On August 17, The EARTH Center, home to Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Middlesex County, will host its Garden Field Day and Open House from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event will take place in Davidson’s Mill Pond Park, 42 Riva Ave. South Brunswick, NJ, and is great day of fun for the family in a park setting.
The Extension ag agents as well as Rutgers Master Gardeners will be on hand, offering advice on horticulture and environmental stewardship while guiding visitors through the center’s teaching gardens and learning projects. Examples of their work include the Children’s Garden with Green Roof playhouse, an enormous vegetable display garden, environmentally conscious rain garden and the popular Butterfly House.
Also part of the EARTH Center Garden Field Day, the third annual “Greatest of the Garden” competition will take place. Gardeners are encouraged to bring along their biggest or most outstanding home grown produce to win prizes and recognition. This will give residents a chance to show off their green thumbs to fellow gardeners. Attendees are encouraged to bring their homegrown entries for the following categories:
Biggest Tomato
Biggest Cucumber
Biggest Zucchini
Biggest Pumpkin
Biggest Squash
Biggest Water Melon
Biggest Sunflower Head
Longest Gourd
Smallest Pumpkin
Smallest Cherry Tomato
Oddest Heirloom Tomato
All Vegetables: Best Likeness to Celebrity or Historical Figure
Hottest Pepper Variety Grown (judged by Scoville ratings)
Garden Field Day attendees can also sample locally grown produce courtesy of Middlesex County farmers, while enjoying the sounds of local musicians. There will be “green” living displays including talks on compost tea and kids can meet MC Blue, the recycling robot. For more information and participation contact David Smela at 732-398-5268 or at david.smela@co.middlesex.nj.us
Davidson’s Mill Pond Park is a 380-acre park with fields, trails, ponds and a lake. It is truly one of Middlesex County’s most beautiful and undiscovered parks.
Even if you can’t visit the EARTH Center this season, you can still discover what types of programming the EARTH Center offers.
