PASSIONS GROW, PASSIONS BLOOM: CULTIVATING WELLNESS AT WILLOW VALLEY COMMUNITIES Among the most popular passions at Willow Valley
training, a score of 80 percent on the final exam, and
Communities is gardening. And, Residents here have a
50 hours of volunteer service.
wide variety of ways to indulge. Three generous gardens are situated across our sprawling 210-acre campus for Residents to use in a multitude of configurations of their choosing. Willow Valley Communities’ hardworking Grounds Team tills each garden in the spring and plows them in the fall,
In another example, Residents Annabelle Simpson and Susan Kelly worked with the Penn State Extension of the Pennsylvania State University to have one of their gardens certified as an official Pennsylvania Pollinator-Friendly Garden. The stunning garden is well-known for attracting
making them ready for Residents to dig right in.
huge numbers of bees, butterflies, insects, and birds, helping
Whether Residents are experienced pros or novices,
our ecosystem to thrive.
gardening is a wonderful way for them to get outside,
Residents are also able to partner their gardening skills with
enjoy nature and each other, and learn new things. Some
their desires to volunteer and give back to the Lancaster
Residents have been gardening for decades, while others
community. With the area’s rich, fertile soil, and the extra-
have only started gardening after moving to Willow
special care and attention the plants receive, Residents often
Valley Communities.
have an abundance of vegetables and donate them regularly.
In keeping with our Life Lived Forward philosophy, some
Throughout the growing season, the Solanco Neighborhood
Willow Valley Communities Residents take their love of
Ministries food bank receives a variety of beans, lettuce,
gardening to deeper levels. For example, several Residents
kale, peas, carrots, eggplant, cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes,
from across the country have achieved the distinction of
spinach, and much more from Willow Valley Communities
Master Gardener. Master Gardeners are certified in their
Resident gardens. Additionally, every fall, a harvest of
home state, and the program can take six months to a year to
hundreds of pounds of sweet potatoes and butternut squash
complete and includes a minimum of 40 hours of classroom
goes to the Lancaster County Food Hub, a community
Mike and Sue Ziegler harvest vegetables at their garden plot near Spring Run.
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