Small garden becomes highlight of Bartlesville retirement community

BARTLESVILLE, Okla. — Residents at Asher Point Independent Living of Bartlesville have turned a small garden into a community activity.

Alice De Franco, a resident at Asher Point in Bartlesville, said she started the garden 8 years ago when she moved to Asher Point.

She said it started as her planting tomatoes in the back of Asher Point. What began as a little project for Alice has turned into a community highlight.

"One lady, all she does because I can’t get down, one lady Beth, gets down on her knees and picks cucumbers that are on the ground  Darrel is not here, but she helped me plant and she helped me water and there’s another guy, Bob, who came out and supervised," Alice said.

The garden isn't beneficial just for Alice, but for the whole community at Asher Point.

"We need good friends, we need sociability, we need good food which we have, and we need activities and this is a special part of activities for us," Alice said.

The garden has cucumbers, tomatoes, squash and other vegetables for the members to grow and eat.

Alice said this year, there's an abundance of cucumbers in the garden.

"Every afternoon we slice cucumbers and pass them around the tables, and people use their salad dressing to put on their cucumbers and it’s gotten to the point now where people see us coming with cucumbers, they just sort of turn their head and just say no thanks, we’ve had enough cucumbers," Alice said.

Among the handful of vegetables in the garden is the amaryllis plant, which Alice said travelled with her from California. This year was the first time in three years the plant has bloomed to its full glory.

The garden has become a favorite spot for residents, giving them a chance to enjoy fresh air and fresh food.