CELEBRATING LANCASTER COUNTY'S PEOPLE, SCENERY,

HERITAGE, STYLE & POINT OF VIEW SINCE 1987.

Celebrating 20 Years of the Susquehanna National Heritage Area

This weekend (August 20-22) marks the 20th anniversary since the establishment of the Susquehanna National Heritage Area and celebrates two decades of advocacy, riverfront access improvements and promotion of the shared heritage in York and Lancaster counties.

The Susquehanna National Heritage Area is a nonprofit that works to enhance quality of life and economic vitality by promoting the preservation and conservation of the river’s cultural and natural heritage. The nonprofit was founded in 2002 after state designation of Lancaster and York counties as a Pennsylvania Heritage Area in 2001.

In 2019, the area was designated as America’s 55th National Heritage Area. According to the National Park Service, a national heritage area is designated by Congress as a place where natural, cultural and historic resources combine to form a cohesive, nationally important landscape.

The Susquehanna National Heritage Area encompasses a section of the Susquehanna River that has played a key role in American history. Before the arrival of European settlers, Indigenous people, specifically the people we know as the Susquehannock, called this area home. The Susquehannock established their towns along the Susquehanna because of the fertile soil and waters that facilitated travel and trade and provided a constant supply of fish and waterfowl, according to the heritage area. Once settlers came to the “New World,” the Susquehanna River became an early gateway to America’s frontier and served as a major fishery, transportation corridor and power generator.

According to the National Park Service, during the Revolutionary War, the area hosted the Continental Congress and witnessed approval of the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, which was America’s first constitution. Congress also resided in the heritage area for other major turning points during the war, including the victory at Saratoga, the Continental Army maturing at Valley Forge and France entering the war as a U.S. ally.

During the Civil War, the region was at the center of the conflict over slavery and its aftermath, serving as a major route for the Underground Railroad and home to national leaders like James Buchanan and Thaddeus Stevens, according to the National Park Service.

Throughout the 20th Anniversary Weekend, the Susquehanna National Heritage Area will offer an assortment of programs and tours to explore the area’s rich history and natural beauty. The programs will be held at historical centers throughout the Susquehanna National Heritage Area, such as the William C. Goodridge Center, Conestoga Area Historical Society, Blue Rock Heritage Center and many more. A variety of educational boat tours will also be offered through the Zimmerman Center for Heritage. Visitors to the area can also enjoy hiking, paddling, fishing, birdwatching, shopping, eating and learning as they explore historic river towns, museums, parks, preserves, trails, panoramic views and Native American heritage sites.

For a full list of programs, visit susquehannaheritage.org/programs/20th-anniversary-weekend/.

Senior Living

Seniors who are contemplating a move to a retirement community often hesitate because they fear they will have to give up one of their favorite pastimes: gardening. As you will discover, Lancaster’s senior-living communities have developed into “garden spots” that keep residents engaged with nature.

Quarryville Presbyterian

Today’s senior-living communities recognize the benefits their residents derive from digging in the dirt and communing with nature. As a result, many communities encourage residents to beautify the areas around their homes with gardens. Some have greenhouses. Some are home to community gardens in which vegetables are raised. Beautifully landscaped communities compel residents to go outdoors and take advantage of the walking paths that weave their way through natural areas. 

Research is revealing the many ways gardening and natural surroundings improve the lives of seniors. The benefits are so dramatic that gardening is being hailed as “Horticulture Therapy” and is especially proving beneficial for those dealing with mental health issues. The ramifications of its positive impact are endless and include lower stress levels, reduced depression and a decreased  risk of developing Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia.  

As a moderately intense form of exercise, gardening can certainly contribute to the 30 minutes of daily exercise that is recommended. As a result, gardening can help seniors maintain or even increase their levels of mobility and strength and utilize all their motor skills. Being outdoors can also improve Vitamin D levels. 

Finally, gardening delivers social benefits. For many residents, a love of gardening serves as a gateway to establishing friendships within the community. On-campus garden clubs further instill a sense of camaraderie.  

United Zion Retirement Community

No doubt, local senior living communities’ commitment to providing residents with a connection to the natural world is one of the reasons why Lancaster County is regarded as one of the best places to retire in the United States.

