If you’ve ever driven past the Coachlight Square subdivision off Vreeland Road, you may have noticed the perfectly manicured entrance.

Resident Lucy Drews is the one responsible for maintaining the landscaping, mowing the lawn, planting flowers, decorating for each holiday and even putting up the American flag, and she’s been doing it for almost 20 years. Why?

“Well number one, I like to garden, and two, I like things to look nice,” Drews said.

Drews and her husband moved into the subdivision back in 1993. During this time, a former resident oversaw the area. She weeded the front and planted some lilies to elevate the curb appeal.

When she moved away, she asked Drews if she’d be interested in taking the reins and passed the baton to her. Since 2005, Drews has gone above and beyond to make Coachlight Square look exquisite.

“When people pass by the subdivision, their first impressions are based on the entrance,” Drews said. “It really makes a difference.”

Since she’s taken over, Drews has removed dead shrubs and bushes and planted tulip bulbs, mums and other flowers. In addition to mowing the lawn, raking and weeding the flower beds, she and her husband also trim the trees when needed.

Other Coachlight Square residents take notice of the work Drews does and make their appreciation known, whether it’s with a “thank you” or a thumbs up as they walk past or by reaching out to ask how they can help her.

Every so often, depending on how much money she collects and how far she can stretch it, Drews sends out a letter to her neighbors and takes up a collection from those who want to pitch in by donating money to the upkeep of the median. Because of the generosity of the community, she hasn’t had to send out a letter or collect money since 2017.

The money she receives goes toward costs that occur in maintaining the landscape, the biggest being fertilization. Drews has someone come out and do five sessions of fertilizing including grub control, weed prevention and fall preventive fertilizer.

“If the neighbors didn’t pitch in five or 10 bucks, the burden would be on us because that’s the type of person I am,” she said. “But I’ve been very fortunate and people have been very generous.”

Although her standard is cutting the grass once a week, Drews doesn’t have a set maintenance schedule for when she takes care of the lawn or waters the plants – it really depends on her personal schedule and Mother Nature’s schedule.

She keeps track of when it rains and when she cuts the grass just so she has an idea, and she determines when she will cut and water depending on how hot or dry it’s been to ensure the lawn and plants are getting what they need.

In order to water all of the plants, Drews has collected about 15 old containers she reuses as watering cans.

“I refill these and load the car up and away I go,” she said.

Drews has great respect for the city of Woodhaven and is more than happy to do her part in helping make her community a little bit better.