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WAYNESVILLE — For 11 years, Linda Hoppe has been caretaker of a wonderful gift to the town.

The Waynesville Fire House Garden was created in 1997 to honor Waynesville's bicentennial.

Hoppe said she remembers how she began taking care of the garden.

"One day I was walking home from the grocery and noticed there were a lot of weeds. I took my groceries home, came back, and began pulling them up," she said. "From that day on the job was mine."

Because she takes care of the garden alone, she plans what it looks like.

"Every year it's different," she said. "I like to always get new plants. I start the process as early as winter. I look at the home and garden magazines, find new and exciting plants."

She is committed to taking care of the garden because of her love for the town.

"The garden means so much to me," she said.

Hoppe is a native of Kettering. She and her husband moved to Waynesville a few years ago.

Before both retired, she was an English teacher for the Kettering City Schools and her husband was a football coach at Alter High School.

Most summer days residents can be seen checking out the flowers, relaxing in the gazebo and taking pictures in the garden.

"For me, at 67, I don't know what my shelf life will be, but right now it's looking pretty good. I plan on doing this a long time."

Contact this reporter at mhoward@Dayton

DailyNews.com.