This listing is by no means exhaustive. We want to document ALL school garden programs in the state so if you know of one that is not listed here, please pass on this information to us at info@njfarmtoschool.org. (As much as we might think that school gardens are a new invention, these posters from the archives of the Library of Congress show that school gardens have been around since the two World Wars…)

Alpha Public School- Alpha, NJ
Our revived butterfly garden is doing beautifully. We had a parent make a box for our monarch caterpillars and the children were able to experience the whole process from caterpillars to their lease of the monarchs. We even made our local paper! We are hoping to get more teachers involved in the garden.

Bancroft School- Haddonfield, NJ
Outdoor, Flowers, Butterflies, Garden Business, Special Needs, Greenhouse, Garden Themes, Composting

Bergen Community College Child Development Center- Paramus, NJ
Our preschool maintains a Shade Garden that is home to salamanders, toads, birds and small mammals. This past fall, we were thrilled to witness a Monarch Butterfly emerge from her chrysalis right in one of our Butterfly Gardens! We produced some pumpkins, tomatoes, basil and herbs last year and we also have a small “nature” trail that runs along St. Andrews Creek which we use for wildlife viewing and woodland explorations.All of our outdoor spaces are used as additional learning centers where we participate in many hands-on, child-centered activities and experiences in all seasons.

Brick Community Primary Learning Center- Brick, NJ
It all started as a place to plant 900 tulip and daffodil bulbs each year. It then became a butterfly garden. We now have a garden with plants representing each letter of the alphabet. In 2001, we added a rainbow garden with 6 beds devoted to red flowers and vegetables, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple flowers and vegetables. We have a weathervane on an 8-foot post in the center. We put in a mural garden in 2002 along the painted mural so the flowers grow up into the painting. This month, our pre-school students planted 130 crocuses in the Crocus Corner Garden and the rest of our kindergartners planted 800 tulips and daffodils. We can’t wait until spring.

Christa McAuliffe School – Jersey City, NJ
Students utilize a greenhouse, various illuminated plant stations, window ledge gardens, aquariums, and terrariums to grow and propagate a diverse collection of annuals, perennials, aquatics, and tropicals. Plants are used for laboratory experiments, display, and during school generated plant sales to raise funds.

Clarendon School- Secaucus, NJ
We are developing an outside garden/courtyard. The theme of the garden also includes butterfly habitats. The PTA will donate birdhouses.

Clearview Regional High School- Mullica Hill, NJ
The 11th and 12th grade students in my Shakespeare Studies elective maintain the Clearview Memorial Shakespeare Garden. The student’s research flowers mentioned in Shakespeare’s plays and sonnets…and there are many! By exploring a different play every year, students learn about growing conditions, symbolic meanings, and the agricultural heritage upon which Shakespeare drew.

Deane Porter School- Rumson, NJ
Butterflies

Denbo Elementary School – Browns Mills, NJ
Our garden features flowers and vegetables. We also put up birdhouses and hummingbird feeders. Sometimes, we had 10 or 15 hummingbirds zooming around at the same time (they are a little hard to count because they move so fast). Each student made a cement stepping stone with their name and the date on it. These stones will become a permanent part of the garden so that in the future, children can visit and find their stone. It is a way to keep a record of all of the children who have contributed to the garden.

Edgar School- Metuchen, NJ
Outdoor, Flowers, Pond / Wetland, Butterflies, Habitat Creation / Restoration, Greenhouse, Garden Themes

Dutch Neck Elementary School, West Windsor NJ
We had a very modest start to our vegetable garden. This year we made four raised beds and each grade level planted a different variety of lettuce. We were able to harvest this the last week of school and every student had an opportunity to taste it. We intend to add four more beds next year and plant other vegetables. In addition to that garden we have a “Kinder Garden” near the entrance where each kindergarten student planted a tulip bulb. The parent who has been doing this moved away, but returned to help us. We are looking for a local volunteer to take this over. Another exciting thing that we did was to naturalize one of our berms. We stopped mowing in March and the students scattered wildflower seeds in May. The hill looks great, but we are still waiting for the flowers to bloom.

