Garden State...?

22 Jan '05 12:14 am

I went to see the film Garden State yesterday - great film, but nothing to do with gardens. Made me wonder tho - why is the area called the Garden State?

I've worked out that the Garden State is New Jersey, USA, but I can't find out why it has that nickname. Does it have a garden-friendly climate? Are there lots of gardeners in the area? Has it got loads of green open space? Did some previous dignitory build lots of public gardens there? Please enlighten me!

Kent in the South-East of England is called the Garden of England - apparently after King Henry VIII’s fruiterer planted England’s first apple and cherry trees there (early 16th century). The area has a mild climate and fertile soils - good for growing. Claims to be one of the few areas in England that has successful vineyards. I've yet to sample the wares!

25 Jan '05 2:07 am

Alfred M. Heston, in his two-volume work, Jersey Waggon Jaunts, published in 1926 ( Camden, NJ, Atlantic County Historical Society, 1926), twice credits Abraham Browning of Camden with coining the name at the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia on New Jersey Day, August 24, 1876. On page 310 of volume 2 he writes: "In his address Mr. Browning compared New Jersey to an immense barrel, filled with good things to eat and open at both ends, with Pennsylvanians grabbing from one end and the New Yorkers from the other. He called New Jersey the Garden State, and the name has clung to it ever since." The problem with this is that the image of a barrel tapped at both ends dates back at least to Benjamin Franklin, so this statement crediting Browning with naming the Garden State can not be taken at face value.

25 Jan '05 2:11 am

And then there is this...

New Jersey was nicknamed the “Garden State” in the 1800s in recognition of its fertile soil
and agrarian economy. Today, it is among the most urbanized, densely populated, and
industrialized states in the nation. Ninety percent of New Jersey’s population lives in an urban
area. Fulfilling the energy needs of this highly concentrated population poses unique
challenges. Low-income households in particular are vulnerable to volatile changes in energy
markets. New Jersey’s partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Weatherization
Assistance Program (Weatherization) reduces the energy costs for low-income households by
increasing the energy-efficiency of their homes, while ensuring their health and safety.

When I was in the 5th grade, I did a full report on the "Garden State"

26 Jan '05 2:24 am

Well how things change - I take it the barrel analogy is no more? And not much gardening going on, it seems. I wonder how people living in the now-urbanised Garden State feel about the irony of their home state's nickname... Question

You have also taught me two new words: agrarian and weatherization. And found an interesting site whilst trying to find out the meaning of agrarian - www.newagrarian.com

Those early education projects stick with you eh. Eggy's castle interest from a primary school project lives on to this day!!

Cheers, Pepin.