A Labor of Love

by Angie Byrd

Given the choice, how many women would select dirt over diamonds? Ask Sharyn Altman and she'll tell you she'd choose garden gloves and compost anytime; she is a woman driven by her passion for plants. As she walks you through her garden, phrases like, "Aren't they beautiful," "I just love it," and, "Look how pretty that is," are sprinkled throughout her descriptions, revealing her amorous emotions. Fortunately, this love is not unrequited; her beloved plants return their owner's affection in abundance.

Sharyn and husband Roy have seen their surroundings change in the 15 years they've lived in their neighborhood off Steven's Creek Road in Columbia County. When the Altmans began to build their home they made a wise decision to purchase an adjoining lot with a peninsula that juts out onto a lake behind their house, giving the property a sense of being larger than its 1.2 acres.

Sharyn has worked passionately to create a peaceful respite for all who come to enjoy. Looking out into her yard to take in the view gives you the feeling of entering a Seek and Find puzzle featuring garden treasures. Paths twist throughout the peaceful backyard sanctuary; beyond the well-manicured soft green lawn a brook meanders its way through a woodland hideaway. In the distance the greens and reds of a vegetable garden catch your eye as do the pink, red and yellow blooms of a cutting garden. All the colors of growth and life beckon you to come and take in this tenderly nurtured creation.

Growing up on an ornamental evergreen farm in Fairburn, Ga., young Sharyn was taught that plants were serious business. Her father was a horticulturist with Emory University back in the 1950s and during the summer Sharyn and a sister had the job of watering ("We had to keep moving the sprinkler.") and fertilizing ("By hand—with a teaspoon.") 100 acres of evergreens. "We had practical plants, no flowers. We didn't have automated water or black plastic canvas...you can't imagine!" All that hard work didn't diminish a love of growing. Sharyn proudly points out that three of the four sisters are now master gardeners. Sharyn herself is president of the Georgia Master Gardener Association.

Years later the practical evergreens of her childhood have been replaced with beautiful flowering plants; nevertheless, Sharyn firmly believes: "There are too many flowers in the world to baby." As an accredited flower show judge, she has an appreciation for all buds and blooms. Although she replaced her hybrid roses with easier—and pest resistant—buck roses ("Nothing beats a rose for a cutting garden.") there are plenty of other flowering plants competing for attention. At the back of the yard near the lake a large rock marks a cutting garden full of zinnias that are up for grabs. "I get more joy out of taking flowers to somebody than I do picking green beans and cooking them. It's just not as much fun."

Gardeners in our area have an advantage according to Sharyn. "In this part of Georgia we're so lucky to have something blooming every month of the year. Anyone can accomplish this, even those with a small garden." Among her favorite plants are the Gold Mop cyprus ("I use it in a lot of arrangements because of its flexibility and its color.") and the calla lilies. ("They're easy and the blooms can last two weeks; my favorite is the Green Goddess.")

There are native plants on the property as well, such as the Indian Pink wildflower (Sharyn's favorite), trillium (a sometimes rare plant found in wooded areas) and three different orchids, including the Cranefly orchid. "It has one leaf...green on top and burgundy underneath. In the late spring the leaves will go away and it'll shoot up a leaf of little bitty white orchids; it's a gorgeous groundcover," says Sharyn. No wonder they named their property Cranefly Place.

There's always something for gardeners to see and appreciate here whether it's in the yard or in the large greenhouse located at the back of the house. On one side of the driveway a Cherokee rose hardily grows. Nearby a curly willow tree purchased for next to nothing returns her investment with branches utilized in her many flower arrangements. There's also the different looking Dutchman's Pipe, a climbing vine with dark green heart shaped leaves and a purplish tubular bloom resembling a pipe.

Another interesting find is the exotic—and pungent—Voodoo lily. "God gives everything a rhyme and reason. He gave this lily a horrible smell so the flies would pollinate it. But it's a hoot. It's only in bloom for about two weeks, but I called everyone I knew to come over and take a look."

Butterflies are attracted to the beautiful passiflora vine, full of buds, commonly called maypops. The volunteer vine is host to the brilliant orange fritillary butterfly, which lays its eggs on the plant and then enjoys feasting on the leaves and maypops.