Edgemont Montessori School – Montclair, NJ
Our classroom garden enables 13 classrooms of K-5 grade students to grow vegetables and flowers. We start seeds from February on and grow them in our NGA GrowLabs. Our GrowLabs live in various classrooms and we hope to have a greenhouse for them by the end of 2004. We have added a native New Jersey plants to our garden so now we tend a maze of perennials, a butterfly garden, apple trees, and herbs. The latter two are part of an ongoing third grade middle ages study unit wherein the children plant and maintain the trees and herbs. We continue to practice composting outside with our three “Earth Machine” bins. We also have indoor worm labs. We will be installing a wetland garden in conjunction with a study on native wildlife and to deal with a drainage problem. We’ve been trying to integrate composting lunch waste but that’s been hard to monitor with volunteer staff. We may try to start a summer gardening camp!

Edison Middle School- West Orange, NJ
We are in the first few years of establishing a garden in some abandoned areas around our school. We have brought in compost to amend the soil, but are really trying to make this a self-sustaining garden environment. We have also been focusing on making this an outdoor classroom area where non-science classes will come with their classes. We have installed donated bulbs, transplanted materials, and also work from seeds and have started a raised bed gardening area. This year we really hope to get our composting system to include material from our school cafeteria.

Edward T. Bowser, Sr. Unique School of Excellence- East Orange, NJ
Outdoor, Vegetables, Outdoor, Flowers, Trees, Pond / Wetland, Butterflies, Birds, Garden Art, Greenhouse, Weather Stations, Vermiculture (worms), Composting

Eleanor Rush Intermediate School- Cinnaminson, NJ
Butterflies

Essex Fells School- Essex Fells, NJ
Outdoor, Flowers, Butterflies, Garden Art, Habitat Creation / Restoration, Garden Themes

Ethel Jacobsen Elementary School, Surf City, NJ
Digging in the Dirt
The “Potato Patch” is Phase One of our “Digging In The Dirt” project and has been created from the “Healthy Community Development” Mini-Grant award.  This grant has initiated the beginning of a sustainable edible garden as a nutritional intervention to provide an awareness of increased fruit and vegetable consumption. Plant-based education is cross-curricular and can easily be utilized in nutrition, science, mathematics, language arts, social studies, physical education, art and music.

First Steps Pre School – Middletown, NJ
Outdoor, Vegetables, Outdoor, Flowers, Trees, Indoor Light Garden, Community Service, Pond / Wetland, Butterflies, Birds, Garden Art, Habitat Creation / Restoration, Weather Stations, Garden Themes, Vermiculture (worms), Composting

Garfield Park Academy- Willingboro, NJ We started a garden to grow herbs for the culinary classes; it just took off from there. We offer a General Horticulture course, Floral Arts and Landscape Design. We don’t have a greenhouse (someday), but we make the most of what we have. We have a dual spectrum 40,000-lumen grow light, a 120-gallon pond with a waterfall, all in a regular 25×30 classroom. We also have a Potter’s Wheel, Kiln and clay Extruder to make our own Garden Art with.

Grace A Dunn Middle School- Trenton, NJ
Last school year we started with some grant money and an already existing rose garden/courtyard area. We added pathways, cleaned-up the existing beds, and in cooperation with a local non-profit agency added a pergola with seating. We raised butterflies and ladybugs and let them go free in our garden. We got started late therefore some of our goals were not met but we will pick up where we left off and keep on this year. With a generous donation of a large greenhouse we hope to start vegetables from seed and small plants this fall and continue with them in raised beds in the spring.

Greater Newark Conservancy Living Laboratories Program – Newark, NJ
14 school gardens in and around Newark

Helen Morgan School – Sparta, NJ
We have created a Monarch Way station/Butterfly Habitat that will be registered with Monarch Watch.org. Our intent is to create wildlife habitats emphasizing the use of native plants to enhance the school’s science curriculum as well as teach environmental stewardship. We will create a bird habitat and a woodland/amphibian friendly habitat in the fall of 2008. We were recently awarded a Toolbox for Education grant from Lowe’s to help fund our project.

Highland Park School District – Highland Park, NJ

Our edible gardens were built in April 2010 with grant money from the Sustainable Jersey small grants. The four main players are 1) Sustainable Highland Park (the municipality’s sustainability organization that received the grant), 2) Highland Park school district, 3) Edible Gardens Project, which has provided volunteers and coordinated the students, and 4) Rutgers Cooperative Extension, which has provided training to the students (and some students continue to volunteer there as part of their training). Some of the grant money is being used to provide stipends to student volunteers.

