The ground is thawing and life returning to our unique UU gardens across New Jersey!
Bringing together neighbors, feeding the local community or local wildlife, supporting pollinators and restoring the earth—our community gardens affirm and promote life.
This month, we celebrate four congregation’s gardens across the state: Wrangle Brook Community Garden (UU Ocean County), Bountiful Harvest Garden (Central Unitarian), Baptistown Pollinator & Grassland Habitat (UU Hunterdon County), and Ben Jones Community Gardens (the HUUB).
Wrangle Brook Community Garden
“I can’t tell you how many people have said to me that they come here sometimes just to sit and listen to the sounds of the birds, the buzz of the insects, and feel at peace,” reflects Bonney Parker, Garden Coordinator. “If nothing else, that is the gift of the garden.”
The Wrangle Brook Community Garden, a ministry of the Unitarian Universalist Ocean County Congregation in Tom’s River, grows many gifts for the local community. Now in it’s ninth year of operation, Bonney estimates the garden has produced 14,000 lbs of healthy, organic fresh produce for area food banks. “[In our] first year we grew mostly squash and pumpkins but were able to send about 500 pounds to the local food pantries. Since then we have made improvements by building large raised beds to grow (organically) almost everything you can find in a grocery store.”
The garden also produces unquantifiable gifts for its nearly 100 members, about half of whom cultivate a personal garden bed. “Every year we have a waiting list of folks who are interested in creating their own garden. We live in an area with many senior developments where it isn’t possible to have a backyard garden, either because of their rules or the deer who have lost so much of their grazing land.”
What was nine years ago a vacant property of Berkeley Township is today a nourishing community space. Say Bonney, “this garden is a tribute to those who have contributed their labor, their money, and their enthusiasm to create this little place of peace and joy.”
Bountiful Harvest Garden
Head north to Paramus and you will find the Bountiful Harvest Garden blooming on the grounds of Central Unitarian Church. The garden is tended by Central Unitarian’s Social Action Team, in support of their partner Center for Food Action NJ. Center for Food Action has as its mission to provide food and homelessness prevention services in the local community. The Bountiful Harvest Garden contributes over 300 lbs of fresh vegetables annually in support of food justice.
Baptistown Pollinator & Grassland Habitat
In Western New Jersey we find the one acre Baptistown Pollinator and Grassland Habitat, as well as an ornamental native plants garden, both recent projects of First Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Hunterdon County.
The acre supporting the Pollinator & Grassland Habitat was acquired by the First UU of Hunterdon County as part of a plan to expand; zoning laws required the congregation expand their property before construction commence. A decade later, the congregation has decided to adapt to their existing facilities for the time being. The question became, project leader Dave Jenkins explains, “What can we do with this land that is consistent with our values?”
The answer was to convert the land to a wildlife habitat. Congregants planted 70 shrubs and tree sapling on ¼ of an acre, to create woody habitat hospitable to wildlife. Congregants also scattered wildflower seeds across ¾ of an acre, creating a native grassland habitat for pollinators and birds. Not only will the habitat support native species, it will also restore the farmland, allowing the land to rest and return to an organic state.
Creative solutions have kept project costs low, including a cost-share program funded by EQIP, low-cost prescribed burns (to maintain the grassland habitat) provided by the NJ Forest Fire Service, and reliance on volunteer labor.
The native plants garden, decorating the exterior of Old Stone Church, was the initiative of Linda Bradway, Chair of Buildings and Grounds Cmte. With a grant from the Native Plants Society of New Jersey, they rejuvenated the ornamental garden with native plants. The garden is free of invasive species and full of food plants for wildlife and flowers for pollinators.
Ben Jones Community Gardens
Finally, we head East, to the Ben Jones Community Gardens in the City of Orange. This community garden is located at and organized by the HUUB, First Unitarian Universalist Church of Essex County’s urban ministry program. The Ben Jones Community Gardens, named after Orange’s first Black councilmember, aim to provide rich ground for food cultivation, but also rich ground for community learning, gathering, and organizing.
The garden development began in 2020 with the construction of the first raised beds. The first “experimental” growing season, in 2021, yielded several pounds of organic produce, all from donated plants and seedlings. The community also constructed a new playground, an outdoor pizza oven and a rain garden in 2021.
Haile Y. Bennett, Garden Manager, reports highlights for the upcoming season include a small greenhouse, two beehives, and supporting a new citywide gardening and greenspace program.