Transcript Staff Writer

For Hanlie Wu, spring means time for planting and watering her garden. But Wu lives in an apartment and doesn't have a yard to plant. So when she heard about an opportunity to plant some other lots a few years ago, she took full advantage of the program.

As a resident in Kraettli Apartments, the University of Oklahoma apartments south of the dorms, Wu was offered the opportunity to claim one of the garden plots on the South Campus as one of her own.

The Garden Plot Program began at the former OU-owned and operated Parkview Apartment complex, said Lauren Royston, spokesperson for OU Housing and Food Services.

Vice President of Student Affairs Clarke Stroud expanded the garden plot program to Kraettli Apartment residents in the early 1990s, when he served as the Apartment Coordinator, Royston said.

When Parkview was closed a couple of years ago and the garden plots, too, OU President David Boren approved the dedication of a small amount of space on South Campus for use as garden plots. The plots are located on Columbus Street between Dewey Avenue and Monitor Avenue.

Housing and Food Services arranged to have the area cleared and prepared for use, Royston said.

Garden beds are assigned by Kraettli Apartments management on a first-come, first-served basis.

Angie Flippo, who lives in Kraettli, said she got a flyer about the garden plots at the beginning of the year. This is her first year to plant one of the garden beds, but she was at her garden Tuesday with her two children, Judah, 1, and Zeke, 4. The boys helped when they could.

"My favorite part is watering," Zeke said as he dowsed the small tomato plant with water from a can that was almost as big as him.

Angie Flippo said she'd enjoyed meeting her neighbors at the garden, many of whom are international students.

Tuesday afternoon, Wu was tending her vegetables in the sunshine. She said many of the gardeners plant food items from their home countries that they cannot buy here.

For example, Wu planted Chinese onion because it's different than the kind widely available in the store. She bought the seeds at an Asian market. She also planted garlic, cumin and eggplant.

OU is good to let Kraettli residents garden in these plots, she said.

"It's organic and fresh, and we can save money also," she said.