Author: Web Site Administrator

Students from John E. Dwyer School & Admiral William F. Halsey Technology Academy were joined by Commissioner Sergio Granados and Commissioner Lourdes Leon on Monday morning for their third year of gardening!

Not only does Dwyer and Halsey house pollinator gardens in their courtyard, they have also been able to establish a greenhouse so they can plant all year round!

Fun fact: Chairman Sergio Granados and Commissioner Lourdes Leon are both alumni from the Elizabeth Public School System: Admiral William F. Halsey Technology Academy and Elizabeth High School.

Victor Mravlag School No. 21 has welcomed cherry black tomatoes to their garden!

While cherry black tomatoes weren’t the only fruits planted, but they sure are one of the most interesting and rare fruits to be growing.

Unlike the common household tomatoes that are characterized by their red color, cherry black tomatoes are strikingly dark-colored. Interestingly, black cherry tomatoes contain lycopene, an antioxidant that can decrease a person’s risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer.

Toussaint L’overture-Marquis de Lafayette School No.6 has welcomed milkweeds to their garden! For those who may not know, milkweed attracts monarch butterflies and other support pollinators. For this reason, milkweeds are the required host plants needed for monarch butterflies to lay their eggs.

Not only will milkweed attract monarch butterflies to numerous gardens around the county, its flowers will also provide nectar for bees, beetles, flies and other beneficial insects that will help transfer pollen for seed production!

Trivia: What are milkweeds named after?

Milkweeds are named after their milky latex found in their stems, leaves and pods. While this milky latex may attract pollinators, it can be dangerous to animals if consumed in large amounts.