The beauty of Crows Woods Gardens is breathtaking.
Fresh flowers meet you as you walk in, thanks to volunteer Cheryl Miller, who maintains the space in memory of long-time member Mary Previte.
Tucked behind the Crows Woods sporting fields, garden enthusiasts start with a blank slate in a planting season that begins on April 15 and ends on Nov. 15. No interested gardener is turned away, according to Paul Schmeck, president and membership coordinator of the Crows Woods Gardeners.
“I love new members and their energy and creativity,” he says.
When Schmeck first got involved, there was a waiting list for plots. He was instrumental in working with borough officials – including Letitia “Tish” Colombi, Haddonfield’s former mayor, and Business Administrator Sharon McCullough – to expand the gardens.
“I just can’t see turning anyone away,” Schmeck explains. “We ended up bringing in truckloads of organic soil to fill in the low back area as demand grew. Over the past 10 years or so, the amount of people that have left has kind of equaled the plots of new members.
“This year,” he adds, “we had to squeeze a plot on the side, but we have not had to extend or expand (since then).”
Over the years, Schmeck has seen generations of families – including his own – whose traditions play out in the gardens with varied produce, flowers, greens and even fruit trees.
“We had an Indian couple who grew the most interesting vegetables that I never heard of,” he recalls. “I thought it was so cool.”
The 1.7-acre Crows Woods Gardens was a landfill back in the 1950s and ‘60s, according to Schmeck, and the land is owned by the borough.
In 1983, long-time resident and community activist Walt Saladik’s dream of transforming the whole space for gardening and recreation was realized. Kathi Stokes started the all-volunteer organization of gardeners and managed them and the plots from 1982 until about 15 years ago.
“I was a pretty active volunteer at the time, and she had asked if I wanted to take over,” Schmeck recounts, “so I took over as president. Jim O’Brien was vice president with her and he continues and still is vice president. He is one of the longest members of the gardens.”
Rows of plots are managed by six captains who serve as a board of advisors for the gardeners.
“We have other volunteers who run different aspects of the garden,” Schmeck points out. “We have a program where we donate produce to the Cherry Hill food pantry on Tuesdays (and) Thursdays. We set up deliveries to the food bank and encourage gardeners to donate their excess produce.”
The garden plot where the program volunteers grow donated produce once belonged to Previte, who had two spaces at Crows Woods. Born in China, she spent three years in a Japanese concentration camp during World War II and served as a state legislator and Haddonfield board of education member.
Her 2019 obituary described the 87-year-old Previte as “an avid” Haddonfield Crows Wood gardener. She and Schmeck put together the gardeners’ newsletter, and Previte delivered copies during her early–morning walks through town.
The Crows Woods Gardens sit along the Cooper River, with plenty of wildlife and bird migration coming through the area every season. Some gardeners put fences and gates around their plots and have built birdhouses and even hawk perches .
The gardens are open to the public, but members have to be borough residents.
“The gardens have not (only) been a place to come in and garden,” Schmeck notes. “It’s also been a refuge for people. It’s kind of a sacred place, in a way, to a lot of people.
“Over time, I just got to experience some stories and what the gardens have meant to residents in town.”
As you walk around the 88-plot gardens this season, you will see that one of the gardeners planted flowers all around their plot and placed lawn chairs inside. Another gardener planted Mexican sunflowers.
There is a common area for gardeners to sit and relax under a pergola built by Schmeck, his father, son and nephew. There are composts; wheelbarrows; a tool area; and a washing station, the latter two completed through Eagle Scout projects.
During the season, students from the National Honor Society at the borough high school volunteer their time to clean up the garden and clear out plots.
Schmeck has lived in Haddonfield for 30 years and grew up gardening with his grandparents.
“My great grandfather’s whole yard was a garden,” he remembers. “I got out of it for a bit when I lived in Philadelphia. Then when I moved here, my backyard was shady. I had young kids (at the time), my career and everything.”
It was not until his son started playing soccer that Schmeck discovered gardening again. He was at the sports field when he happened upon an Earth Day event.
“The gardeners were planting sunflowers at the community garden,” Schmeck says, adding that his son’s soccer schedule started to coincide with his gardening schedule.
“I would drop him off and come over here and garden until he showed up. I was regularly here, twice a week for a couple of hours.”
Schmeck is a big proponent of growing his own food.
“I always fell in love with gardens,” he asserts. “I dedicated a lot of my life with this place and have had my family involved. My mother always said, ‘Find your mission,’ and in a way, this is kind of a mission for me to keep and make it the best place it could be and make as many people happy as possible.
“It’s a rewarding experience.”
New gardeners are assigned a 10-by-20-foot plot, and after a year, they can expand to one that is 20 by 20 feet upon request. All Crows Woods Gardeners have access to water; tools; and aged compost, among other materials.
Maintaining a plot requires five or six hours a week, so it is strongly recommended that those with limited time maintain a small space.
In March and April, Schmeck holds a welcome for the gardeners and their families, and at the end of September, there is a gathering where gardeners are encouraged to bring a dish using produce from their gardens.
In the near future, the Crows Woods Gardeners will be made more inclusive with a section for raised beds.
For more information, visit www.crowswoodsgardeners.com.