While senior-living communities won’t be hosting their annual Explore Retirement Living tour this fall due to the pandemic, they welcome you to visit virtually or by scheduling a private tour. For more information, visit exploreretirementliving.org.

Cornwall Manor: The New Nature of Senior Living

Photo courtesy of Cornwall Manor

Gardening and Nature at Cornwall Manor

Cornwall Manor is a uniquely beautiful senior-living community tucked into the quiet countryside of Cornwall in southern Lebanon County. Our welcoming community has been compared to a college campus, with its blend of historic buildings and new homes, walking paths and nature trails.

One cannot get any closer to nature than on the Cornwall Manor campus. Nestled within 190 wooded acres, Cornwall Manor allows one to relax, enjoy and live surrounded by a beautiful, wooded backdrop. The Cornwall Manor campus offers plenty of walking paths to enjoy. Our two campuses are connected by the Lebanon Rail-Trail, which offers additional opportunities to walk, bike and bird watch. Plenty of wildlife such as deer, birds and even a wild turkey or two can be seen running or flying through the meadow area. The 10 Life Trail® stations designed specifically for senior exercise use are located along one of the campus’ many walking trails. In addition to the walking trails, Cornwall Manor offers a variety of outdoor activities, from perfecting your golf stroke on the putting green to challenging a neighbor in a game of shuffleboard, bocce or horseshoes.

As part of the natural setting of Cornwall Manor, we also have a multitude of gardening activities on campus. It is a well-known fact that gardening improves the lives of our residents.  Residents can adopt an area on campus to plant and tend to flowers or they can plant flowers or vegetables around their homes. They are also welcome to become part of a very active Garden and Greenhouse Committee at Cornwall Manor. Gardening has become a vital part of life for many residents on our campus. The Buckingham Campus also features historic greenhouses, which allow residents to garden year-round. Our 190 acres offer plenty of space for green thumbs to garden and get back to nature.

In addition to the residents’ gardening activities, Cornwall Manor recently partnered with the Rodale Institute, a global leader in regenerative organic agriculture, to establish the Trailside Organic Farm on Cornwall Manor’s Woods campus. The Trailside Organic Farm will begin as a two-acre organic farm and all produce grown on the farm will be served in all campus dining areas. Utilizing Rodale Institute’s expertise in organic growing methods, Trailside Organic Farm will provide residents with healthy food choices and a thriving natural environment that supports residents’ health, environment and overall well-being. Not only will residents be able to reap the goodness of eating the produce grown on the farm, they will also be able to volunteer their services on the farm. 

Overview

Type of Community 

Continuing Care Community 

Range of Services

A not-for-profit community, Cornwall Manor offers a full range of services, including Independent Living, Personal Care, Skilled Nursing Care and Rehab, as well as physician’s offices, pharmacy service, maintenance, housekeeping, transportation service and dining where no meal plan is required.

Residential Options

One- and two-bedroom apartments range in size from 630 to 1,500 square feet. Single and Duplex homes range in size from 1,000 to 2,700 square feet.  

On-Campus Activities

Residents enjoy activities such as concerts, social get-togethers, lectures and trips, as well as book, card and game clubs. Outdoors, there is a putting green, bocce court and many walking trails. Residents also have access to a woodworking shop, train room, library, greenhouse and a state-of-the-art fitness center and pool.

 

1 Boyd Street, P.O. Box 125, Cornwall, PA 17016

CornwallManor.org • 717-274-8092 

marketing@cornwallmanor.org

Fairmount: Dedicated to Faith, Family & Community

Photo by Nick Gould

Gardening and Nature at Fairmount

Situated in a rural setting and with many farmers and folks with green thumbs among our residents, Fairmount is a great place to continue “playing in the dirt.” Many residents plant and care for vegetables and flowers off their patios or on their balconies. For those who want to have more land to garden, Fairmount offers gardens, raised beds and flower beds for our residents to tend through an adopt-a-flowerbed program.

Residents Ruth, Fern and Edna have chosen the flowers for our building entryways so that they have color splashes throughout the seasons. Ruth and her husband, Don, share a large garden plot with residents Paul and Elsie. They share the vegetable yields with their neighbors and even donate some to Fairmount Dining Services.