Holland Township School- Milford, NJ
Our site is known as the Learning Grove. It is a learning site that has over 40 different trees, a retention wall, a wildflower background, and is served by electricity, and running water. Much of the area was created with grants from the state, industries, PTO, and private donations. Students planned the entire site and professionals gave additional help. Today, it is a beautiful place to do all types of learning in science, math, art, reading, etc.

Hopewell Valley School District – Hopewell, NJ

HV Central HS, Pennington, NJ-Small garden built and maintained by a student with a teacher assisting, food has been approved and supplied to cafeteria for student consumption.  Students also have created a composting program in our kitchen and cafeteria.  Resulting compost was used on ornamental beds.

Timberlane MS – Pennington, NJ-Good size courtyard garden built by teachers with student after-school club planting and harvesting, food has not been served in cafeteria yet, but should see in fall 2010

Hopewell ES – Hopewell, NJ- 2 gardens -Very nice size and elaborate.   One large for entire school and one smaller exclusive to kindergarten.  This was the inspiration for all of our gardens.  The first one to be completed and offer produce to the cafeteria for student consumption.  Built and maintained by parents with students and teachers assisting with planting and harvesting.  This is a great example for other schools to use.

Bear Tavern ES – Titusville, NJ- One courtyard garden – spread out in entire courtyard with several themes – colonial times, regional planting and more.  Built and maintained by parents with students and teachers assisting with planting and harvesting.  Produce has been approved and used in our cafeterias.  Students have also begun composting in our kitchen and cafeteria.  Resulting compost has not yet completed the process.

Stony Brook ES – Pennington, NJ- One courtyard garden – small size at this time with plans to expand over this summer.  food has not been served in the cafeteria yet, but hopeful for 2010.  Built and maintained by parents.

Toll Gate Grammar School – Pennington, NJ- One garden – good size, very neat and organized.  All plantings are labeled clearly.  Built and maintained by one teacher with assistance from parents and students.  Food has been approved and used in our cafeterias.  Another great example for other schools to use.

Kennedy School, PS #9 – Jersey City, NJ
We have been working on the school garden for about ten years. Every year the children add to the garden. They created a pond. They planted a tree each year. They have made the garden an outdoor classroom where they learn about plants, weather, composting, and creating butterfly’s garden.

Livingston Elementary School – New Brunswick, NJ
We composted the garden last winter and must have shoveled about a yard of compost. We started a bucket brigade to get everyone involved in spreading the compost around the garden. We received 200 bulbs from the Dutch Bulb Gardening Grant and are eagerly awaiting the blossoms to arrive sometime in spring.

Mauger Middle School- Middlesex, NJ
Outdoor, Vegetables, Outdoor, Flowers, Trees, Community Service, Pond / Wetland, Butterflies, Birds, Garden Art, Habitat Creation / Restoration, Weather Stations, Garden Themes

Memorial School – Karen Nash Memorial Butterfly Garden – Washington, NJ
This garden involves the entire school and community. The Warren Junior Gardeners and Community volunteers all participate in the care and growth of this garden. The school also has a garden club that meets regularly. This is a non-profit organization that relies solely on contributions and grants to survive. The kids learn social skills, volunteering, care of environment, conservation, teambuilding, and confidence. The garden emphasizes understanding of wildlife and habitats and has met the USDA requirements for Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program. For the past 3 years the Warren Junior Gardeners have been the top youth garden club in New Jersey and The Central Atlantic Region. The club also offers many opportunities for families to participate as well as extended Horticulture activities and workshops.

Miller Elementary School – Old Bridge, NJ
The school community 4 years ago took an overgrown interior courtyard and turned it into a beautiful outdoor learning environment. We have since added a shed, pond habitat, low-voltage lighting, a small bridge, and most recently received a grant for a greenhouse. The whole community has become involved through donations, physical help, and financial support. It has become an extraordinary learning experience for all students at the school.

Millington Elementary- Millington, NJ
Outdoor, Vegetables, Outdoor Flowers, Trees, Butterflies, Birds, Garden Art, Weather Stations, Garden Themes

Montclair Community Pre-K – Montclair, NJ
The Montclair Community Pre-K Garden Project is currently working on 3 garden areas: a butterfly garden, a Four Season Garden, and a Morning Glory Garden. As of Fall 2004 we wil
have completed our first full year of gardening, and we are working on activities for pre-schoolers in all our garden areas. Project pre-installation has included a sun analysis of the garden bed areas, seed germination and transplanting of seedlings, and constructing and planting a Morning Glory tipi.

