With the arrival of this warm weather, our students have stepped away from their desks and into the dirt. Armed with gloves and rakes, and a whole lot of energy, they’ve been hard at work clearing out the old to make room for the new.
Sage the Wise
These middle school gardeners are in for a wonderful treat with their new raised garden bed! They are learning about the different plants they will be growing from Ashley at Groundwork Elizabeth.
In addition to learning about their plants, we also have a fun fact about Sage. The name Sage comes from the Latin word salvus, meaning “safe”, “to heal”, or “wiser”. It is believed to have healing powers! During medieval times in Europe, Sage was believed to help with memory and make people wiser. We’re so excited to see how the garden grows in Kawameeh Middle School!
Little Helping Hands
Our young gardeners play an important role in helping plants grow. From planting seeds to watering flowers, these children were able to learn valuable lessons while having fun outdoors!
Groundwork Elizabeth has shared a fun fact about peppers. Did you know a pepper’s color changes depending on how ripe it is? Even if they are red, yellow, orange, or green, they can all grow from the same plant!
Dig, Plant, GROW!
Union County Commissioner Stanley Neron joined Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy High School, where they received an ADA raised garden bed!
One of the things that they were able to plant was tomatoes. We just learned that tomatoes may contain hornworms! Hornworms are little plant ninjas that love to hide on tomato plants and munch on the leaves. Be on the lookout for the hornworms!
We love the sign that you made, and we wish you the best of luck with your new garden!
Planting 101
Union County Commissioner Stanley Neron joined JVJ STEM Academy with their new raised garden bed!
Thank you to all of the students who came out to plant with John from Groundwork Elizabeth.
A fun fact about planting: plant roots continue growing after the top growth slows. Root development is especially active during cooler weather. Helping plants establish before the next growing season.
Cherry Tree Time
Did you know that one cherry tree can grow thousands of cherries in a single season? They also attract pollinators in the spring and produce flavorful fruit that can be enjoyed fresh or used in recipes!
Teamwork through Gardening
A playful environment where young gardeners can learn through discovery! Soon to be filled with color, texture, and interactive features!
This is the perfect setting for hands-on exploration and growing confidence in the garden. We are very excited to see how the new raised garden bed turns out!
Growing Together
A big thank you to the team at Groundwork Elizabeth for helping Jerome Dunn Academy with their raised bed garden!
One fun fact about gardening is a process called Biofuel. It is widely known for helping plants grow by giving them energy through a process called Photosynthesis. Plants use sunlight, water, and air to make their own food and grow big and strong! Did you also know that biofuel can also be used to run machines, even cars?
Memories Made in The Garden
Union County Commissioner Stanley J. Neron joined Donald Stewart Center School No. 51 with their new raised garden bed!
All of the wonderful students that came out to see the presentation from John with Groundwork Elizabeth.
Did you know that plants can communicate with each other underground with tiny fungal threads? It’s called a Mycorrhizal Network 😊
We love the garden that has been growing and can’t wait to see how the new garden flourishes!
The Milkweed’s Home
Did you know that Milkweed is the only plant that monarch butterfly caterpillars can eat? We learned this from the Groundwork Elizabeth team!
We are excited for the students in the summer helping out with the garden to watch the plants grow!! Be on the lookout for Monarch Butterflies 😊
