ESY Summer Garden Care
The high schools students that attend the Extended School Year program at Battle Hill have been helping to maintain the Garden of Knowledge until the students return in September. They weeded, mowed the lawn, and placed the clippings in the composter. They are looking forward to coming over in September to help the elementary students with their harvest.
Garden Prep
The students took advantage of the beautiful weather and started weeding and preparing the garden for planting. They moved the tables and put the umbrellas out so outdoor learning could begin.
Head Gardener – Vauxhall Community Garden
Getting Ready for Spring!
The students took advantage of the warm weather to take a trip to check the garden. While they were there, they set up the tables so we could have class in the garden once spring arrives.
Preparing the Garden for Winter
The students used the left over bales of hay and corn stalks from our pumpkin patch to prepare the beds for winter. They covered the beds with the hay. We also put up our new garden sign.
The YMCA Five Points Branch in Union has welcomed us for a tour of their children’s garden!
One of the many plants being grown at this garden is mountain mint. It is referred as this as these plants often have a minty or thyme-like aroma when crushed.
Thank you for the tour!
Union County Commissioner Sergio Granados and Union County Commissioner Michèle Delisfort toured the Eleanor R. Erickson Park Community Garden in Union!
Eleanor R. Erickson Park Community Garden is one of the few gardens to have insect hotels. These are manmade structures created to provide shelter for insects. These insect houses can be helpful to insects during the winter as a means of a safe nesting place or hibernation but also in the hot summer days to cool off. Because these “hotels” attract insects, many gardeners include them in their garden as a way to increase insect pollination. Who knew?!
We were visited once more by the UHS Key Club and 6 members of our garden community. Together, we planted additional pollinator vines and grow bags of tomatoes, cucumbers, and herbs. The garlic is doing great! We just donated garlic scraps to the Senior Center on Rahway Avenue.
Our first workday of the 2024 Season: Lots of rebuilding of beds and new builds. We have expanded our garden to over 43 beds this year and added four height-assisted beds for our gardeners. As always, we had the UHA Key Club volunteers come to learn and help – they are fabulous group! Pictured are some gardeners as well and many builders.
| The students are weeding and preparing the garden for the seedings that we received and grown in our classrooms. |
