The Garden State
New Jersey is the U.S. state known by the nickname "The Garden State." The name appears on the states license plates and is widely used to describe it. It points to New Jerseys long history of farming and its fertile, productive land.
A Surprising Nickname
To some people the nickname is a surprise. Modern New Jersey is one of the most densely populated and heavily urbanised states in the country, packed with cities, suburbs, and highways. It sits between two major cities, New York City and Philadelphia. Yet despite all that development, agriculture has long been an important part of the states character.
Famous for Its Produce
New Jersey farms have historically supplied fresh fruits and vegetables to the big cities nearby. The state is especially known for crops like tomatoes, blueberries, cranberries, and peaches. The "Garden State" nickname is often traced to a speech given in the nineteenth century, in which a speaker compared New Jersey to a barrel full of good things to eat, with people on both sides reaching in to take from it.
Source
This article was written using information from Wikipedia.