Personal Care resident, Elvin, grew over 100 varieties of hosta on his farm in Cochranville. After moving to Fairmount, he brought several varieties and planted them across the campus for everyone to enjoy.  

Another resident, Alvin, had orchards of apple, crabapple and nectarine trees throughout his life. Alvin and his wife, Naomi, planted a small apple tree in front of their cottage when they moved to Fairmount 10 years ago. Every fall, Alvin gathers hundreds of apples, which he shares with friends and family. Ephraim and Mabel and other residents grow boysenberries, blackberries, strawberries, shell peas, asparagus, potatoes, sweet potatoes, lima beans, green beans, zucchini, red beets, cucumbers and tomatoes, among other produce. Jim grows burpless cucumbers, green beans, tomatoes, jalapeño peppers, basil, chives and mint, naturally with no spraying. “I want success, but it is therapy. I just enjoy seeing things grow,” Jim says.    

Residents who don’t garden still enjoy nature. Many residents moving to Fairmount opt to live in our apartments with breathtaking views of local farmers sowing, harvesting and rotating their crops throughout the year, as well as the orchard that Fairmount overlooks.

The walking trails that wind across campus are great places to take in the scenery of the countryside.

In summer and fall, Fairmount provides bus trips to local orchards and roadside stands to support the community and get a taste of fresh produce.

All said, there are plenty of opportunities at Fairmount to enjoy the beauty of creation provided to us by our heavenly Father.

Overview

Type of Community

Life Plan Retirement Community

Range of Services

Residential Living, Personal Care, Short-term Rehabilitation and Health Care/Skilled Nursing residences. Fairmount at Home provides in-home services to campus residents, as well as the broader community. The rehab center provides physician-directed programs including physical, occupational, speech and respiratory therapies. Fairmount also offers a Plain Community Rehabilitation Program for those who do not have insurance due to religious beliefs.

Residential Options

Fairmount’s Residential Living accommodations include 52 cottages ranging in size from one-bedroom to three-bedrooms, all with at least a one-car garage. Fairmount’s 103 apartments range in size from studio to two-bedrooms.

Health/Fitness Facility/Activities

With two fitness rooms on campus and extensive walking trails winding throughout the 50+ acre campus overlooking the scenic vista of rural Lancaster County, there are many options for our residents to stay in shape. Fairmount offers exercise classes led by our team members, as well as volunteer opportunities assisting residents, taking care of the gardens and quilting. Our residents can stay active intellectually at Bible studies, on-campus Sunday chapel services, book clubs and more.

 

333 Wheat Ridge Drive, Ephrata, PA 17522

FairmountHomes.org • 717-354-1800

mailbox@fairmounthomes.org

Homestead Village: Thrive Where You Are

Photo courtesy of Homestead Village

Gardening and Nature at Homestead Village

Resident and (retired) Master Gardener, Linda Kay Pressley, has brought her love of gardening to Homestead Village by forming a new gardening group called “Soil for the Soul.” This dedicated group of residents spends one hour a month together learning the many joys and benefits of gardening. During one activity, they planted several container herb gardens to be used by the Homestead Village chef. This petite garden is located on the walls surrounding the patio just off the hallway leading to the Plow and Pineapple café. Residents can stop at the garden to smell the aromatic leaves of sage, oregano, rosemary and thyme! The herb garden was funded by a grant from the Homestead Auxiliary. 

In another activity, the residents whimsically filled old shoes with flowers and succulents to explore creative repurposing. At holiday time, they fill the herb planters with beautiful greenery. The group enjoys fellowship and a shared love of the outdoors.   

Another annual tradition is the Homestead Village Garden Tour. Homestead allows residents to enjoy planting and embellishing the gardens around their homes and the tour provides them with the opportunity to show off their work during a festive event that also features music and refreshments! During the 2021 garden tour, musical entertainment was provided by Seasons Celtic Band and Todd Fulginiti’s jazz group, the Hot Walkers Quintet. This lovely event is something that residents of all ages and abilities can enjoy! 

At Rader Park, located on Homestead Village’s Apostle Way, residents can also rent garden plots for the summer to plant produce or flowers. Produce grown in the garden can be donated to the Seeds of Hope program, which is part of the adjacent Church of the Apostles Food Bank. 

