Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Spring into action
Even though winter continues to have its’ grasp on our region, the calendar turns to spring this month and the residents at Kendal-Crosslands Communities, a life plan community located in Kennett Square, start to spring into action with outdoor activities.
Jerry Daghir
The bluebirds come back at the end of February – beginning of March. For the past 12 years, I’ve worked with the bluebird population and this time of year, the males jump onto boxes, they vie with their fellow birds for the best box, they strut their feathers and sing their songs, looking for the female to join them. A good nest for a bluebird is one that is located near ample food. I’ve seen colonies of birds go from 30-40 “fledglings” (young babies which eventually become adults and leave the nest) to this past year over 150 fledglings. This time of year, I’ve monitored and enjoyed the nature of 60 bluebird boxes that are about 300 feet apart, spanning 2 miles through meadows and along our pond. One time, I had a container of shelled sun flower seeds in the palm of my hand and a bluebird landed and perched himself right on the container and ate some seeds. What a thrilling experience to be up close to these adorable creatures. Some bluebirds stay all winter long but this time of year it is wonderful to finally get outdoors and see all the fascinating wildlife.
Judy Goodkind
I usually plant cold-hardy salad greens in the garden in September. Some get harvested in the fall if the weather remains warm. When the temperature drops in early November, I cover the greens with a garden blanket. By the middle of February we are able to cut spinach, arugula, mache, kale, and chervil for wonderful fresh salads. I always leave the roots in the ground to resprout so that we have many weeks of harvest before the spring-planted greens are ready. Late winter brings many garden catalogs in the mail. I enjoy reading them all and deciding which vegetable and flower varieties to order for the coming planting season. In April, in addition to salad greens and spinach, I usually plant leeks, scallions, peas, snap peas, radishes, and a variety of small Asian greens. We are lucky to have garden beds in full sun, surrounded by a deer-proof fence, with a good source of water. Our garden committee also gets a large load of rich mushroom compost every year. Usually the harvest is bountiful. We eat what we can, share with our neighbors, and last year our gardeners donated over 600 pounds of fresh produce to the food cupboard in Kennett Square.
Betsy Walker
I love being outdoors and this time of year, I can’t wait to enjoy some warmer weather. I enjoy playing tennis with my fellow residents. In the winter we play indoors at a local club. However, as soon as the weather gets nicer and the courts have been manicured, we play outdoors here at the community. It is very convenient and a great way to get exercise and have fellowship with my friends. But, I’m also a horticulturist by way of my childhood
and it is a love. I grew up on a farm, a family farm. My grandfather started a mushroom business and it has been in my family ever since and still is today. So, this time of year, there is outdoor spring gardening activities. That typically means clean up — cleanup of leaves (get them out of the flower beds) so that we can see what bulbs are starting to pop up. I help prune and tender other area community gardens and this is a great time of year to clean them from winter’s fury. I also volunteer with other residents and together we’ve each adopted a tree or two or three. We check the trees regularly for insects, broken limbs, disease, and report the information to our staff horticulturalist. Warmer weather means I will be outdoors.
Bill Van Wie
As the weather shows signs of Spring, the Trail Team gets back to work, maintaining over 8 miles of trails in our woods. We clear the trails of fallen trees and branches so residents can enjoy hiking and enjoying nature up close. The last storm brought down 5 large trees which will keep us busy for a couple days. Then we’ll resume our regular schedule of maintenance every Tuesday and Thursday mornings. It there are no trees or branches down, we keep the trails clear of overgrown bushes, and on some days work on removing invasive plants. The end of this month also brings the beginning of trout season, and several of us enjoy making sure our fly fishing equipment is in order for our visits to local streams. All in all, Spring is an exciting time for renewing outdoor activities we enjoy.
Compiled and submitted by Michele Berardi, Director Community Outreach, Kendal~Crosslands Communities, Kennett Square.