Earth is Waking and So Am I

March is usually an untrustworthy month. Will we get a sudden snow? How do we know winter is really ending? I know because a groundhog has woken from his winter snooze, passing over the ever popular watering hole. The maples have burst into bloom and the woods will soon be a show of yellow and white daffodil blooms. 

I've seen bees out and about, not just the honeybees, but a carpenter bee and a paper wasp soaking up the warm days. The cherries have begun to open and the beautiful green of emerging perennials greets me. I have missed all these colors!

At the Community Center, little bursts of Spring floated around the maple. Inspired by kokedama, the Japanese art of planting into moss, I wrapped some clumps of Snowdrops (Galanthus) in sphagnum moss. Over and over until a tight ball formed. And thus the bulb balls were born! I had fun with this and want to explore more kokedama inspired projects. 

Planters were filled with Spring blooms a few weeks ago and sometimes simple is the way to go. Using the adorable Narcissus 'Tete-a-tete' at the Community Center and Gwynedd House, bowls of sunshine were created. 

In other planters bouquets of Helleborus 'Joker', Tiarella, Heuchera 'Caramel', Polemonium reptans and Narcissus 'Bridal crown' are filling in nicely.  This particular daffodil has fragrant double blooms that I love. 

One of my favorite spring flowers to grow, especially for cut flowers, is fragrant sweet peas. The sweet tendrils, soft pastel pinks and purples and the light fragrance all make these a worthwhile flower to grow despite their short lived nature. I started some indoors and planted them out in containers at central. They thrive in cooler weather so I got them out of the cold frame and into pots a month before our last frost. 

New hanging planters were put up at Gwynedd House! Carpenter David Ladd assisted me with installing hooks for these heavy spheres. The liners were filled with bulbs in the Fall and sat in the cold frames through the Winter. Soon fragrant Hyacinths and other minor bulbs will emerge through the pansies! 

Four taller planters were also added to the Gwynedd entrance planted with foxglove and pansies. 

At Jenkins, liners that I planted with bulbs in the fall were taken out of the cold frame. Daffodils and crocus are now emerging and other bulbs will soon follow. 

 I missed the warm sunshine, colors and insects. I feel so much more like myself with my hands in the dirt and birds chirping around me. And gratitude!  Spring fills me with so much gratitude as the daffodils return each year shaking me out of my winter slump. Each season, despite everything going on in the world, leaves unfurl, the trilliums emerge and birds fill my ears with song. Happy Spring! 

Foulkeways receives Going Green Award!

Foulkeways has a longstanding commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainability for our 125-acre campus and for the wider environment in Lower Gwynedd Township, the Wissahickon Creek watershed, and beyond. Recently our efforts were recognized by the Lower Gwynedd Township Environmental Advisory Council which awarded Foulkeways with its annual Going Green Award!

Foulkeways Residents, Staff and Board Members with members of the Lower Gwynedd Township Environmental Advisory Council at the January 28, 2025 Board of Supervisors meeting

Three residents nominated Foulkeways to receive the Going Green Award, Jeannie Bellavance, Judy Inskeep and Paul Taylor. The nominations included information about our energy conservation through electric vehicles, LED lights and solar power, our stormwater management through rain gardens and no-mow wildflower meadow, ourland management practices including our reforestation project and native plantings, and our waste minimization work including our composting program.

The Township’s Environmental Advisory Council said they were “deeply impressed by the outstanding efforts and initiatives undertaken by Foulkeways. Your commitment to reducing energy usage, eco-friendly land practices, waste minimization, incorporation of native plantings, gardens and community education has not only improved your environment but has also inspired others to follow you.”

Hibiscus and cattails in our retention pond

This blog post was written by Jennie Sheeks, Director of Development at Foulkeways.  Thank you Jennie! 

Who Goes There?

I've always been curious as to what goes on that we cannot see. Do we have many foxes on the property? How many deer do we have here, bold enough to just walk right into people's gardens? I've been collecting shots from the trail cams. Often times there is no one to be seen, just images that feel like I'm right in a Mary Oliver poem. A frozen pond and the possibility that a critter moved so fast the camera didn't even catch them. 

I do know we have a few foxes. I've seen one, sometimes two, at various hours early in the morning or late into evening. They could be out for a meal or to get some glamorous photos taken. The fox is not afraid of the winter, out and about in the coldest weather having no problem with that heavy fur coat on. Red foxes tend to sleep out in the open in the winter as well, the camera even caught one taking a snooze. I'm glad someone is enjoying the snow. 

A lone Coyote appears every once in a while. Coyotes seem to evoke different feeling for people - fear or wonder. Growing up in North Carolina, coyotes always existed amongst houses in the suburbs, so much so that outdoor cats tended to unfortunately disappear. Coyotes are interesting in the way they are so adaptable to almost any environment making them widespread across North America. They become nocturnal in more suburban areas to avoid humans and will scavenge what they can when food is scarce. They're pretty crafty in my opinion, using their cleverness to adapt and thrive as more and more land disappears. 

A goofy looking heron has shown up a few times. Not in our ponds trying to steal a koi but as another visitor to the watering hole. Death of some deer has brought in a wake of turkey vultures doing their part to keep the environment clean. Some may see vultures as gross or dirty, as they do mostly scavenge for carrion, but they play a vital role in our ecosystem and prevent disease from spreading. And they aren't picky about what they eat! Of course we have hawks as well. If you ever hear crows cawing loudly and look up you may see a hawk having an unfortunately bad day. At least they can find some peace in the woods. 

One of my favorite captures is our resident mink! I have never seen a mink and there he was like a mythical creature, skating on the ice. I'm assuming his den exists somewhere near the water. Minks look cuddly and small, with a body weight of just around 2lbs, but they are ferocious predators with a wicked bite that can instantly kill. Mean but cute is a dangerous combination. 

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Just like the mink there is often a pudgy raccoon hanging by the water, leaving scat and prints right out in the open. Not so smart my friend.  Perhaps the mink and raccoon have neighboring dens? Something tells me they may share the same territory but the raccoon isn't the best neighbor. I imagine the mink as this neat, quiet, no-nonsense character while the raccoon is his rambocus neighbor leaving messes everywhere and making way too much noise at 3AM. It might not end well if he keeps up that behavior... 

As for the gardener's nemesis, the deer, we have had many coming and going on the property. Starting in the Fall going into the early Winter I noticed several bucks and does all together. Now I see a small group of does in the woods or just walking across the road. I see their tracks in the snow going right up the sidewalks like they own the place. I've learned to co-exist with them as a gardener, my only attempts to fend them off is with "deer resistant plants" and stinky deer repellant. After all this is their home too, the plants their food and the land their beds and who am I to tell them otherwise? Though they did turn some newly planted evergreens into lollipops...

The property is rich with life beyond our own. In the quiet of the night so much unfolds that we cannot see. The camera gives us a rare glimpse into the hidden world, showing a mink gliding across some ice and a fox curled up in the snow for a nap. There's an entire ecosystem thriving around us, with every critter playing it's part to maintain the balance. It's a reminder to me to continue to be a good steward of the land, creating habitat rather than destroying and protecting those that I cannot see. 

Have you had any special wildlife encounters here? Share below!