National Children and Youth Gardening at CCG

This past weekend the Camden Children's Garden played host to a number of visitors. From their report:

The visitors came from as far away as New Zealand and as close as New Jersey.

But in their admiration for the Camden Children’s Garden, they all came from the same place.

About 330 participants in the 16th annual National Children and Youth Gardening Symposium of the American Horticultural Society (AHS) toured the Children’s Garden on Saturday, July 26. It was the closing day of the conference, which was co-hosted by the Children’s Garden, Longwood Gardens, Winterthur Museum and Country Estate, and the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society.

“We were thrilled to be able to give people from all over the country who love youth gardening the chance to see what we’re doing here in Camden - especially with our youth employment and job training program,” said Michael Devlin, executive director of the Children’s Garden. He and his wife Valerie Frick co-founded the nonprofit Camden City Garden Club in 1985, and the club opened the Children’s Garden on the Camden Waterfront in 1999.

Local Food Network Star

Congratulations to Aaron McCargo, winner of Food Network's "The Next Food Network Star". As the winner, he will have his own show on the Food Network, "Big Daddy's House."

Camden in Flower

From our friends at the Camden Children's Garden:

More than 500 participants in the American Horticultural Society’s “Growing Fertile Minds and Communities”conference will visit the Camden Children’s Garden from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, July 26.

The Garden is co-hosting the conference along with Longwood Gardens, the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, and Winterthur Museum and Country Estate. This is the 16th annual National Children and Youth Garden Symposium sponsored by AHS, the largest and oldest organization of its kind in the nation.

“We’re honored to be selected as a co-host, and we’re eager to have horticulture and education professionals from across the country see first-hand what we’re doing in Camden,” says Mike Devlin, executive director of the Children’s Garden.

“Gardening’s popularity has never been higher among adults and children alike, driven in part by concern about the economy, the environment, food, and obesity,” Devlin adds. “Gardening is something families can do together. Gardening enhances the ‘green’ quality of homes and neighborhoods. It’s good for the environment – and good for people, too.”

Devlin and his wife, Valerie Frick – the Garden’s director of education – last month were presented with the AHS’s Jane L. Taylor Award, which is given to individuals and organizations that inspire future horticulturalists through children and youth gardening. Devlin and Frick co-founded the Camden City Garden Club, Inc. in 1985. After hearing Taylor speak at the first National Children and Youth Garden Symposium in 1993, they went on to open the Children’s Garden in 1999.

The Garden provides youth education and employment programs and has helped 250 city youngsters stay in school and graduate since 1994 – despite Camden’s 60 percent dropout rate. The Garden Club operates Grow Lab (greenhouses on wheels) programs in most of the city’s public, private, and parochial elementary schools and helps hundreds of community gardeners citywide.


The AHS conference will be headquartered at the University of Delaware in Newark, Del.

Faerie Folklore at the Camden Children's Garden

Next Wednesday, July 16, The Camden Children's Garden is having a Wednesday Workshop:

Faerie Garden Funtasies for Parent & Child Workshop
Presented by Lorraine Kiefer, Triple Oaks Nursery & Herb Garden co-owner, and garden columnist. Attendees will be entertained with some of the fascinating folklore that has been associated with fairies through the centuries and will make their own Faerie dish garden using herbs, an alyssum and a variety of small flowering annuals. This workshop is held 10:00am-11:30am. $15.00 for Garden members and $20.00 for non-members.

See the calendar for reservation information.

Rutgers Future Scholars

A select number of middle school students have been tapped for mentoring, enrichment and support from Rutgers University. If they keep their grades up they can get a tuition free college education.

From yesterday's Inquirer ("Rutgers program brightens youths' future:

The students have been selected by their schools and the university to be the first Rutgers Future Scholars. Starting this summer and going through their high school years, they will receive enrichment and support. If they keep their grades up and maintain 90 percent attendance, they will get guidance, tutoring, mentoring and test preparation. There will be programs for their parents, as well.

If the students graduate from high school with a 2.5 grade-point average or better, they will be in line for a Rutgers college education tuition-free.

Of the 200 students chosen each year 50 will be from Camden.

Rutgers also has a Q&A about the program. It's purpose is given as:

As the state’s premier public university, Rutgers is committed to making higher education accessible to New Jersey students and to enrolling a student body that reflects the diversity of the state. The university also has a long history of educating a large percentage of students who are the first in their families to obtain a college degree. The Rutgers Future Scholars Program is being undertaken now to continue and enrich these traditions by building an early path to higher education for young students. According to President McCormick, “Rutgers has an imperative to make a difference in the world” through programs such as this.

Camden Celebrity Chef

I don't watch "The Next Food Network Star", but I might have to catch it now that I found out there is local representation. Camden resident Aaron McCargo, Jr. is a finalist on the show. The name caught my eye because I remember when there was "McCargo's" Restaurant on Cooper St in the building that has sadly seen several restaurant come and go...wonder if this was the same McCargo. In an interview with Aaron he states that his dream is to open a restaurant on the Camden Waterfront, let's wish him the best on the show and keep our fingers crossed for that Waterfront restaurant. Good Luck Aaron.

Camden Little League Team Plays at White House

Cramer Hill Little League team, the Little Red Sox, played on the South Lawn of the White House yesterday. (See "S.J. T-ball champs are wowed at the White House," by Matt Katz, Inquirer, June 30).