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Burkholder Brothers Landscaping Company Designed and Built Legacy Garden

June 6, 2018 – West Chester, PennsylvaniaBurkholder Landscaping Company’s Barry Burkholder attended a ribbon cutting ceremony held at Penn Wood Elementary School in West Chester, PA to officially open the Penn Wood Legacy Garden on May 17,  2018. A dedication plaque on a large rock reads,“Our Penn Wood Garden begins with tiny seeds that bloom into bold flowers; each one unique, each one important.”

Penn Wood Elementary School Legacy Garden Dedication 5-17-18 Barry Burkholder and Lisa McGonigal cutting the ribbon -Principal Dr. Gacomis looks on
Barry Burkholder and Lisa McGonagle cut the ribbon and Principal Dr. Gacomis looks on.

The garden courtyard, which is located outside of the library and cafeteria,  is a combination outdoor classroom, study garden and lunch space for students and faculty of the school. The space was designed and built by Burkholder Landscape in cooperation with the Penn Wood Beautification Committee, led by Lisa McGonagle, a parent at the school, and Penn Wood’s Home & School Association (HSA).

Penn Wood Elementary School Legacy Garden Dedication 5-17-18 - layout of the garden designed and built by Burkholder Landscaping CompanyBurkholder Landscape has been in business in the Main Line area for over 20 years and is often involved in community events and outreach efforts. Burkholder’s owner Barry Burkholder felt a special connection to this project.

“My kids went to Penn Wood, ” said Burkholder. “It’s a great school. I feel it’s really important to give back. It feels great to be part of a legacy – something that all the students will be able to enjoy for years to come.”

The multi-purpose garden design presents students with an opportunity to learn about native plants, local ecology, wildlife habitat and plant diversity throughout the changing seasons. Woody plants and perennials highlighted in the garden include:

Penn Wood Elementary School Legacy Garden Dedication 5-17-18 - ramp access way into the courtyard garden
Ramp access way into the courtyard garden
  • Carneliancherry Dogwood – Cornus mas
  • Columbine – Aquilegia canadensis
  • Fringetree – Chionanthus virginicus
  • Male Fern – Dryopteris felix-mas
  • Redbud – Cercis canadensis
  • Virginia Sweetspire – Itea virginicus
  • Winterberry Holly – Ilex verticillata

The space is large enough to hold an entire grade level at a time, or to allow for a quiet space to read when visiting the adjacent library. The garden’s layout was designed to maximize versatility of the space while developing views into the garden from the library, cafeteria, classrooms and windowed hallways which wrap the courtyard space. Hardscape materials were selected for their durability, ease of maintenance and aesthetic appeal.

Penn Wood Elementary School Legacy Garden Dedication 5-17-18 - bricks purchased by local families and imprinted with personalized dedication messages
Bricks purchased by local families and imprinted with personalized dedication messages.
Penn Wood Elementary School Legacy Garden Dedication 5-17-18 - Dedication plaque
Dedication plaque
Penn Wood Elementary School Legacy Garden Dedication 5-17-18 left to right - Assistant Superintendent Dr Sokolowski - Barry Burkholder - Lisa McGonagle - Dr Gacomis - Superintendent Dr Jim Scanlon
From left to right – Assistant Superintendent Dr Sokolowski – Barry Burkholder – Lisa McGonagle – Dr Gacomis – Superintendent Dr Jim Scanlon

Furniture for the garden was purchased through a fundraising campaign comprised of paving bricks purchased by local families and imprinted with personalized dedication messages.

Read for more information on the Legacy Garden

About Burkholder Landscaping Company

Burkholder Landscaping Company has been designing, building and maintaining area landscapes for over 25 years. The Burkholder Brothers, Barry and Mark, work together with their growing team to create the finest in outdoor living spaces in Main Line communities. The company, which is often involved in Main Line community events, has an outdoor showroom in Malvern where they showcase unique, quality, outdoor patio furniture from companies like Castelle, Ratana, Breezesta, Three Birds Casual, and Treasure Garden. For more information regarding Burkholder Landscape’s services, or to see all of the exceptional products they carry, call (610) 558-2678 or visit the Burkholder website: www.BurkholderLandscape.com.