VIDALIA — Mary Lee White has been living at her home on Walnut Street for 35 years, which has given her plenty of time to grow all sorts of commodities.

From plumbs to cherry tomatoes to flowers, White said she enjoys giving away God’s creation to whoever wants to share in it — for free.

When The Dart landed on her house, White was more than happy to show off everything she had grown.

“Anyone who wants them can come pick them,” White said. “I don’t like to sell this stuff. It belongs to God. He blesses us with it, so why sell it?”

White said she moved into the house more than three decades ago to help take care of her aunt, a relative she actually didn’t know as a child.

“I was probably 23 at the time I met her, and she was probably in her 90s,” White said. “She didn’t have any children, and I started cutting her grass.”

White was no stranger to helping the elderly, as she was working in the nursing home at the time, she said. After her aunt died, White inherited the house.

A garden in the back yard allows her to grow greens and butterbeans, White said. In addition, her yard is home to honeysuckles in the late spring.

“They usually start blooming around May,” White said.

One of the first things visitors might notice is the “Beware of Dog” sign on the fence surrounding White’s house. The dog, Sunshine, is very protective of White, she said.

“He’s a good dog. I’ve had him for five years,” White said.

Two years ago, White said Sunshine stuck by her when she was going through a rough time emotionally.

“I had a nervous breakdown, and he laid right beside me on the floor while I was on the couch,” White said.

“He became very protective. When I come home now, he checks every room for me, like a security dog.”

White said while she’s still dealing with some emotional issues, her faith in God has given her the strength to press through.

“I just stay on my knees,” White said. “It’s going to work out. He’s powerful. He picked me up off the floor when I was down.”