A variety of fruit trees line the pathway that leads to the vegetable garden. A quince bush's deep peach flower blooms out in late January; a white one sits close by. The magnificence from the full red summer blooms of the double flowered pomegranate tree make up for the fact that it doesn't bear as much fruit as the single flower variety. It's hard to miss the fig tree's prominent leaves and judging by their healthy appearance, the Southern climate is fairly easy on the hardy citrus orange and lemon trees. But the most productive of the fruit trees last summer was Roy's favorite, a beautiful fuyu persimmon tree, with a whopping 46 baseball sized plum-like fruits.

Flanking the entrance to the vegetable garden are two arbors filled with tiny green grape jewels hanging from verdant leaves that make up the muscadine vines. Nearby, blueberry bushes reside under a tent-like structure where they can get sun, rain and protection from the birds that love their sweet fruit. Across the path from the garden the birds get luckier; there are more blueberry bushes that are unprotected.

In the past Sharyn spent more time tending vegetables; these days with their children grown (daughter April and son Jeremy) and families of their own, she's changed her priorities. Among the cucumbers and tomatoes in the garden are two sandboxes for her grandsons (playing in the dirt runs in the family). She added broccoli last fall because a grandson loves it.

Another addition was the result of an abundance of water coming down from a hill and flooding out the wooded backyard. "We knew we couldn't stop water, so we decided to work with it instead of against it and turned our lemons into lemonade." Nine years ago they put in a small goldfish pond and dry river bed; two years later they installed a pump under a small footbridge to pump water over the rocks. The result serves as a focal point and brings soothing sounds to accompany the sights.

Along the stream are striking swamp sunflowers, a variety of hydrangeas, orchids and the exotic butterfly vine, called so because of its triple bloom, which when broken apart looks amazingly like the fluttery garden denizens.

Everyone knows it's impossible to visit without learning something new. Sharyn gives tours regularly to area garden clubs (she has a four-page plant list) and even has a website (www.freewebs.com/ craneflyplace). Scattered throughout the yard are etched rocks featuring many Georgia state symbols, including the honeybee (the state insect), the wild azalea (the state shrub) and even "Georgia on My Mind" (the state song). Sharyn notes she currently has seven of the 52 state symbols, but laughs, "Getting all of them would cost a fortune!"

There are many advantages to having a gardener in the family. Just ask Sharyn's grandsons. The boys, ranging in age from 2 to 6, have plenty to keep them busy when they visit. There are duck boxes lovingly placed around and in the pond for mallards and wood ducks. An owl box sitting high in a tree awaits a new resident. "Our 4-year-old grandson was helping us put new shavings in that box," says Sharyn pointing up to a tall oak, "when a squirrel popped out and surprised us. You should have seen his face!"

A walk through an archway of thick wisteria takes you onto a spacious dock jutting out into the lake. Three varieties of wisteria are intertwined to ensure there are blooms throughout spring and into the early summer. The area is a registered wildlife habitat, meaning it satisfies the four basic habitat elements for wildlife: food, water, cover and a place to raise young. Many happy times are also spent here fishing with the grandkids or enjoying a quiet summer evening.

Although Roy is much more passionate about fishing than gardening, her husband's appreciation makes Sharyn's time spent in the garden worthwhile. As the manufacturer of Buckeye fishing lures, nothing is as appealing as designing a lure, going out to the pond to test it and coming back inside and tweaking it. "He enjoys the feel, the look and the quietness of our garden, and I couldn't do all this without his support," says Sharyn.

Just as her plants continue to grow and change so does the yard. "You know things don't stay the same at all...I would like to think they do, but they don't," says Sharyn, spoken like a true gardener. A favorite spot of the family started out as a home for their son's dog. When he moved out they replaced it with a pig cooker, an aluminum drum with a stainless steel grate in which wood is placed underneath so the meat can cook slowly. Sharyn and Roy added a fire pit and benches close by, creating an inviting place for people to socialize. "I always have a fire ready to go and I always have marshmallows on hand. The grandsons love that," she laughs.

With so many to choose from does this gardener have a favorite spot?

"I love all of it. If it's real hot it's nice to go sit down by the stream. If the kids are here, it's nice to go to the dock with them. If it's raining, I go in the greenhouse. Whatever I'm working in...that's my favorite. It's like picking your favorite child, you can't do it."

But without question, her most cherished activity involves being in her garden and digging in the dirt. "I put on my headphones and come outside to play. I can come out here and an hour later I've totally forgotten my troubles. Forget the jewelry. Give me compost and I'm happy!" Spoken like a woman truly in love.