Mount Olive High School – Flanders, NJ
The Mt. Olive Schoolyard Habitat is an innovative project, which will be used as an instructional aid to address Core Content and Workplace Readiness Standards. Self-contained, special needs students who are classified, as “specifically learning disabled” will directly benefit from involvement in this cross-curriculum environmental activity. Classroom learning experiences and transition skills are traditionally offered in an abstract, compartmentalized format. In order to transfer information acquisition from the abstract to the concrete and provide appropriate school-to-work transition skills, the self-contained students will create a functional schoolyard habitat. It will provide a living environmental classroom for a hands-on approach to learning. The goal is to prepare students to effectively encounter the demands of the future as literate, ethical, contributing members of society. The Mt. Olive Schoolyard Habitat is an ongoing and integral part of the self-contained student’s curriculum. All activities are coordinated with the New Jersey State Core Content and Workplace Readiness Standards, and each student’s Individual Education Plan [IEP] is used as an additional requirement guide. Completing the Core Content Standards and IEP goals and objectives are necessary prerequisites for high school graduation. The success of the project is based on the student’s ability to demonstrate his/her functional independence both in the habitat setting and the classroom.

The evaluations of the project are assessed through on-site and in-class observation of the students’ functional academic participation. The project coordinator, assistant project coordinators, and student foremen gauge evaluations. The project leaders observe student performance to determine results, which are documented on specific evaluation forms. Their efforts will culminate in creating a cooperative working relationship between the school and the community.

Netcong Elementary School – Netcong, NJ
The Netcong Elementary School Learning Garden is a space where teachers and students can study and learn within a natural setting. The garden is located on the school property and is easily accessible to all K-8th grade classes and other community organizations. The area includes existing shade trees combined with benches and boulders for seating, raised bed vegetable and flower gardens, butterfly and bug vegetation, and a stone teacher table that offer opportunities for a range of outdoor lessons. The space was made possible through volunteer efforts and donations from the PTA, community leaders and area businesses. The Netcong Learning Garden received a 2009 McFlowertown Award from Morris Tomorrow.

New Brunswick Middle School – New Brunswick, NJ
We just got started last year (Spring 2007) and had great fun. We received some small donations from teachers and area businesses; a core group of teachers and students interested in improving the appearance of our school (currently located in a warehouse-type facility) got down and dirty and started digging after school once a week. We prepared the soil with compost available from the city and neighboring towns and planted both seeds and seedlings, very much enjoying watching the space transform — we grew mostly flowers, but also some herbs, strawberries and lettuce. It was a lot of work but well worth the effort.

Old York School – Branchburg, NJ
The Neshanic Garden Club has been helping the 4th graders (approximately) 120 students establish native plant gardens in their school’s courtyard. Each of the five 4th grade classes has their own raised garden bed, 4′ x 12′, and did a fall planting last October with a spring planting of ephemerals to be held on April 15, 2009. The five beds brimming over with native plants including bloodroot, woodland phlox, Mountain Laurel, violets, giant blue lobelia, Virginia bluebells, Rosa Virgiana, Dutchman’s breeches, asters, alliums, the cardinal flower and many more. Dr. Randi Eckel, of Toadshade Wildflower Farm presented to the 4th graders to give them background and inspiration in planting their gardens at school, and, hopefully, at home, too.

The highlight will be the gardens, themselves, and the presentation of a teacher’s guide on how the Native Indians, the Lenni Lenape, and the early settlers used these plants in their everyday life. The 3rd graders established a spring vegetable garden, which is written in the school’s curriculum, and has been done for the past few years. 3rd graders and invited guests participate in “Salad Fest” Day in June.

Parkview Elementary- Stratford, NJ
Outdoor, Flowers, Trees, Butterflies, Composting

Princeton Day School – Princeton, NJ
The organic garden at Princeton Day School is currently 50×100′ with 23 raised beds and 20 in ground beds.The garden serves as an outdoor lab and classroom for the entire preK-12 school of 900 students. The garden is completely embedded into the preK-4th grade classes in science, language arts, social studies, and art. We use the garden to enhance and make experiential the already existing curriculum.The garden is also used by a variety of middle and upper school classes, clubs, and community service. All the food grown is served at lunch in the cafeteria. We have bees and chickens and are building an outdoor classroom with a kitchen in 2010-11. In the summer we run a garden camp for 2nd-4th grade students.

