International news can sometimes have an impact on local news. The latest example of that is the war in Ukraine and how it’s influencing this year’s Kennett Beautification Committee Plant Sale, which is a little more than two weeks away.
“These people are farmers,” said committee member JoAnn Donlick in a press release, “and they cannot plant this year.”
Those people Donlick referred to are the farmers of Ukraine. Agriculture is that country’s largest export industry.
In a telephone interview, Donlick said they always feature a plant at the sale, but it had to be sunflowers this year because of the war, something that is emotional for her.
“It’s a strange feeling. Our ancestry is Eastern Europe,” she said, explaining that her husband’s maternal grandfather is from the Ukrainian/Russian border, land that has changed hands multiple times over the centuries.
While Southern Chester County residents eagerly await the spring planting season, Donlick and her fellow committee members are raising awareness and showing solidarity with Ukrainians by featuring sunflowers.
“We’ll have sunflower starts, and seed packets as well,” Donlick said. “Sunflowers are a powerhouse providing food, shade, and energy in addition to being pollinators and there are many different cultivars, from tall varieties to smaller ones.” [Cultivars are a plant variety that has been produced by selective breeding.]g
Donlick followed up with an email saying, “Kennett Square Beautification Committee chose the sunflower, Ukraine’s National Flower as their featured plant this year to show solidarity for Ukraine and increase the level of awareness as to its symbolic meaning that is so deeply embedded in their culture.
“Amidst the Russian invasion, the sunflower has become a symbol of resistance in their fight for freedom. Self-starting pots of sunflowers and seeds will be available to purchase so the public will experience first-hand the warmth and power of the sun as well as embrace the culture of Ukraine.”
She continued, saying the result of the sale would be the beautification of Kennett Square and a financial donation in support of the Ukrainian people. The donation will be made for Ukraine Humanitarian Aid thru Sunflower of Peace. Donlick said that group “provides medical and humanitarian aid to the people of Ukraine that have been impacted by the violence of the Russian invasion.”
As for the local nature of the sale, Donlick said even people without a lot of space could use plants to brighten their homes with window boxes and hanging baskets. And with the exception of money being donated to Ukraine, the rest of the money coming in from the sale will go toward paying for spring and summer plantings for the beautification of the borough.
The sale is planned for Saturday, April 30, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on May 1, at Pratt’s Greenhouse, 634 Hillendale Road in Avondale.
About Rich Schwartzman
Rich Schwartzman has been reporting on events in the greater Chadds Ford area since September 2001 when he became the founding editor of The Chadds Ford Post. In April 2009 he became managing editor of ChaddsFordLive. He is also an award-winning photographer.
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