Students at Hazlet’s Middle School planted a courtyard garden designed to attract colorful butterflies to the school grounds.
PHOTOS BY CHRIS KELLY staff Above: Chenowa Wendel sets plants in a new butterfly garden at Hazlet’s Middle School on May 11. Below: Vanessa Ali and Becky Terranova water the plants designed to attract butterflies. “We chose a butterfly garden because of the beautiful perennials used to attract butterflies,” art teacher Roberta Martin said. “The courtyard only has some trees; the new plants will add color and help the environment.”
Funds for the garden came through a $500 grant from the ExxonMobil Educational Alliance.
She said the owner of Dutchies, a local nursery, suggested the appropriate plants including sedum, buddleia or butterfly bush, coneflower, hibiscus, achillea, gaillardia, phlox, tickseed and verbena.
“He gave us quite a few pansies to add some color now, because the other plants will flower later in the season,” Martin said.
The grant program from ExxonMobil Educational Alliance is designed to give Exxon retailers an opportunity to invest in the local community. The middle school’s grant was supported by the local Exxon station on Route 36.
— Jamie Romm