Author: Web Site Administrator

Woodrow Wilson School No.19

Jackie from Groundwork Elizabeth has joined students from Woodrow Wilson School No.19 on their Multicultural Day for another day of planting!

You may ask yourself; what did the students plant? More milkweed! We can’t wait to see monarch butterflies all around Union County!

Milkweed Tip:

For harmful insects, spray insects off the milkweed plant using water. If insect population is high spray the plant with 100 liquid dish soap mixed with water, wait a few minutes and then rinse with fresh water. Do not use pesticides as this will hurt butterflies who try to feed and nest on the plants

Roselle Park Middle School

Union County Vice Chairwoman Kimberly Palmieri-Mouded joined Roselle Park Mayor Joseph Signorello III, Councilman Jay Robaina, and Superintendent Pedro Garrido at Roselle Park Middle School for a Kids Dig in Planting – another great example of our Plant a Seed Grant Program bearing fruit (pun 100% intended) in the Union County community.

McKinley School

Students at McKinley School have started growing their very own pollinator garden!

Why are pollinator gardens important? Well, they provide pollinators with the necessary tools to help in the growth of crops.

Fun Fact: About 75% of all flowering plants rely on animal pollinators and over 200,000 species of animals act as pollinators. Some of these pollinators include hummingbirds, bats, beetles, bees, ants, wasps, butterflies, and moths.

Madison Monroe School No.16

Madison Monroe School No.16 students and faculty have welcomed a variety of different plants to their school!

Reminder: Earth boxes only need watering through the tube when reservoir is dry. However, watering varies greatly. For instance, a full grown tomato plant needs watering once a day. Young starter plants can be watered every 1-2 weeks.

Morris-Union Jointure Commission

Students from the Morris-Union Jointure Commission, alongside Jackie from Groundwork Elizabeth, have planted their very own cucumbers!

Did you know that a raw cucumber is 95% water? Very similar to watermelons that are 92% water. Interestingly enough, a slice of cucumber pressed to the roof of your mouth for 30 seconds can kill bacteria and freshen your breath!

Fun Fact: The Morris-Union Jointure Commission (MUJC) is a regional collaborative public school district that provides services and programs to meet the needs of its 30 constituent school districts. MUJC provides public school programs in supportive environments for students with autism or autistic-like behavior at the two Developmental Learning Centers (DLCs) it operates in New Providence and Warren, New Jersey.

Ola Edwards Community School

Ola Edwards Community School has joined Union County once again for our annual Kids Dig In Grant!

One of the most interesting vegetables that Ola Edwards Community School is currently growing are none other than…onions!

Fun Fact: According to The Guinness Book of World Records, the biggest onion ever was grown by British farmer Peter Glazebrook, who harvested a monster-sized onion in 2011 that weighed 18 pounds.

Nicholas Butler School No. 23

Chairman Granados, Vice-Chairwoman Palmieri-Mouded, and Commissioner Leon joined students and teachers from Nicholas Butler School No.23 for a fun day of planting!

When students were asked about their favorite fruit, answers varied but some of the most popular answers were strawberries and grapes. Lucky for them, they will be able to grow their very own watermelons, cucumbers, and tomatoes! We can’t wait to see these gardens flourish.

Mabel G. Holmes School No.5

Once again, we return to Mabel G. Holmes School No. 5 for their second year of planting! While we did not plant garlic this time around, students from School No.5 welcomed tomatoes, squash, basil, and many more to their garden.

Did you know that students at Mabel G. Holmes are also growing and taking care of their very own lavender trees? All thanks to their teacher Mr. Frumolt, who has his very own garden at home!

Nicholas Butler School No.23 Annex

On that very same day of 5/10/2023 we were lucky enough to visit the annex school of Nicholas Butler School No.23 to continue gardening! Unlike the main building where students planted in raised bed gardens, students planted in Earth Box gardens!

Container gardening is perfect anywhere, especially in small areas with limited outdoor space and no grass needed! One of the benefits about these Earth Box gardens are its ability to conserve water. Did you know that these types of gardens can hold up to 3 gallons of water? That’s a lot of water! This in return makes it easier for gardeners to maintain their plants hydrated and less labor-intensive than traditional gardening.

Roselle Park High School

Hop on over and see what is going on in Roselle Park High School’s Earth Box Garden!

We were joined by none other than Roselle Park High School’s very own garden club with special guests…bunnies!

Did you know that a rabbit’s teeth never stop growing? They’re worn down as the rabbit chews on grass, flowers and vegetables. They can also jump a little over 3 feet high and 10 feet long!

With the help of Nicole Honrath and the garden club, the borough of Roselle Park has welcomed a variety of different vegetables and plants for their community; such as tomatoes, basil, and squash.