Linda Kay notes that, “As we age, we sometimes become more vulnerable to physical limitations, failing health and the emotional turmoil that accompanies these changes. Gardening blossoms as a welcome activity for independent seniors, as well as residents in assisted-living communities. Gardening increases physical activity, reduces pain, improves attention, reduces stress and offers venues for socialization.”

Overview

Type of Community

Continuing Care Retirement Community (Life Plan Community)

Range of Services

Residential Living, Apartments that are dual-licensed for Personal Care, Skilled Nursing Care, Rehabilitation Services and Home Care.

Residential Options

Cottages, villas, carriage homes, small and large apartments.

Volunteerism

Residents at Homestead Village log hundreds of hours of volunteer efforts ranging from serving with local nonprofits such as Schreiber Pediatric Center, the Samaritan Counseling Center, Advantage Lancaster and more! Opportunities are posted each month in the resident newsletter and opportunity app.

 

1800 Marietta Avenue, Lancaster, PA 17603

HomesteadVillage.org

717-397-4831 • info@hvillage.org

Keystone Villa at Ephrata: A Distinctive Retirement Community

Photo by Nick Gould

Gardening and Nature at Keystone Villa at Ephrata

Keystone Villa at Ephrata truly believes that removing obstacles and giving people the opportunity to do what they love is how a person experiences fulfillment and joy each day. This is how we choose to enrich the lives of our residents. Finding those interests and helping them achieve great things is to give them a life full of purpose and happiness. Our Gardening Club is a supreme example of this mission.

Our residents gather to plan, plant and care for their gardens utilizing gardening plots, planters and gardening boxes. This allows each and every person, regardless of limitations, the ability to have their hands in the soil and the opportunity to see their hard work come to fruition. Gardening has been proven to reduce stress and improve mental well-being. Take a short walk around our campus and you can immediately experience and enjoy their hard work.

Our gardening isn’t just limited to flowers. We grow herbs, teas, fruits and vegetables. Our residents love to sit on the rooftop deck and enjoy a glass of meadow tea made from their homegrown tea. They gather for “Gabbing in the Garden,” fellowship and the opportunity to enjoy the fruits of their labor.

To quote Thomas Jefferson, “The greatest service which can be rendered to any country is to add a useful plant to its culture.” The Gardening Club of Keystone Villa at Ephrata certainly takes those words to heart. We would love for you to visit and have the opportunity to spend time in our courtyard or one of our gardens. Flowers always make the heart feel younger.

Overview

Type of Community

Retirement Community offering apartment-style living.

Range of Services

We offer Independent Living, Personal Care and Memory Care, with six levels of individualized care plans. 

Residential Options

We offer a variety of floor plans, including studios, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments, along with two full-bath options. 

Visitor Policy

We are so happy that our families and friends are able to visit our residents at their convenience. Spending time with those you love is so important and our visitation policy allows for unlimited visitation, seven days a week.

100 North State Street, Ephrata, PA 17522

KeystoneVillaAtEphrata.com

717-271-7970

lgarrison@keystonevillaatephrata.com

Landis Homes: Enriching Lives, Together

Photo by Nick Gould

Gardening and Nature at Landis Homes

The natural setting of the 114-acre campus hosts many areas for residents to explore including ponds, woods, rain gardens and a bluebird walk, in addition to a restored stream and wetlands. Within this area is a large variety of animal, bird and plant life. The extensive network of walkways connects to fitness stations, resident gardens, a farm market and a nearby supermarket.

All during the growing season, many residents choose to have a garden space in addition to where they live. Gardeners enjoy the time they spend outdoors with others, growing a variety of healthy fruits, vegetables and colorful flowers.

“There is a special joy in connecting to the earth that one has while gardening. Planting the tiny seeds, watching them push up through the earth and finally grow into mature plants ready to harvest is gratifying. Yes, there is work involved, but eating the fresh produce is such a reward. And, when there is abundance, we love to share with friends and neighbors,” says resident gardener, Mae Stoltzfus.

Overview

Type of Community

Life Plan/Continuing Care Retirement Community 

Range of Services

Since 1989, Landis Homes has hosted the longest-running adult day-services center in the area providing meaningful activities to older adults. Landis at Home, a home-care agency, provides personal care, companionship, household tasks and transportation services.