Princeton Junior School- Lawrenceville, NJ
The students and the Learning through Landscapes teacher at PJS have maintained a large vegetable garden on the school grounds for the past nine years. Each class (3′s to grade 5) plants, maintains, and harvests their own garden. They plant peas and salad greens in the early spring. Then in late May they plant heritage flour corn, potatoes, carrots, winter squash, beans, and peanuts. These crops are harvested in the fall before the wheat and rye are planted. The produce is used to make soup and a variety of breads that are baked by the students and enjoyed at Thanksgiving celebration. The wheat and rye are harvested in the summer and stored until fall when the students thresh, winnow, and grind the grains into flour. Princeton Junior School has also created wildlife habitats such, meadows, native shrub beds, and a milkweed patch. A drainage area was transformed into a frog pond where students monitor the population and the water quality. To address drainage problems in a playground, students planted a rain garden using native plants. The students monitor bat houses, birdhouses, and bird feeders. A wooded area was cleared of poison ivy and invasive alien plants. This provides a place for students to observe nature and to just be kids!

Princeton School District – Princeton, NJ

Community Park Elementary School – Princeton, NJ
The Community Park School seeks to establish self-sustaining edible gardens, involving the whole community—parents, school, administration and faculty, local chefs and culinary professionals, businesses, Princeton University students, faculty and gardening/environment and conservation organizations in the process. We further seek to integrate grade-specific food literacy (nutrition and health, palate, cooking, shopping, growing, environment).

John Witherspoon Middle School – Princeton, NJ
This is a student run committee out of the Environmental Club, which meets once a week. With generous donations from local businesses such as the Bent Spoon and Whole Earth Center as well as the Princeton School Gardens Cooperative, the students have three beds with plans this year to add three additional beds and a trellis for grapes and kiwi, lettuce, kale, tomatoes, herbs, peas and cucumbers will be planted as well as flowers that the students plan to sell. The students also plan on donating part of their summer produce to a local homeless shelter.

Johnson Park Elementary School – Princeton, NJ
The mission of the Johnson Park Courtyard Garden is to create and sustain an organic garde that will serve as an outdoor classroom for our students. The garden will be used to provide hands-on experiences that enhance curriculum in many areas including science and math. It will also enhance awareness of healthy food choices and an appreciation of the outdoors. Students will be involved in all aspects of gardening including planning, planting, tending harvesting and preparing healthy foods.

Littlebrook Elementary School – Princeton, NJ
Littlebrook Elementary School has a flourishing courtyard garden with eight beds, a raspberry patch, a fruit bearing pear tree, compost bins and a pond with a solar powered pump that is surrounded by natural habitat. The garden is used in science classes and many other grades on a regular basis. A garden club of parents and students helps to maintain the gardens and lettuce grown in the gardens is served in the cafeteria as often as possible.

Princeton High School – Princeton, NJ
This is a student run and operated garden out of the Environmental Club at the high school. With the help of the Princeton School Gardens Cooperative and Princeton University freshman, the students received money and help to dig and plant four beds. They also have a cold frame for winter planting built by one of the student coordinators. The beds are filled with kale, lettuce, tomatoes, broccoli and herbs. Community members are welcome to pick vegetables during the summer months.

Riverside Elementary School – Princeton, NJ
The purpose of the Riverside School organic garden is to provide inviting, engaging, instructive and authentic outdoor classrooms for the education and pleasure of our students. Specifically, we seek to provide a living laboratory for hands-on learning experiences across the curriculum; to teach children about healthy food, eating habits, and growing food; to promote meaningful outdoor activity; and to foster cross grade relationships and connection to the wider community.

P.S.34- Jersey City, NJ
The garden is fun, colorful, and every child gets to plant a flower. The children take great pride in doing such hard work year after year. Now it is paying off because we have experienced planters and growers.

PS#4West New York, NJ – West New York, NJ
Our 5th and 6th graders designed, planned, and constructed a small vegetable bed garden on the school’s 2nd floor patio. The students used 8 large cement mixing tubs to grow tomatoes, peppers, strawberries, basil, chives, oregano, parsley, peppermint, and spearmint. They also planted a pumpkin plant on the side of the building. The students water and tend to their project. During the summer we have senior citizen volunteers taking care of this project. We will soon have a real- time Web page showing the garden’s progress.

