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This month we visit one of our new Gardenbuddies Alice, and take a stroll around the new garden she is creating.

“Perhaps I should introduce myself first since I am a new Garden Buddy. My name is Alice Woodrome, age 61, married for 42 years, and living in Oklahoma. My husband was a college professor, and I worked as an artist for over twenty years, selling my work at art festivals around the United States.

I've loved growing things since I was a small child in Illinois. I watched in wonder as four o'clock seedlings emerged from seeds I planted. When they bloomed, I was hooked. Seeds still seem miraculous to me, and there has scarcely been a spring that I haven't pushed a seed in the ground to watch it grow. It wasn't until I retired from the road about ten years ago, however, that I had the time to indulge my interest in gardening.

We live in Zone 7. Sounds ideal, doesn't it? That tells you nothing, though, about the tight red clay that lurks a few inches underground. It doesn't speak of the summer droughts that are the norm here - or the temperatures that typically reach over 100 F and the wind. Oh, my, the wind! But do you hear me complain? Yes, often!

But I love gardening, even though nature and I have often had different agendas. The older I get the less inclined I am to fight nature, and the more I find myself embracing the concept of Xeriscaping. If I didn't love lilies so much, I would be a true believer.

I started from scratch again this June when we built a retirement home on a small lot. We lived in an apartment for five months while we waited, and I cluttered our tiny patio with various containers crowded with lilies and irises from my old backyard. I spent those months dreaming and planning my new smaller garden.

It was hot before they did the final grade on the lot. The lilies and irises were not happy by the time I finally got them in the ground and only a few bloomed. I was a woman possessed as I prepared the beds and purchased plants to fill in my blank canvas, choosing many natives that can take the heat. I even planted a few seeds, hoping it wasn't too late. I chronicled my progress online: http://www.woodrome.com/garden04/pages/home.html

I was tempted to go with annuals the first year just to see color faster, but my practical nature prevailed and I planted mostly perennials that would take a couple of years to grow into decent clumps - blue salvias, yucca, gaura, hardy hibiscus, rudbeckia, coneflowers, coreopsis, lavender cotton, autumn joy, hardy lantana, asters, autumn sage, and more. When our local garden societies had their annual sales early this fall, I also bought more irises and daylilies.

The beautiful garden I planned, though, is still mostly in my head. My husband had looked forward to less yard work, so I do the work myself. At least he doesn't mind when I appropriate more of the lawn for flowers.

Considering that I got a late start, and my soil is far from ideal, I'm happy with my new garden's first season. I have many plans for the future, including new beds in the corners of the yard, a compost bin, a birdbath and martin house, and an arbor for the garden gate plus plantings along the back fence, but I am not in a hurry. It will all happen in time as I have the energy, time -- and money.

This fall I dug up the side yard along the driveway and planted hundreds of spring bulbs. Ah, spring - I can hardly wait.”

Thank you Alice for sharing your garden with us.

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