Residential Options

Landis Homes offers cottage homes, apartments, hybrid homes, Personal Care, Healthcare and Memory Support to over 840 residents on their campus. It is one of two retirement communities in Lancaster County nationally accredited by CARF and was the first retirement community in the area to receive a LEED Gold certification for sustainable construction practices.

On-Campus Activities

A learning and wellness center offers a fitness studio, indoor pool, art gallery, bank, pharmacy, salon, spa and classrooms for lifelong learning. In recent years, there has been a blossoming of a variety of groups and activities initiated by and for residents. Some of these new opportunities are groups interested in the arts, a dog park, singing, the free little library, nature, line dancing, bicycling, anti-racism and life story writing.

Since 2008, Pathways Institute for Lifelong Learning® has offered a variety of classes on campus. Residents, as well as any person age 55 and older in the Lancaster community, can take advantage of more than 50 courses and experiences offered each semester, both in person and online.

1001 East Oregon Road, Lititz, PA 17543

LandisHomes.org • 717-569-3271

info@landishomes.org

United Zion: Your Story Matters Here

Photo by Nick Gould

Gardening and Nature at United Zion

The close-knit community of United Zion looks out from its hilltop-perch that offers views of Lancaster County farmland and Lititz. Each day you see residents out enjoying the peaceful nature of our various courtyard gardens or strolling around our campus. As the weather warms, residents start planting their plots in our large community garden or start plants in their outdoor container gardens.  

Yet, our connection to the natural world is not limited to just the campus’ outdoor environs. For example, the newly built chapel has many large windows that provide views of a beautiful courtyard garden and the surrounding countryside.

This vibrant community, which welcomes pets, is the perfect size for connection and friendship. The abundance of activities – educational and spiritual programming, musical events, bingo, wellness classes and volunteering – will keep you busy in your retirement. Plus, enjoy amenities including the fitness center, billiards area, game and puzzle room, library, brand-new chapel auditorium, shuffleboard, computer lab and group transportation. Don’t miss our on-campus restaurant that offers tasty meals featuring seasonal foods for table-side service or grab-and-go meals. 

Residents have time to enjoy their favorite hobbies as our staff performs housekeeping and maintenance. Plus, they live care free knowing that should they need additional care – from short-term rehab to long-term care – it’s available to them right here at United Zion.

Come see why folks say United Zion feels like home. Reserve your space at our Open House on September 25 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. by calling 717-627-8421 or emailing marketing@uzrc.org.

Overview

Type of Community

Continuing Care Retirement Community

Range of Services

Independent Residential Living (cottages & apartments), Personal Care, Long-term Skilled Care and Short-term Rehab

Residential Options

One-bedroom apartments, one-bedroom cottages, one-bedroom + den cottages and two-bedroom cottages

Dining Options

Our restaurant-style dining facility, which is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day, offers seated service and an expansive menu, including over 20 made-to-order items. Other options include Grab and Go take-out, Home Apron Meal Kit service and Pick-Up and Delivery service. Menu selections can be customized to your personal requests and nutritional needs, including gluten-free options. Wellness lifestyle and healthy selections are available.

 

722 Furnace Hills Pike, Lititz, PA 17543

uzrc.org • 717-627-8421

marketing@uzrc.org

Willow Valley Communities: Life Lived Forward

Gardening and Nature at Willow Valley Communities

Photos courtesy of Willow Valley Communities

Residents at Willow Valley Communities enjoy limitless ways to grow, learn, and engage. Countless opportunities are offered to residents for them to discover new passions or reignite those previously enjoyed years before. Senior life is one of the most fulfilling times of life, and at Willow Valley Communities, this time is characterized as “Life Lived Forward.” 

Throughout the stunning 210-acre campus, Willow Valley Communities residents engage in recreational and mindful activities, including hundreds of clubs, world-class performances, activities, presentations, classes and lectures every day. Award-winning amenities, such as Willow Valley Communities’ 30,000-square-foot Clubhouse and 80,000-square-foot Cultural Center are the hubs of this vibrant, active and intergenerational lifestyle.

