Page McDonald, David Franklin, the Bubb School PTA Garden Committee, and lots of volunteers brought three years of effort together on June 16th and 17th, 2007. The goal was to have a garden where teachers and students have their own boxes to plan and grow plants of their choosing. To watch seeds sprout, plants emerge and grow, flowers bloom - maybe to turn into something edible - are all new learning for Bubb students. Hands-on experience reinforces book-learning like nothing else can.

Such a great, simple idea, but what a journey it was. While most everyone liked the idea, permissions were required in perfusion. Great thanks go to Bubb Principal Ruth Willen, Jim McClosky of the Mountain View - Whisman School district, and XXX of the Mountain View Parks Department for enabling the project. We hope they don't mind as we share some of the journey with you!

With the site on school property, but maintained by the City of Mountain View, each jurisdiction had its own requirements. First came concept approvals. What would it look like? Measurements were taken and plans drawn. Who would maintain it? Bubb teachers, students and PTA as necessary. Potential obstacles sprouted frequently, only to be mowed down or pruned back or worked around with the help of many people who believed in the vision, and slowly the new Bubb Garden actually blossomed.

How would you enclose it? A fence? Ok, but, the City specifies a concrete "mow strip" of at least 18" so the edge of the grass doesn't have to be cut by hand. And a four foot fence height is needed to minimize the possibility that a running person doesn't hit and flip over a three foot fence. Ok, that's another $X,000 added to the budget.

How would you water it? Maybe by hand with a hose. But what about summer and consistency? OK, let's use sprinklers & timers. But wait, what about backflow protection? Can't run a risk with kids around. And, you can't use household grade irrigation parts without a commercial grade backflow preventer. Well then, can we use water from the city's sprinklers that currently water the site - it already has a commercial backflow preventer in place. Nope, sorry, you'll have to use water from the YMCA camp building - and put in your own, expensive backflow preventer.

And how would you run the timers? Electricity? Humm, let's see, do we need a separate meter? Thanks to Principal Ruth Willen, the school said they would absorb the cost of running sprinkler timers - and maybe an occasion electric drill! Yes, you can tap into a distribution box on the outside of the Y-building, though the circuit breaker will be in a locked box and you'll need to contact the School District office if you need to reset it. We partially solved that one by installing two 20-amp circuits that terminate in two GFCI duplex outlets all in one neat box. A simple PVC conduit leads out under the new concrete mow strip to the manifold box.

Bubb parent and contractor Greg de la Ossa, working with Page, volunteered his time and did the heavy lifting and organizing for the concrete, water, electrical and fencing installations. Neighbor Rick Van Mell did the detailed drawings of the planter boxes, classroom benches and irrigation system, plus a complete priced materials list. Page did, and redid several times, the color layouts and valiantly carried them from school to district to city and back over and over.

For Bubb Open House night, Page made up posters with pictures and even had planted flags and flour-outlined the planter boxes and benches on the ground so arriving parents could visualize the new garden - and add their support.

At last it was time to build. The concrete, water, electrical and fence work was done in May 2007. The manifold work started in early June, and Page & Rick placed the major lumber order with Lowe's in Sunnyvale on Wednesday, June 13th. It turned out to be a lucky 13th - Lowe's gave us a 10% discount and free delivery for this special school project. Neighbor Doreta Strotman (herself a retired teacher) donated 40' of PVC pipe, and Rick's friends Art & Betsy Fowler donated over $200 worth of lumber, plus Page & Rick contributed a big bunch of irrigation system parts to help the project along. At 7:40 am on Saturday, June 16th, the big truckload from Lowe's arrived and the fun began.

Again, thanks to Page's determination, an army of volunteers showed up to work. George Jacob brought his radial arm saw, plus a separate workbench for assembling planter boxes along with piles of clamps, drills and drivers. George and Rick used just about every trick that saw could play to cut squares, miters and bevels. In all 324 wood pieces, from 2"x 6" and 4" x 4" lumber, were cut to make six 4' x 4' boxes, six 3' x 6' boxes, one octagon box and two quarter-circle classroom benches.

Even the weather cooperated, sending most-welcome morning stratus for cooling shade after two days of 90 to 100 degrees! High spirits abounded as parents and kids swarmed the site. Dirt flew, saws whirred, drills and drivers clattered, PVC pipe got laid and plants arrived, got planted and even got a taste of water from the new system. In one day all the parts were cut and all six 4' x4' boxes were assembled.

