History and Acknowledgments

Contact Us

This contact information is for teachers and home gardeners in San Diego County. If you are from another California county or state, please contact your local Cooperative Extension office or Master Gardener organization. You can:

    • History

      This guide was developed to help teachers in San Diego County start and maintain a school garden with their students. It is also meant to help integrate the garden into the curriculum in support of the then California State Standards and revised for use with Common Core and NGSS curricula. Although it was written as a guide for teachers, it has information that may be of benefit to home gardeners.

      Work on the book version started in 1998 when the School Garden Committee began a three year project to research and write what would become the book, Plant A Seed, Watch It Grow. A free copy of the book was sent to every public and private school in San Diego County, over 780 schools, with the cost funded by the Master Gardener Association of San Diego County. Additional copies were sold to individuals, to local community colleges where it has been used as a textbook, and to Master Gardener organizations in other California counties.

      Acknowledgements

      The first web version of Plant A Seed, Watch It Grow was led by Gretchen Yager. We want to thank both Gretchen and Master Gardener Web Designer Joe Boldt for their foresight, time, and expertise in putting the first website guide online in July 2006.

      This website was and continues to be a collaborative effort involving the participation of numerous Master Gardeners from the Master Gardener Association of San Diego County. The revised version of 2019 was led by Leta Bender and Hanna Richardson with input from many Master Gardeners, especially Heather Holland, Joe Boldt, Jodi Bay, Sally Lutz, Jackie Seidman, and the members of the School Garden Committee.

      Most of the photographs in the 2019 version are from Master Gardener Meredith French. Other photos are from Master Gardeners, UC Davis, and local school garden coordinators.

      We want to thank Vincent Lazaneo, former Horticultural Advisor for UCCE, and  Scott Parker, our current Master Gardener Program Advisor for their help and support.

      Disclaimer

      The information provided by the Master Gardener Association of San Diego County on this site is for general informational purposes only. All information is provided in good faith; however, the Association makes no representation or warranty of any kind, express or implied, with respect to the accuracy, adequacy, validity, reliability, availability or completeness of the contents of any information on this site. Further, the Master Gardener Association of San Diego County reserves the right to revise this document and to make changes from time to time in the content without obligation of the Master Gardener Association of San Diego County to notify any person of such revision or change.

      Discrimination

      The University of California prohibits discrimination against or harassment of any person on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, physical or mental disability, medical condition (cancer related or genetic characteristics), ancestry, marital status, age, sexual orientation, citizenship, or status as a covered veteran (special disabled veteran, Vietnam-era veteran or any other veteran who served on active duty during a war or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized). University policy is intended to be consistent with the provisions of applicable State and Federal laws. Inquiries regarding the University’s nondiscrimination policies may be directed to the Affirmative Action/Staff Personnel Services Director, University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources, 300 Lakeside Drive, 6th Floor, Oakland CA 94612-3560. (510) 987-0096.

      The University of California, the County of San Diego, and the United States Department of Agriculture cooperating.