WATER GARDEN: A deep topic

On Friday evening Gardener Tim gave a wonderful lecture in the water lily garden at Longwood. Literally "in": he wore waders and gave his talk while standing in the central 30-inch-deep pool, using one of those huge lily pads as his lectern.
He said one commonly asked question is why the water is so dark. The answer: the gardeners use a black dye, for three reasons: to deter algae from growing, to provide a better backdrop for photographs and to highlight the flowers, and to hide the mechanicals in the concrete-bottomed pond, like lights, cables, pots and cinder blocks.



Gardener Tim shows how water runs right off a lotus leaf.

         He demonstrated how water runs off the lotus leaf and said scientists and engineers have been trying to duplicate its moisture-repellant properties in, say, the lining of ketchup bottles.

He showed us how to make paper from the stem of the papyrus leaf and taught us a mnemonic for recognizing sedges: "Sedges have edges" (they're triangular).

He spent a lot of time talking about the Longwood Hybrid Water Platter. These famed "platters" can hold 100 pounds, but only if the weight is carefully distributed. Jump on one, and you'll go right through. The platters are studded with thorns to help them compete for limited space: if any other plant that gets in the way, "they just shred 'em up," he said.
The platters expand by six to eight inches a day, but it's not by actually by producing new cells; rather, they unroll and stretch.
Tim was a good speaker and enthralled the audience, which grew as the evening wore on and visitors arrived to see Nightscapes.
As I was walking out of the Conservatory, I saw a man poring over the Gardens map. "Hope we don't get lost," he said to his friends, sounding worried. It was a good reminder of how lucky we locals are to have Longwood so close: I've been going there as long as I can remember and I don't think I would be lost in any part of it.
 

Gardener Tim shows us what a fresh water chestnut looks like.

HILLENDALE: Our litigious society

I'm joining the chorus of community outrage in the wake of a parent's civil suit accusing Hillendale Elementary School principal Steve Dissinger of, essentially, rigging a PTO election.
Where do I even start?
First of all, I have a hard time believing that "Mr. D" would take part in any hanky-panky like this. The Young Relative attended Hillendale for six years. Every time we saw Mr. D at holiday concerts, the Halloween parade, back-to-school night, the Wax Museum, the Veterans' Day ceremony, the Milking Contest, and innumerable other school and district events, my entire family was impressed with his enthusiasm, energy, competence, and kindness, and his affection for and rapport with every single kid. "We didn't have principals like that in my day!" my father would say in amazement. The personal stress this must be causing him is discouraging to think about.
Second, I'm baffled as to why the mother of Hillendale pupils would file a lawsuit over a petty issue like a PTO election. She is an attorney, and members of the Bar usually have a pretty shrewd understanding of human nature. She must have known the fallout this would create for herself and, more importantly, for her children. As one parent said to me, "No parent will want to have them over if their mom is a sue-happy attorney."
Third, the lawsuit is going to have a chilling effect on the number of people willing to volunteer (already a dwindling number in every organization). Who is going to risk getting sued over some trivial disagreement?
Fourth, the PTO now has a line item for legal expenses in its budget. Hard-earned money that should be going toward kids' programs, not to mention taxpayers' dollars, is going instead to pay for lawyers to defend against the suit.
The one bright spot here is the fact that dozens of parents and community members have come out to show their appreciation for Mr. D and Hillendale; as one parent said to me, "she is actually pulling people together in their support of HES!"
We try to teach our kids that sometimes you have to stand up for what's right, even if it's unpopular and you get grief for it. This, however, is not one of those causes. Let's hope the woman sees sense and drops her lawsuit.

EAST MARLBOROUGH: Proposed stoplight on Rt. 82 at the bypass

A Chadds Ford reader wrote to ask whether I knew what was going on with the proposed stoplight at the intersection of the southbound Rt. 1 bypass exit ramp and Rt. 82, which he characterized (correctly) as "a traffic control move that's long overdue." (There is already a traffic light at the northbound exit ramp onto Rt. 82.)
To answer his question, I went right to the source: East Marlborough Chief Robert "Clarkie" Clarke. He immediately checked with the township staff for me and learned that the results of a traffic study are expected shortly, and then the township will start the process of getting PennDOT approval for the traffic light.

