle to get these endeavors launched he sometimes gave not only his talents but his funds to keep things going.” Robinson married a copper heiress and had resources. (The Ziesenhennes article is provided by the American Begonia Society at begonias./alfred-d-robinson-early-abs-mentor/.) 

During the Robinson and Sessions era, gardening projects involving young people were recognized as an important element of the community horticultural education they valued. Today it is even more widely understood that a school garden is not just a physical activity outdoors in the sunshine. Students who build and maintain gardens with classmates learn problem solving, innovation, critical thinking and how to work as a team—as well as gaining new knowledge about plants and how they grow. 

Children As Garden Makers

In the inaugural 1909 issue of California Garden, J. W. Russell of the San Diego Art Association wrote about another means to facilitate the “City Beautiful” idea. The Art Association announced a yearly contest for children to establish home gardens, awarding cash prizes to the winners. Landscape designer George Cooke and others donated money for prizes, and noted horticulturist George Hall as well as Kate Sessions gave assistance to the program.

One hundred ninety children entered the contest. Sixty-three were awarded cash prizes. Russell wrote, “A plot of ground at a schoolhouse in which scholars shall have a little piece to grow things, is a much older idea; but such does not beautify the grounds about the homes of the children, although the school gardens may lead to the improvement of the home later.” Russell believed San Diego was the second city in the nation to offer prizes to children for their home garden creations. Waltham, Massachusetts was the first, initiating their program in 1906. 

Kate Sessions school garden workers. c. 1919

An Early School Arboretum 

Annie Robinson, second wife and widow of Alfred D. Robinson, followed in her late husband’s footsteps. When she became President of the Fallbrook Garden Club, she too wrote for California Garden magazine. In the Winter 1951 issue, she described a native plant arboretum created at Fallbrook High School, noting that, “No other high school has such a project at present.” 

The idea for a student garden began with high school trustee Robert Bleecker. He enlisted help from the school board, the Fallbrook Garden Club, and nursery owner Sterling Tompkins. Also, famous native plantsman Theodore Payne planted over 150 varieties of plants—including sequoias, California junipers, Tecate cypress, ceanothus, buckwheat, encelias and salvias.

The arboretum was to be used by the agriculture department of the high school as well as by civic groups such as the Fallbrook Garden Club. Payne spoke about the successful planting of the arboretum at the Fallbrook Garden Club’s October 1951 meeting. Sadly, the historic garden did not survive over time. 

Contemporary School Gardens: Abraxis High

Today, school gardens are seemingly everywhere and there is a vast array of different types. Bob Lutticken, a teacher at Abraxis High School, a continuation school in Poway, points out there are more than 25,000 school gardens in this country. Since the Abraxis High School garden’s inception in 2015, The National Garden Clubs, Inc., has judged its garden the best high school garden in the country twice.

Under Lutticken’s guidance, Abraxis students designed and constructed a vegetable garden on a little-used and deteriorating tennis court. Besides constructing raised beds for vegetables, they built an aquaculture tank to raise tilapia. The waste from the fish tank is used to fertilize the vegetables. When harvested, students either take the vegetables home or donate them to needy families in the community. A long list of community businesses such as Home Depot and Lowes as well as individuals donated money and materials. 

In naming its 2023 “Horticulturist of the Year,” the San Diego Horticultural Society broke with tradition by honoring Bob Lutticken—an educator (instead of a prominent nursery owner, a large producer of an agricultural commodity, an extraordinary breeder, or a University of California Extension researcher.) 

Lutticken is proud of what the students accomplished. “We have won many accolades over the years for the garden; however, it is the day-to-day learning by the students that keeps me excited about where this program is headed.” 

“Abraxas is a magical place for all who ‘live’ here,” food preparation teacher Courtney Merritt says. “It’s as if we belong to a big family instead of a small school. Yes, we learn. Yes, we have to follow rules. But we also have fun and grow together.”

The garden has become a classroom where students also learn life skills.

Contemporary School Gardens: Montgomery High

In 1996, students and staff at Montgomery High School in the Otay Mesa area of San Diego completed a native-plant garden on an unused, trash-filled area adjacent to school grounds. Students planted more than 150 native plants, dividing them into natural plant communities, including coastal sage scrub, chaparral, oak, savannah, desert, and wetlands. The garden was overseen by teachers Robert Boyd and Theresa Acerro. The garden was open to the public for the 2017 California Native Plant Society garden tour.

Today the Montgomery garden supplies food and cover as well as water to native insects, birds, and other animals. It is certified as a School Yard Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. 

More than 9,000 schools have been certified by the National Wildlife Foundation since the program began in 1996. Montgomery High School’s certification is number 369. The purpose of the program is to encourage schools and students to create and conserve wildlife habitats while promoting classroom learning. An important aspect of this program is to mobilize community support. More than 20 individuals and companies donated materials and plants to this project, including the Home Depot in Imperial Beach, Walter Andersen Nursery, and the Theodore Payne Foundation. 

Many of us enjoy gardening, but we make our living doing something else. Learning how to plant and build a garden is something most people strive to learn how to do. There are fewer garden magazines available today to refer to for ideas and instruction. California Garden thrives among those remaining and has been offering gardening information to readers since 1909. School gardens are now making their impact on learning, as well. 

© SAN DIEGO FLORAL ASSOCIATION and © John Blocker.
These stories may not be published in any form or copied onto another media without written permission from San Diego Floral Association.