At 8 am Sunday, Page, George and Rick were busy setting up the work tables. A few minutes later the Caltagirones arrived and helped ferry the parts back out to the assembly area. Then Ricardo went to work extending and finalizing the PVC sprinkler system. Mark arrived in time to help George & Rick assemble the octagon box, and by 9:30 the site was humming with more than a dozen workers.

Kids added paint to the manifold box. A donated citrus got planted. The last of the trenches got cut and the last plants planted. The six 3' x 6' planter boxes were tackled by Mark, George and Jeremy. Meanwhile Rick assembled bench supports, then Jeremy and Stu put the benches together.

By 2:30 Sunday, all the boxes and benches were in their rough positions, and final alignment and leveling was under way. What with Father's Day drawing the labor away, it was time to close up shop for the day.

Rick & Page returned at 8 am Monday, leveled boxes and back filled trenches, added plant drippers, and set the sprinkler controllers to water the new plants.

It had been two long days with about two dozen people pitching in to sprout it all. It was a very satisfying feeling to see the dream of a new Bubb School Garden grow into existence. Once again thanks to all who participated and supported the project. If we've missed a name in the list below, our appologies, but whisper to Page, and it will appear!

New Bubb Garden Team

Project Leaders
Page McDonald	Bubb School PTA
David Franklin	Bubb School Teacher
Supporters & Enablers
Ruth Willen	Principal Bubb School
Jim McClosky	MV-Whitman School District
???	MV Parks
Planning & Construction
Ricardo, Beth, Kimberly, & Arthur Caltagirone	Bubb School Family
Mark, Renee, Matthew, & Lucas Casali	Bubb School Family
Greg de la Ossa	Bubb School Family
Allison & Sophie Elliott	Bubb School Family
Elmer, Susan, Alyssa, & Christina Fong	Bubb School Family
David Franklin	Bubb School Teacher
George Jacob	Neighborhood Volunteer
Page McDonald and Payton Millet	Bubb School Family
Scott, Elyse, Trevor, & Sarah Miller	Bubb School Family
Natalie Johnson & Stuart & Kyle Neubarth	Bubb School Family
Bubb 1st grade Brownie Troop (Karen Price leader)	Bubb School Family
Michael Samantha	Bubb School Family
Bruce, Denise, Kyle & Jason Sandell	Bubb School Family
Janet Sloan	Bubb School Family
Jeremy, Niki, Eric, & Andy Theil	Bubb School Family
Jeff, Deb, Sophie, & Sam Tobin	Bubb School Family
Rick Van Mell	Neighborhood Volunteer

Bubb School new garden site ...	Laid out for planter boxes ...	and class benches	There's lots to do ...
Teacher's octagon ...	Work & compost area	Handy drain for a sink	Backflow preventer & conduit
New electrical box & ...	home of sprinkler timers	Future home of valve manifold	Will 10 valves fit?
Building the manifold ...	pretty long!	Maybe we'll just leave the flags...	do we have to mess it up?
Temporary fence still up	Ready for the next step	It's workday 6-16-07	Page is ready!
Lumber has arrived - 7:40 am	George's saw cut it all	Lots of tools & stuff	Samantha chases Carter ...
with help from Haley	Page describes the big picture	Grab a pick!	Jeremy goes to work
This part's easier	Humm - maybe a trencher?	Cutting time	First assembly station
Here it comes!	Not much room ...	but it does a great job ...	cutting hard clay
Eric helps Dad	Kids paint the roof of ...	the manifold house ...	with sky & stars ...
and great care.	Fun group	First planters assembled	Scott, Renee & Mark approve
On to the next one	Here come the first plants ...	by the carload!!!	This looks like a good place ...
Happy planter!	Now if we put one way ...	down there ....	that's it!
Great roof!	PVC Snake alley	Giddy up!	Teak wants shade
Lots of cut wood ...	324 pieces of wood!	Main water line work.	Everybody get to help ...
put things together.	Sunday's box team Mark & George & ...	Jeremy.	Building ends ...
as a team.	Water & goodies with ...	Bruce in the trenches!	Donated citris gets ...
Loosened up, then ...	planted & watered.	Ricardo worked pipes ...	all day until he was ...
all boxed up!	More roof painting ...	team action, plus ...	house painting.
Beth helps too ...	inspection time.	Rick's making supports ...	George assembles boxes ...
with Mark & ...	Smile!	Stu & Jeremy tackle benches	Big spread
Nice job.	Page updates Steve.	Kimberly & Sarah wash up	George takes a break.
Last box!	Shade time	Getting lined up ...	is a long process ...
with more to be done.	But it looks Great ...	& seating is ready ...	for a whole class!
Overlooking a job well done!