‘The Dahlia Guy’: Flower plot at Beresford becomes community landmark

Ecklebarger later found out that the flowers were dahlias, grown by the Dahlia Society of California in an area dubbed the “Dahlia Dell.” He was immediately hooked by the beautiful flowers, and this passion followed him when he moved to the Peninsula 11 years ago.

After the move, Ecklebarger decided to attend the City Services Academy, a 10-week course offered to residents and employees of the city, where participants get a chance to get information on the different departments in San Mateo.

“In the sixth week, we went to the Parks and Rec meeting at the Martin Luther King Jr. recreation center,” Ecklebarger said. “ ... At the break point I went up to Neal Osias [then Parks and Landscape maintenance manager] and said ‘How’d you like somebody who’d volunteer to plant dahlias?’ And he said, ‘Could you do it tomorrow?’”

The first location Ecklebarger attempted to grow dahlias was in downtown San Mateo. However, when the shady location proved unsuitable for the sun-loving flowers, Ecklebarger was instead offered a plot on the perimeter of Beresford Park, later acquiring the two adjacent plots as well (one of the plots is currently empty in an effort to be drought-conscious).

His “Dahlia Guy” nickname bloomed almost as quickly as the plants did. Ecklebarger’s wife, Paige, noted that Ecklebarger can be tending to the garden in the dead of winter, when the plots are barren, and locals will still come up to him and ask if he’s the one who grows “those flowers” and whether he’ll grow them in the spring.

Paige began growing dahlias herself after attending a dahlia show with Ecklebarger, and, since moving to the Peninsula, has helped him weed and care for the garden at Beresford.

Ecklebarger’s enthusiasm has not only sparked interest in the flowers for his wife, but for fellow volunteer gardeners at Beresford’s approximately 70 plots.

“Every time I talk to him about the dahlias, he’s very passionate about them,” said Marcy Wigery van Edema, a gardener at Beresford. “He goes to a number of shows, he talks about how to create new dahlias, and the whole process. He’s extremely friendly, and he always offers to help out with the extra things that need to be done at the garden.”

Ecklebarger’s passion goes beyond talk, as he spends three and a half hours every week tending to the garden, and approximately $600-$800 a year buying plants and fertilizer.

While the upkeep for the plots is fairly pricey, Ecklebarger said he decided against getting funding from Parks and Recreation. To him, one of the most enjoyable parts of tending to the plots is the personal expression he is allowed in choosing which flowers to grow, and funding from the city could possibly mean they could dictate those choices.

“The most enjoyable part ... after I got the plot, was to come over and measure it and scale it, and then figure out how many plants I could plant in it,” Ecklebarger said. “Now the most fun for me is in November or early December, laying it out for next year. You know, ‘what’s going to go next to what, what will look best here, what do we want to have over there?’”

Although he decided against asking the city for funding, Ecklebarger acknowledged that the reason his dahlias have been able to flourish year after year is due to a “very good relationship with Parks and Rec. ... They’re just really, really helpful,” he said.

Besides his love of the actual gardening itself, both Ecklebarger and his wife are motivated by the continual positive impact the flowers have on locals.

“Of course we’ve gathered some favorites of the people that come by,” he said. “So I always plant at least one or two of the favorites that carry over from one year to the next, and it’s really fun.”

To Paige, it’s easy to see why the flowers that enraptured her husband all those years ago in Golden Gate Park have allowed the “Dahlia Guy” to become a local legend.

“People will even drive by, roll their windows down, and say, ‘Thank you for the flowers, we really love them!’” Paige said. “And you can see why. They’re beautiful. They’re really beautiful.”