One of the most popular passions at Willow Valley Communities is gardening. The community’s residents are offered a variety of ways to participate. Three gardens are situated across the sprawling 210-acre campus for residents to use in a multitude of ways. To prepare the gardens for residents, Willow Valley Communities’ grounds team tills each garden in the spring and plows them in the fall.

After the gardens are prepared, residents are then free to work on their plots as they wish, growing delicious vegetables and glorious flowers. An ample supply of tools is always available at each garden for residents to dig in any time they want. Some residents have been gardening for decades and have even achieved the level of Master Gardener, while others have only started gardening after moving to Willow Valley Communities. Whether an experienced pro or a novice, gardening is a wonderful way for residents to be outside enjoying nature and each other, as well as learning new things.

In keeping with their “Life Lived Forward” philosophy, residents at Willow Valley Communities take their love of gardening to deeper levels. For example, two residents worked with the Pennsylvania State University to have one of their gardens Penn State Master Gardener Certified as an official Pennsylvania Pollinator-Friendly Garden. The stunning garden is well-known for attracting bees, butterflies, insects and birds, helping our ecosystem to thrive.  

Residents are also able to pair their gardening skills with their desire to volunteer and give back to the Lancaster community. With the area’s rich, fertile soil as well as the extra special care and attention the plants receive, residents often have an abundance of vegetables and decide to donate them regularly. The Solanco Neighborhood Ministries’ food bank receives a variety of beans, lettuce, kale, peas, carrots, eggplant, cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, spinach and much more from residents’ gardens throughout the growing season. Additionally, every fall a harvest of hundreds of pounds of sweet potatoes and butternut squash gets delivered to the Lancaster County Food Hub, a community resource for free, nutritious food.  

One Willow Valley Communities gardener, who maintains four plots from which all of the vegetables she grows are donated, says she never gardened before moving to Willow Valley Communities and simply enjoys giving. Another resident adds that she donates her surplus just because she “hates to see any waste.”

Gardening is just one of the almost limitless opportunities that Willow Valley Communities’ residents have to engage their talents and passions and discover new ones. Residents also see how their talents and gifts can grow into other areas to help others – much like the many gardeners of Willow Valley Communities. 

Find out more! Willow Valley Communities invites you to contact them today to arrange for your no-obligation personalized visit and tour.

Overview

 

Type of Community

Premier 55-plus Lifeplan (CCRC) Type-A Lifecare contract senior living community

Range of Services

Willow Valley Communities offers award-winning amenities and programming, plus hundreds of clubs, performances, lectures and activities. Willow Valley Communities is an exclusively Type A Lifecare community, which means that if long- or short-term care is ever needed, there will be no increase to the resident’s monthly service fee because of the need for enhanced care.

Residential Options

Willow Valley Communities offers over 100 distinct floorplans to choose from, ranging from cozy studio apartments to spacious multi-level homes.

On-Campus Activities

For close to 40 years, their vision has been to provide innovative opportunities and spaces for a premier senior-living experience. Willow Valley Communities’ 80,000-square-foot Cultural Center is one campus hub with its indoor fitness and aquatics centers, pampering day spa, 500-seat performing arts theater, art gallery, art room and more.  

Willow Valley Communities’ 30,000-square-foot Clubhouse is another venue well-known for providing intergenerational activities for residents and their families and friends. The pool and Har-Tru tennis courts provide hours of activity outside, while fun abounds inside with pinball and skee-ball at the vintage arcade, golf at worldwide courses at the golf simulator, bowling nights at the alleys, and more action at the fully equipped fitness and sports centers.

Twelve different culinary venues allow residents to recharge, ranging from casual coffee shops and wine bars to the full-service gourmet restaurant, Local Table, located in The Clubhouse.

Health/Fitness Facility/Activities

The term “well-being” is often thought of in the one-dimensional meaning of physical wellness. One does not have to look far to see examples of this at Willow Valley Communities: A visit to the Fitness and Aquatic centers or a conversation with one of the National Senior Games athletes is all it takes. However, the state of well-being encompasses much more than physical health and can include mental, emotional, social, environmental, spiritual, environmental and occupational health. At Willow Valley Communities, residents routinely pursue opportunities that enhance their well-being in all areas. Hundreds of clubs, classes, award-winning performances and other programs occur daily at the 30,000-square-foot Clubhouse and the 80,000-square-foot Cultural Center, as well as other locations across Willow Valley Communities’ 210-acre campus.

