Over 75,000 daffodils will bloom at parks, schools, municipal buildings, and community centers across Passaic County next spring thanks to City Green and the Passaic County Board of County Commissioners.
Daffodil flowers are among the first flowers of spring - their bright yellow blooms are a sign of warming weather and the changing seasons. Inspired by the beauty they bring, City Green in partnership with Passaic County through the Dig In! program has awarded and planted over 75,000 daffodil bulbs in publicly visible spaces across Passaic County over the last four years.
“Daffodil bulbs are a low-maintenance, high-impact way to beautify communities, especially in early spring as they are some of the first flowers to bloom,” City Green’s Executive Director Jennifer Papa shared. “Daffodil planting is a great way to bring community members together around a collective effort to bring joy and beauty to their neighborhoods.”
Just this fall, over 25,000 daffodil bulbs were distributed to 13 awardees that include the City of Passaic, Clifton Department of Public Works, Friends of Garret Mountain Reservation, and the historic Hamilton House in Clifton, among others.
“Daffodil bulbs have been planted near the Borough of North Haledon’s bike path. This area is very visible as it is near the Borough’s middle school, a children’s playground, five recreation fields, pickle ball courts, tennis courts, the community garden, and a dog run; and, although it is called a bike path, many people walk on it daily -- the beauty of planting the daffodil bulbs in that area is that it is handicap accessible,” Mayor of North Haledon Randy George shared. “Additionally, the North Haledon Community Garden will benefit greatly from this project since these daffodils will attract (and feed) early pollinators, which will help the community gardeners grow more vegetables and fruits,”
As a part of this year’s Dig In! program, City Green hosted The Passaic County Daffodil Project to celebrate and beautify public green spaces. Over the course of 3 days, City Green staff joined students, volunteers, and community members to plant 750 daffodil bulbs in the City of Passaic, 900 bulbs at Lou Costello Park in Paterson, and 800 bulbs at schools that include Paterson Public School #4, #24, #25, and International High School.
This spring, you'll see 75,000 daffodils in bloom across Bloomingdale, Clifton, Haledon, Hawthorne, Little Falls, North Haledon, Passaic, Paterson, Pompton Lakes, Prospect Park, Totowa, and Wayne. Bulb by bulb, this program is enhancing our towns and communities.
"Hawthorne residents have been enjoying the spring daffodil blooms for several years. They pop up at the elementary schools, the municipal building, the library, and the parks." Al Ianacone of the Hawthorne Shade Tree Commission shared.
City Green's Dig In! Program, a partnership between the non-profit organization and county government, aims to grow productive community vegetable gardens and enhance the community through neighborhood beautification projects. Dig In! grant recipients gain access to funding, educational workshops, technical assistance, and materials and resources for the successful establishment of sustainable garden projects. Dig In! is funded by the Passaic County Board of Chosen Commissioners.
City Green is a 501(c)3 urban farming and gardening organization based in Clifton, New Jersey working to foster connections between communities, agriculture, and the environment. For more information about City Green, contact Jennifer Papa, Founder and Executive Director of City Green, Inc. at 973-869-4086, or visit www.citygreenonline.org.
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