Ridge & Valley Charter School-Blairstown, NJ
The RVCS community seeks to create a more ecologically sustainable future for all life on earth. Our gardening activities are one of the most powerful ways in which we manifest our mission. In five years time, RVCS students, parents, and staff have planted a small fruit tree orchard, a culinary herb garden, a butterfly garden, a native plant garden, and a large vegetable garden. Students at RVCS garden year-round inside the school greenhouse. We are currently working to restore a small wetland and to establish an Edible Forest Garden using native plants.

Ringwood Elementary–Ringwood, NJ
The Ringwood School District is host to three raised bed gardens at two elementary schools. A local nonprofit, Eat Local, Inc., delivers in-class mini-lessons each month on food science, gardening, nutrition, and health. Educators use the garden to teach math, science, health, and social studies topics. The program includes a Three Sisters Garden and a Pizza Garden for third graders. Other crops include potatoes, spinach, lettuce, pumpkins, radishes, herbs and flowers. In addition, the district has committed to building a Native Ramapough Garden in 2009 in partnership with the local Native American population. The garden will be a place of cultural education and understanding as well as a place where native plants are established and harvested for their food value. The program currently involves 19 classrooms of students K-3.

Rutgers Prep School- Somerset, NJ
The yield from our vegetable garden is all donated to our local food bank. We have planted 16 different types of vegetables with each student responsible for at least one of the crops (keeping track of watering, measuring growth, etc.)

Saddle Brook Middle/High School- Saddle Brook, NJ
Pond with waterfall and wetlands area, heated greenhouse, butterfly gardens, recognized as a National Wildlife Habitat, patio area with Wisteria-draped pergola, composting area, bird houses and feeding tables, springtime visitors include Geese and Mallard Ducks. Coming Soon……Japanese Garden

Sawtelle Learning Center- Montclair, NJ
We are trying to reinstate an existing garden program registered with Kids Gardening. We are going to be growing vegetables for our high school classes to use in their daily meal preparations, as well as integrating the program with the entire school (Ages 3-21) to learn about planting, growing, plant life cycles, etc. The garden was last used about 6-7 years ago.

We are going to have the entire school get involved in our garden in one facet or another. The younger children will plant seeds, watch them sprout, and transplant them to larger pots, which will end up in a raised bed outside. Older students will tend to them and harvest produce to use in the high school lunch program. We will also be planting annual flowers around the school grounds – maybe some pumpkin vines.

Shanti Nilaya – Lanoka Harbor, NJ
We are proof that you can accomplish great things with very little. Our property is approximately 100-by-100-feet and yet we have everything we want in our garden. Our “front” yard consists of a bird sanctuary, which attracts hummingbirds, golden finch, woodpeckers, blue jays, cardinals, sparrows, doves, etc. We have dwarf fruit trees, birdbaths, a bat house, squirrel feeders, and flowering bushes. Our backyard is home to our Oberhasli goat, rabbits, chipmunks, groundhogs, and field mice. And, we even have a garden that we have grown tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, strawberries, herbs, potatoes, horseradish, peas, beans, carrots, and squash. In spite of all this, we still have room for a pool and area to barbecue and a play area for the kids. Dream and you can do it! Oh, and we compost too.

Stony Brook Elementary School Courtyard Habitat – Rockaway, NJ
Courtyard habitat with green house integrated with curriculum.

St Philips Academy – Newark, NJ
Roof top garden and outdoor classroom

The Phoenix Center – Nutley, NJ
Outdoor, Vegetables, Outdoor Flowers, Butterflies, Special Needs, Garden Themes

Thomas Paine Elementary – Cherry Hill, NJ
This is the 7th year my class has had a Grow-Lab in the classroom. We have planted flowers and vegetables in different locations around the school but nothing has been permanent. Master Gardeners have recently developed a plan to improve our courtyard, and the PTA is planning how to make it happen.

