With the help from Groundwork Elizabeth, students from Winfield Scott School No. 2 in Elizabeth planted cherry tomatoes and basil in their very own Earth Box Gardens!
Did you know Basil can help lower blood pressure and help alleviate anxiety? With fresh basil you can also add freshness to pastas, pizza, and just about anything!
Chairman Granados and students from Dr. Antonia Pantoja School No.27 have planted their very own cucamelons!
Cucamelons are native to Mexico and are part of the cucumber family. They even taste like a sour cucumber with a dash of lime. Due to the fact that they look like mini watermelons, they are called sandiita in Mexico and Central America.
Fun Fact: Cucamelons are known by different names. Some of these aliases are creeping cucumber, Guadeloupe cucumber, Mexican miniature watermelon, Mexican sour cucumber, Mexican sour gherkin, mouse melon, and pepquinos.
Union County Vice Chairwoman Kimberly Palmieri-Mouded joined faculty from Crossroads School in Westfield to kickoff their summer planting season!
Fun Fact: Crossroads School is an innovative school that educates students between the ages f 3-14 and is committed to helping students reach their fullest potential through rigorous instruction, community-based field experience, and collaborative approach. Some of the services Crossroads School provides students with include occupational Therapy, Speech-Language Pathology, Behavior Analytic Services, Special Educators, and Social-Emotional Learning coaches.
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
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