 

600 Willow Valley Square
Lancaster, PA 17602

WillowValleyCommunities.org

717-464-6800

Quarryville Presbyterian: Retire the Ordinary and Live the Extraordinary

Gardening and Nature at Quarryville Presbyterian

Photos by Nick Gould

For over 70 years, Christ-centered living has been our hallmark at Quarryville. We are a community alive with rich cultural activity, exciting programming for physical and spiritual wellness and ample opportunities to use your God-given gifts. Retirement at Quarryville means engaging new and old interests, and our campus has all the resources to make your day come to life. Even better, our community is full of people who share your interests and eagerly look for friends to join in the fun. This spirit makes Quarryville one of the most energetic, enthusiastic retirement settings in Pennsylvania.

Set in the peaceful countryside of Lancaster County, Quarryville’s campus offers a variety of natural areas for residents and visitors to enjoy. Walking paths, gardens, a labyrinth, a koi pond with a soothing waterfall and a larger pond stocked with fish allow residents to get outside and experience nature in different environments.

The Five Stones Pond provides a peaceful setting where you can take a leisurely walk around the pond on a paved path, sit and relax on a nearby bench, enjoy some bird watching or grab your fishing pole to see what may be biting at the dock. The pond is stocked every year with about 500 to 1,000 fish, including bass, bluegill, sunfish and baitfish.

At Quarryville, you can wear as many different hats as you please. One of our more popular resident activities is gardening. Gardening has been shown to improve immune system function, relieve stress and anxiety, provide light exercise and lift your mood. Generally, being out in nature and sunshine is good for the soul. 

Quarryville has 10 ground garden plots and 12 raised garden plots. Every spring, residents apply for a garden; many residents use the same plot each year as they care for the soil and plants. They enjoy getting their hands in the dirt and tending to individual vegetable or flower gardens. The raised beds are automatically irrigated so there is no need to lug water to the garden plots.

Near the individual garden plots there is also a labyrinth where you can take a walk, slow down the pace of life, pray, reflect and enjoy being surrounded by nature. The labyrinth is bordered by trees and shrubs that provide a green, lush backdrop.

Across from our outdoor sport court, you will find another garden area highlighted by a white gazebo proclaiming, “The LORD is my Rock and my Fortress” (Psalm 18:2). A delightful fountain completes the sitting area with seasonal flowers providing a medley of colors for the eye to enjoy. Next to the fountain is a greenhouse where residents can grow flowers and plants over the winter and nurture seedlings for their individual gardens.

Gardening can provide a personal connection to nature, a means to make new friends, an enjoyable form of exercise, increased mobility and flexibility, stress reduction and improved well-being, as well as prevent osteoporosis and boost brain health. One of our resident gardening enthusiasts, a caretaker for her husband, says that being in the garden gives her a chance to enjoy some peaceful time alone while keeping a watchful eye on her spouse who sits contentedly by the koi pond. 

Overview 

Type of Community

Continuing Care Retirement Community that strives to provide for the spiritual, physical, emotional and social needs of our residents through high-quality facilities, services and personal care in a manner faithful to the Bible and honoring our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Range of Services

We offer a wide array of Residential Living options, including cottage homes in our Great Rock neighborhood, spacious apartments, as well as Personal Care, Skilled Nursing Care, Rehabilitation and Memory Support.

Residential Options

Several styles of cottage homes and apartments with a variety of layouts, including one- and two-bedrooms and efficiencies. 

Health/Fitness Facility/Activities

We offer a wide variety of services for your unique health and fitness needs. Our state-of-the-art fitness center, aquatic center, indoor walking track, outdoor walking path with a pond and new outdoor sport court provide many opportunities to maximize your health and wellness.

Spiritual Connections

Many different spiritual opportunities are available to residents, including chapel, vespers, Sunday school, Bible study, community hymn sing, prayer for missions, men’s Bible study, Bible memorization, prayer for persecuted Christians and the personal ministry of a full-time chaplain.

 

625 Robert Fulton Highway, Quarryville, PA 17566

Quarryville.com • 717-786-7321

info@quarryville.com