Swissvale Volunteer Maintains Dickson Elementary School Garden

Eileen Manz is maintaining the garden in front of Dickson Elementary School in the hopes of brightening her neighbors’ days, in addition to inspiring Swissvale pride in others.

In May of last year, Manz, of Swissvale, decided to revamp the garden after getting permission from the Woodland Hills School District because she wanted to make the corner look better.

“I really wanted to contribute to Swissvale because there is a lot of potential here,” Manz said. “I feel like if somebody starts something, others might do other things.”

The garden is on the right corner of Dickson Elementary and contains perennials and flowers that have complimentary colors. Purple basil plants that self-seed also are in the garden.

The previous garden was a weed patch for many years, Manz said.

“I sent out some flyers around the neighborhood and on Swissvale Clean Up Day. We dug out the whole area, had the stuff shipped away, and we added top soil,” Manz said. “It took about four and a half hours with three really hefty guys and me.”

Manz had plants on order that she then put into the Dickson garden, while Katherine Luckett of the Edgewood Garden Club also donated a few flowers from her own garden, including lamb’s ears. The club also donated mulch and daffodils to the garden this year.

This summer, she started working on the garden in May. Each week, she visits the Dickson garden to weed, water and maintain the area.

“I think intrinsically it is helpful to people who drive by or walk by because they are a little bit happier with their neighborhood, or maybe they feel like their day is a little happier,” Manz said. “Maybe then you do something in your own yard that makes it look better and other people are happier, too.”