ALACHUA COUNTY - What comes out of the garden makes all the difference with what gets served at dinner.

Students of the Eastside High School Culinary Arts program, along with volunteers from the community, sweated, fought love bugs, and got their hands dirty as they worked to update the school's herb garden.

They uprooted the old plants,  tore away weeds, broke apart old box beds  and planted 90 herb plants with a truck load of fresh soil.

They were among over 120 volunteers throughout Alachua County who helped out in Curb Appeal projects for United Way's "Day of Action."  At least 15 area businesses were represented as well as Santa Fe and University of Florida students. 

Chef Billie Denuncio of Eastside High School said she was grateful for the project. The rotting wood in the old box beds affected the quality of the fresh herbs, she said, which in turn affected the quality of the meals the students prepared. 

She said, she and her students are looking forward to preparing meals with the freshly-planted parsley, thyme, mint, basil and other herbs used in their garden.