CLEANING: A wonderful new vacuum

At Lowe's in Avondale the other day I saw a display for a cordless vacuum cleaner (the Bissell Bolt Pet 2-in-1 Lightweight Cordless Vacuum) and I simply had to have it. (My Lowe's shopping buddy was all the way to the plumbing department before he noticed that I was standing there staring.) 
For under $100, it's a wonderful product that has improved my life. I've always disliked vacuuming, but this gadget almost makes it fun. It's so light that you can just pick it up and take it to wherever you need it without worrying about unwinding the cord, plugging it into an outlet awkwardly located behind some furniture, and then worrying that the cord will knock something over.
It's small and maneuverable enough that it fits into corners and under furniture. You don't have to buy replacement bags because it has a clear cup that you empty and a filter you can wash. There's a built-in mini-vac you can detach for doing steps and windowsills (I just used it to clean crumbs off my desk).
Best of all, it's marvelously efficient: it picks up your detritus with only one pass rather than going back and forth repeatedly.
The only possible downside is that the charge is good for maybe 20 minutes of vacuuming, but frankly that's about my limit when it comes to housecleaning, anyway.
I was happy to clear out my utility closet and give away to charity my two old, noisy, cumbersome vacuums and all their accompanying bags and attachments.

UNIONVILLE: Looking for lunch

"You have to write about this!" urged a friend of mine, thoughtfully suggesting that I entitle the item "Sunk."
He was talking about the dire situation that neither one of his favorite places to eat in Unionville -- Hood's or Foxy Loxy -- is open on Mondays.
I too have bemoaned that fact, especially when Monday is the only day that I can get together with someone for lunch. It would be great if the two establishments could stagger their days off, although I'm sure given the many pressures of running a restaurant, they have perfectly good reasons.

OXFORD: Hearne Hardwood open house

Woodworkers might be interested in stopping by the annual open house at Hearne Hardwoods, Oxford, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Sept. 30, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1. It's free and rain-or-shine.
Brian Hearne will give a tour of the facility at 11 a.m. Friday and 12:30 p.m. Saturday. Rick Hearne will present a slide show on "cutting koa" at 12:30 p.m. Friday and 3 p.m. Saturday. 
At 2 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. Saturday you can watch the 67-inch sawmill in operation.
Throughout the two days there will be musicians, tool manufacturers, and representatives from the Wharton Esherick Museum, Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Habitat for Humanity and various woodworking groups ("our all-star wood roster," according to the website).
Hearne Hardwoods is located at 200 Whiteside Drive; if you take the Route 10 exit from the Route 1 bypass and go north on Route 10, Whiteside Drive will be on your right.

EAST MARLBOROUGH: A celebrity chef

I've heard some grumbling about the new Italian restaurant that wants to move into the former Bite of Italy restaurant in the Shoppes at Longwood Village -- the thought is that there are already plenty of Italian places around -- but what hasn't gotten any press is the fact that the owner and executive chef would be none other than husband-and-wife Bryan and Andrea Sikora, who run two Mexican restaurants in Wilmington (Cocina Lolo, 405 N. King St., and La Fia Bakery + Market + Bistro, 421 North Market St.). If the name "Bryan Sikora" sounds familiar, it's because he used to be married to Aimee Olexy; together they started Talula's Table, which has drawn national culinary attention to Kennett Square.

THE BIBLE: "Be not affrighted"

Art Holveck shared the following information about what sounds to be a memorable program coming up on Oct. 1 at the Episcopal Church of the Advent in Kennett Square:
"Patrick McWilliams from Breckenridge, CO will be reciting the biblical Book of Mark from memory, much the same way as the original Christians heard and learned their scripture when they were unable to read. Patrick is a member of the International Network of Biblical Story Tellers and has given this presentation so far in more than 120 different locations around the USA. The language is the King James Version of the bible and hearing this is similar to a Shakespeare recital and one becomes uplifted by the beauty, majesty and relevance of the experience."
The program will take place at the church, 410 N. Union St., Kennett Square, at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 1, and is preceded by a continental breakfast starting at 9 a.m. Admission is free.
I watched a YouTube video of Mr. McWilliams reciting from the Book of Mark and found him to be a riveting performer.                       

   

ADVENTURE: Susquehannock State Park

We took a little road trip this past weekend into non-Wawa territory, heading west to Susquehannock State Park on Lancaster County's western border. There are some awe-inspiring views across the Susquehanna River, and thanks to the sheer cliffs you're at eye level with the circling vultures and bald eagles. We hiked along some challenging and fun trails and (eventually) found what, according to the park map, is the largest American Beech in the state. One branch that had come down recently could have been a substantial tree all by itself.
The park seemed to be well used. A Boy Scout troop was camping there for the weekend, and they were setting up a volleyball net as we passed by. A couple of the pavilions were being used for picnics.
We then drove about 20 minutes north to the Pinnacle Overlook part of the park, which again offered spectacular river views. An affable park employee was painting a post-and-rail fence there and told us how much he loves his job because he gets to work outside in such a beautiful spot: "I get paid for this!" he exclaimed.
Susquehannock is a pleasant drive past a lot of beautiful Amish farms. The trip takes about an hour from Unionville, especially if your driver isn't prone to say things like, "I wonder where that road goes?" We stopped for a mid-afternoon lunch at the Quarryville Family Restaurant, where the waitress called us "kids" and other customers were eager to tell us about their town.