Category: gardens

Morris-Union Jointure Commission

New Providence

Tending to the Garden

As the warm weather finally arrived, our students eagerly stepped outside to breathe new life into the sensory garden. The air was filled with a sense of renewal as they began the hands-on work of tending to the garden bed and preparing for a new season of growth.

For our young gardeners, the true joy lies in the journey ahead—the patient, daily observation of watching their hard work transform from tiny sprouts into a flourishing landscape of color and texture.

Teacher and student working on a large gray planter outdoors
Student standing behind a large gray planter outside of the school

School No. 4

Linden

Our Food Forest Grows…

Students of the 5th Grade Environmental Club were thrilled to see leaves return to our new pear tree! Thank you to the Fruitful Futures Grant for the support in growing our food forest.

Image of a young pear tree blooming beautifully just outside the school grounds.

School No. 4

Linden

A Classroom of Trees

Last year, a cherry tree was located on our school grounds! Students recently received a lesson on how the flowers of the cherry tree will soon turn to fruit.

A close-up photo of a hand holding a flowering cherry tree branch

School No. 4

Linden

Strawberry Fields

The School No. 4 Environmental Club was thrilled to see our strawberry field return after a cold winter! Students are monitoring how the flowers are turning into budding strawberries! We hope to be snacking on them soon! Thank you to the Union County Kids Dig In Grant and Groundwork Elizabeth for making this possible!

close up image of leafy strawberry plant inside a garden bed

School No. 4

Linden

Getting Garlicky!

Back in October 2025, students learned how to plant multiple garlic plants from a single bulb, by splitting the bulb into individual cloves and planting them upright. All year, we have been monitoring their growth, and we are finally seeing that they are growing rapidly! Students will harvest this garlic before graduating in June. Thanks to the Union County Kids Dig In Grant, we have the materials needed to make this an annual activity!

image of garlic plants inside a wooden raised garden bed
Photo of garlic plants inside wooden raised garden bed

School No. 4

Linden

Raspberries!

Our students were thrilled to find that after a long, cold winter, our raspberry bushes are back and better than ever! We are hoping for fruit this year!

Photo of young raspberry plant inside a large black plastic pot

Sherman Elementary School

Roselle Park

Winter Sowing & Pickling Cucumbers

We can’t wait until we can start our summer garden! In preparation, we started seeds in milk jugs and seeds snails and already see some seedlings emerging. While we wait for warmer weather to plant outdoors, we are happily growing herbs in our classroom hydroponics unit. We used our fresh dill to pickle cucumbers and enjoyed eating crispy, delicious pickles.

Student preparing homemade pickles with fresh dill, cucumber, garlic, peppercorn and mustard seeds
Seedlings emerging from a potted plant in milk jug
Two children planting seeds
Student harvesting fresh dill from a hydroponic garden

Westlake School

Westfield

Growing with Purpose: Supporting Our Community One Herb at a Time

Our students have continued to work weekly during their science period to care for our indoor greenhouse. They have planted herbs, which we have proudly sold throughout the school, building both responsibility and real-world vocational skills.

As our plants continue to grow, we are excited to share our harvest by delivering fresh herbs to the Cranford Food Pantry in June. Looking ahead, we are especially excited to expand our efforts into the community by transplanting our indoor plants into the school’s outdoor garden, where they will have the space and environment to truly thrive and reach their full growth potential.

Westlake school student opening a bag of garden soil
Screenshot

Neighborhood House Association School

Plainfield

The Last of Winter

The long winter has enveloped the landscape in a serene blanket of snow, transforming everything into a glistening wonderland. As the chill deepens, our garlic, planted at the season’s onset, has been quietly growing beneath the frosty surface. These hardy bulbs thrive in the cold, soaking up moisture from the melting snow, and by the end of winter, they will be ready to harvest. Garlic, with its robust flavor and health benefits, is the perfect companion for winter meals, adding warmth and richness to our dishes during this chilly season.

photo of teacher with students checking garlic plants
Photo of garlic scape
photo of a hand reaching towards a sprouting garlic scape
photo of teacher with students walking towards garlic plants

Morris-Union Jointure Commission

New Providence

Strawberry Plants

The recent stretch of warm weather has done more than just melt the snow—it’s brought our playground back to life! As students rushed outside to enjoy the sun, they took a detour to check on our climate-resilient garden. To everyone’s surprise and delight, the strawberry plants weren’t just surviving; they were thriving. It was a wonderful “aha!” moment for our young gardeners to see nature’s local resilience in action.