Mildred Roundtree doesn’t like to see a yard with wasted space. An avid gardener, she describes her former house as having “every inch of my lawn covered with flowers or my garden.” When Mildred moved to Phoebe Wyncote, she noticed there were some flowers, but not enough for her green thumb!

Shortly after she moved to Phoebe, Mildred was on an outing and sat next to another resident named Sharon. As they rode the bus, they started a conversation about flowers. Sharon also had a garden and mentioned to Mildred that she would love to look out her window at Phoebe and see flowers. This was the exact place where Mildred had first noticed needed flowers at Wyncote, and Mildred’s immediate response was, “Sharon, you’ll have flowers in that space!”

“God wouldn’t let me stop,” Mildred said. She went to a local garden supply store, picked out seeds, and helped them germinate before transferring them outside. “This was a journey from God, and He put me on this journey.”

Mildred worked tirelessly on the Wyncote Memorial Garden and finished in time for Sharon to see flowers from her window before she passed away.

The Phoebe Wyncote Memorial Garden was dedicated on November 4, and Mildred’s family and residents gathered outside to celebrate the new life that was planted on campus. Mildred is upset that the cooler weather means she will have less time to spend outside working in the garden. She is anxious for spring to arrive. She hopes to one day add a cross and bench, giving residents a place to sit and think about memories.

If you would like to donate to the Phoebe Wyncote Memorial Garden, please contact Rondell Dawson at [email protected].