Hello! Thanks for reading my blog. My name is Shannon. I’ve been married to Brad for 25 years, and we have three children – Grayson (22), Cooper (20), and Delaney (16). I’ve been dreaming about a garden for years. I don’t have the master plan in mind. I know it will develop as I go along. My tagline says that I’m ‘creating my own little patch of happiness in OKC.’ Besides gardening, that patch might eventually include books I love, recipes I appreciate, friendships I treasure, and special moments I cherish … and maybe more.
From a gardening perspective, I am no expert – yet! However, I’ve experienced my fair share of gardening environments. I grew up in Charleston, SC (zone 8b) – where my father had a backyard garden. My own first gardening experience was in a pea patch in the suburbs of Chicago, IL (zone 5b). Next stop was the suburbs of Seattle, WA (zone 8b). Don’t let the zone fool you. Gardening in Seattle is nothing like gardening in Charleston! Then there was a stop in Tucson, AZ (zone 9a) in which nothing was grown. More on that later. And now I’m in Oklahoma City, OK (zone 7a) – the place where I am willing to try almost anything.
Spring/Summer 2018 is my first planting season. I’m excited to get started!
April 2025 Update: It’s been a time of transition. My last summer gardening in Oklahoma was 2023. We sold our home that August, and moved to the suburbs of Houston, Texas. We rented a home until we got a better bearing on several parts of life. We purchased a home in September 2024. At this point, I’ve been married to Brad for 32 years, and my children are 29 (Grayson), 27 (Cooper), and 23 (Delaney). I’ve gained a bonus daughter in Grayson’s wife, Shelby. And they have blessed us with a granddaughter, Tallulah. And have another baby on the way!
Our home is in a planned community. Our front yard is beautifully landscaped. However, our backyard is a blank canvas, and I hope to continue creating a little patch of happiness here. We’re back in Zone 9a – which seems vastly different from the 9a of Tucson. As always, I find myself excited to begin!
Patch405 