an official website of the COUNTY OF UNION, NEW JERSEY
Pantoja Gardens
On today’s visit, Groundworks Board Chair Sergio Granados was in attendance. Thank you, John, for teaching the students how to take care of their new garden!
We love how passionate the teacher and students are about their new ADA raised garden bed! We can’t wait to see the new, amazing things that grow in the garden!
The Happy Garden
On this hot day, we thanked the teacher and students for coming out to learn about their new ADA-compliant raised bed! Thanks to their amazing teacher, they are able to collect rainwater as a natural way of harvesting their garden!
The students are very excited to learn more in STEM learning, environmental science, and nutrition education. We look forward to seeing what they’ve learned 😊
Thyme: The Delicious Herb
Welcome back to Thomas Edison Career & Technical School in Elizabeth, NJ. This year, we learned thyme is being put into the gardens from Groundwork Elizabeth!
Not only is thyme very delicious in our foods, it is also full of antioxidants and is a great source of beta-carotene (a red-orange plant pigment) and folic acid (Vitamin B). Thyme can also be used for soothing wounds, preventing infections, and treating congestion and stomach pain.
Out of this World 🌎 Gardening
Union County Commissioner Palmieri-Mouded was in attendance at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. School No. 52!
A fun fact about one of the flowers we planted: the Zinnia. Did you know that it was the first flower to bloom in outer space?
In 2016, NASA astronaut Scott Kelly was able to successfully grow bright orange Zinnias on the International Space Station (ISS). This was an active project at the time to understand how plants can grow in microgravity.
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!