Unity Charter School- Morristown, NJ
Our schools’ Gardening program has been limping along – some years doing better than others. Historically, the years where we have had the most enthusiasm, involvement, and success has been when we involve students 100% with every aspect of our gardening – in fun, productive, and educational ways! We have learned that “it takes an entire school community” to develop, manage & maintain a garden (of any size). We’ve learned that students of ALL ages LOVE working in the garden and in the dirt! We learned that the students enjoy it when “outsiders” come and help with “their” garden, whether it is school parents, grandparents, community volunteers, etc. We learned that the students like having a lot of input into their garden (i.e., what’s to be planted, design of the garden, etc.) We learned that we MUST have a commitment from enough families who are willing to tend to, harvest, and manage the garden in the summer months. We have learned that there are innumerable educational activities, lesson plans and projects that can take place in the garden (from science to math to social studies to geography to language arts to visual arts to health, nutrition, cooking, and business!) We have also learned that there is no student too young or too old to find satisfying, educational, and rewarding experiences in ALL aspects of gardening (indoors or out). We have learned a lot but are finally in a position (as a school and as a community) to live and learn SO much more from our gardening endeavors!

Upper Township Middle School – Petersburg, NJ
We have begun to build a Literary Garden, which will contain flowers mentioned in great works of literature from throughout the ages by the best authors. We have begun to build on our successful perennial garden that attracts many varieties of birds, butterflies and moths. We plan to expand the gardens through the use of plants that have demonstrated the resiliency needed to survive the hot dry summers here along the Atlantic Coastline. We applied for and received a WHIP grant (Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program) that funds the purchase of many varieties of plant materials. We also plan to establish a kitchen garden that will be able to support crops of herbs useful to our school kitchen. Parsley, Rosemary, Sage, Thyme, and other hearty herbs.

Vineland High School- Vineland, NJ
Outdoor, Flowers, Butterflies, Birds, Multicultural, Habitat Creation, Restoration

Washington Elementary School- Summit, NJ
Outdoor, Vegetables, Outdoor Flowers, Trees, Butterflies, Birds, Garden Art

Watchung Elementary School- Montclair, NJ
Students apply science skills and classroom concepts through hands-on activities in multiple outdoor gardens. Each grade has a themed garden. In addition, students use a greenhouse for further study of the value of plants on a global and local scale.

West Dover Elementary – Toms River, NJ
Our schoolyard habitat was established in May 2001. With the use of grants and donations, we have several themed gardens, including a NJ native plant garden and a fountain. A Boy Scout working on his Eagle Scout Badge constructed an outdoor classroom. Another Eagle Scout candidate constructed arbors and benches. Classes use this area for a variety of topics and lessons! Each class that borders upon the Blue Jay’s Nest has a “Birding in Box” kit. This kit includes a pair of binoculars, bird identification books, and a notebook to record sightings. The students are also encouraged to write their sightings on a whiteboard located in the central hallway of the school, so that all students can see what is found in our habitat area. Each year we seem to add something new and exciting to this area!

West End School – North Plainfield, NJ
Outdoor, Vegetables, Outdoor, Flowers, Trees, Community Service, Nutrition / Hunger, Birds, Multicultural, Garden Art, Garden Themes, Composting

Westmoreland Elementary School- Fair Lawn, NJ
We have an atrium located in the center of our school. We turned this unused area of our school into a focal point which includes a small pond, gardens, birdhouses and birdfeeders, places to sit and read, observe, etc. A “garden club” maintains the atrium and everyone enjoys it!

Whiting Elementary School – Whiting, NJ
Currently our garden encompasses about an acre of school grounds. In addition to bird, butterfly, herb, vegetable, and flower gardens we also have a WILD site planted with species indigenous to the Pinelands. This year we will add a bog garden next to our WILD site. Students often work side by side with volunteers from the community and with students from the other schools in our district. One vital lesson we learn every year is to plant extra for the growing deer population and other wildlife in our area.

West New York School District, West New York, NJ
Memorial High school has a garden that is planted by students in our environmental club.  We have been planting this garden for the last ten years.  The garden features flowers and vegetables.  This year we have planted tomatoes, corn, peppers, broccoli, bush beans, zucchini, cucumbers, swiss chard and assorted lettuces and herbs.  The students are involved in deciding what to plant and help in all areas of the garden.  We also have Grapes going along the entire back fence of our garden.

The Willow School, Gladstone, NJ
Organic vegetable garden integrated into curriculum.

Woodglen – Califon, NJ
Outdoor, Vegetables, Outdoor, Flowers, Trees, Community Service, Pond, Wetland, Butterflies, Special Needs, Birds, Garden Art, Weather Stations.