To achieve that goal, she has incorporated a garden into her English as a Second Language science class. And tending vegetables and flowers, she says, is an efficient way to get students to master a new language.

"I want the students to be active and involved while they are learning," she says.

Maxey developed the gardening project four years ago when a group of landscapers and contractors donated gardening supplies--wooden planters, an electric timer and an irrigation system--to the San Jose Unified School District. The district sent out an email to teachers asking who might be interested in using the supplies, and Maxey was the first to respond.

In addition to quick timing, Maxey also had a background in gardening. She studied horticulture for two years at Foothill College, and then developed a garden-based curriculum while earning her masters at Santa Clara University.

Although California does not have a gardening curriculum, Maxey has developed her own program using her previous experience and a little creativity. Each year, her students research different types of vegetation and plant the seeds. While the seeds cultivate, the sixth- through eighth-graders learn about soil composition, composting and horticultural vocabulary.

Besides learning about botany and ecology, students also do activities to develop their English abilities. This year, Maxey's class is writing a how-to book based on the knowledge they glean from the garden.

But in order to earn the privilege of gardening, students must complete their homework. Maxey says the garden is a powerful motivator to encourage students to study.

"I usually get about 98 percent of the homework back," she says.

For one of her homework assignments, Maxey asks students to interview their parents about gardening, and then translate and write down their answers.

"The students come back with some great answers," she notes.

Most of the students in Maxey's class are Spanish speakers, but this year she has students from Bosnia, Ethiopia and Vietnam as well. For students who do not share the same language, Maxey says, tending the garden becomes a way to communicate across cultures.

"Gardening is a universal language," she says.

Other educators at Willow Glen Middle School have also noticed Maxey's students reaping the benefits of the garden-centered class.

"The students really enjoy it," Jeannie Boyne, the school's English as a Second Language coordinator says. "It's a great way for them to learn English because they are participating in something meaningful. Reading from a book can be so abstract, but this is right in front of them. And it's accessible to any level of language ability."

Willow Glen Middle School Principal John Tavella agrees that the garden gives students a chance to extend their education beyond textbook material.

"[With the garden] students aren't just talking," Tavella says. "They can see, touch, experience and taste. That really helps them learn English."

Maxey's students may be flourishing, but a recent drought in education funds has left the class low on supplies. To accommodate the needs of her students, Maxey hopes that community members might want to lend a hand and consider donating some basic gardening essentials like seeds, soil, compost, gloves, shovels, and large and hand-held rakes.

In addition to material goods, Maxey could also use a little advice on a recurring problem: Bermuda grass. She and her students labor to clear the garden of the pesky plant, but their efforts are in vain--a new crop of the grass inevitably grows back. Maxey wants to treat the problem organically and not use chemicals like Roundup for environmental reasons.

And relying on a chemical agent to annihilate unwanted vegetation, Maxey says, would defeat the purpose of the garden. One of her primary goals, she says, is to instill in her students an appreciation for nature.

"The students are learning to be respectful to the earth," Maxey says. "They see that the things they pour into the soil affect what they eat."

To donate supplies to Maxey's science class, contact her at bobbe_maxey@ sjusd.org, or by calling Willow Glen Middle School's main line at 408.535.6277.