Veterans' Greenhouse Grows Plants, and New Lives

When you buy flowers, vegetable plants or other ornamental plantings from the greenhouse at the you're not necessarily helping to grow a business, but you're helping to regrow lives.

The non-profit greenhouse at the popularly known as the VA Hospital, was this week's Readers' Choice for

The greenhouse is open for three seasonal periods each year, including the sale of spring plants and vegetables, the fall mums sale and poinsettia season, which begins the day following Thanksgiving and continues until all the plants are sold, according to Robert Simonofsky, greenhouse supervisor.

Although this week's poll didn't receive that many votes, slightly more than half (46 percent) of those who did vote for preference named the Veterans Greenhouse, which received six votes.

Other readers mentioned other non-profit organizations as a source for plants and flowers, including the Great Swamp Greenhouse in nearby Long Hill Township and this weekend's scheduled Earth Day Plant Sale at Somerset County's Buck Garden in Far Hills.

But at the Veterans Administration greenhouse, Simonofsky's goals extend beyond nurturing healthy plants.

The greenhouse is part of the Community Hope-sponsored Hope for Veterans program to get homeless veterans back on track by helping them regain life skills, including through job training.

Simonofsky said that he is a vocational rehabilitation therapist as well as a grower.

"A lot of the men were homeless at one time. Now they're back on their feet," he said of his employees.

He said he now has four employees, who grow the plants, handle operations in the greenhouse equipped with drip technology from Israel, and also assist customers — even carrying the plants to their vehicles. But there will be a dozen employees on site, with the others also coming through the program, during planting season, he said.

Cesar Alzadon, a veteran who said he has been working at the greenhouse since 2005, gave a tour of the greenhouse. He said he now is assistant manager. Another employee, Michael Dunlap, grew most of the plants from seeds, he said.

The greenhouse specialty is succulent plants, but there are many types of flowers, vegetables and ornamental plantings growing at the operation. That includes hanging baskets with flowers and edibles, including strawberries and tomatos.

At the entrance to the greenhouse, Alzadon pointed out a wide variety of Persian Shield lavender perennials, and dozens of vegetable and herb plans, including ten types of tomatos, multiple varieties of peppers and much more. Patio tomatos are available for those without room for a garden.

Behind the greenhouse building is the area where this fall a dozen employees will team up to plant and pot 3,250 mums in one area, and another 650 in a spot now filled with hanging baskets, he said.

The greenhouse is known for its huge mums, Simonofsky said.

Like other employees at the greenhouse, Alzadon said he was formerly homeless, but now he has found a place to live and has a car as well as his job.

The Lyons Veterans Greenhouse is at 151 Knollcroft Road, off Lyons Road, by the Coakley-Russo Memorial Golf Course. For information, call 908-647-0180, ext. 1-4690.

The greenhouse accepts only checks, but not cash or charge cards.

Next week's Readers' Choice asks where you think you can find the best Mothers Day brunch nearby.