Discover Cub Cove

Just because school was out doesn't mean the JFK Garden was quiet. Over the summer, "Cub Cove"--our new garden pond was installed, complete with a waterfall.  The pond is now home to several fish, some snails, and a frog, as well as some beautiful water plants. This will serve as another area for discovery and learning for our JFK students.

Raritan Mayor Jo-Ann Liptak Donates Tree to JFK Garden

This September, the JFK Garden received a donation of a beautiful flowering Snowgoose Cherry tree. Mayor Liptak donated the tree in memory of her late son, Joseph Matthew D'Ambola, who was a student at JFK from September 1980 to June 1986. Sadly, Joseph passed away on June 23, 2004. This tree will be a living reminder of his boyhood and his happy days spent at JFK. Thank you, Mayor, for your thoughtful donation.

Summer Garden Guardians 2009 to the Rescue!

The garden is looking great this summer, thanks to a group of JFK family volunteers. Each family signed up for a week during which they will "adopt" the garden. Their responsibilities include watering, weeding, and general upkeep.

To date, the program has been a huge success thanks to our dedicated group of parent and student volunteers. The garden looks better than ever and our reward is a bevy of beautiful blooms! Thanks again to our fantastic Summer Garden Guardians!

Brownies Clean-Up

Brownie Troop 61128 volunteered their time recently to rake, weed, and plant in the JFK Garden. We thank the girls and leaders of Troop 61128 for planting a beautiful new butterfly bush, two dwarf spruce trees, and two arborvitae, which were generously donated by The Home Depot. The girls (with some adult help) also installed a new bird feeder and bird bath for all our feathered friends that now flock to our garden. Thanks again!

A Great Big Thank You!

Many thanks to the JFK PTO for helping to fund and coordinate the installation of our beautiful, new garden fence. It looks terrific and will provide us with needed protection from grazing deer.

In addition, the JFK PTO is currently researching options for a covered canopy or gazebo for the center area of our "outdoor classroom." Funds raised from the recent Tricky Tray event will help to cover the cost of this much anticipated addition to our garden.

We are grateful to have such a supportive and enthusiastic PTO at JFK School!

Got Plants?

Fast forward through winter and think about what will be growing in your spring garden at home. Will you be dividing any perennials this spring? Will you need to find some of your "babies" a good home? If so, please think about making a plant donation to the JFK Garden. We have plenty of space and would love to fill our garden with perennials from our JFK family. And you can visit your offspring whenever you like...we promise!

Fall Bulbs Make Spring Color!

Mrs. Bogda's third grade class and some of Mrs. Horvath's ESL students took the opportunity to plant a variety of flower bulbs in the garden this week. Students learned that, much like hibernating animals, bulbs "sleep" in the garden bed over the winter, then wake up in the spring as the days grow longer and the soil warms. Students raked mulch, dug holes, sorted bulbs, and measured planting depths, then put the bulbs to bed in our garden. We are all looking forward to the colorful show in the spring!

Mrs. Linda Breck Donates Eastern Redbud Tree

In honor of her upcoming retirement, Technology Teacher Mrs. Linda Breck has given the JFK Garden a beautiful and lasting gift...an Eastern Redbud tree. The tree, native to New Jersey and to Linda's home state of Missouri, is known for its gorgeous purple-pink flowers that blanket its branches in the spring. Thank you, Mrs. Breck, for your generous gift. It will be an enduring reminder of all you've given to the staff and students of JFK!

JFK is Awarded a BREA Pride Grant of $1550

The BREA awarded JFK a Pride Grant in the amount of $1550 to help establish a Native NJ Garden. The funds will be used to purchase plants, shrubs, trees, and flowers that are native to our area of NJ, child-sized garden gloves, and garden tools. Work will begin on this particular area of the garden in the spring of 2009.