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James Yoch loves to help things grow – whether that's students or flowers.

The University of Oklahoma English professor has a similar philosophy for the two diverse loves in his life. As he pointed out one of the plants growing in his back yard, he drew the connection.

"It blooms better let free," he said. "And I think students do better let free."

Yoch will receive the Oklahoma Medal for Excellence for the university level at the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence's 22nd annual Academic Awards Banquet Saturday in Tulsa.

Yoch has taught Renaissance literature at OU for 44 years. His research has focused on the meaning of gardens in the Renaissance. This explains his fascination with gardens, but perhaps not enough to indicate the level of dedication he has to his own.

His garden covers his front and back yards at the two yellow houses he uses as his home and studio in east Norman. Greenery shoots out of every nook and cranny and roses dot the landscape.

When he moved there about 30 years ago, Yoch said his back yard was entirely bare, with only a band of flowers skirting the chain link fence.

"When you stepped out the door, you understood everything totally," he said. Now, the yard is divided by paths and hedges and shrubs, creating more interest.

When the reporter lost track of the path back to the studio, Yoch declared his garden a success.

"Now that is a good plot, because you're kind of lost," he said.

Gardens have plots and scenes just like plays, he said. People in the Renaissance -- including Shakespeare -- felt gardens had great meaning and would create stories and hide secrets with gardens.

Understanding this scenery helps Renaissance theater make sense, Yoch said. Another thing that makes theater more understandable is seeing it acted out, he said.

So instead of just reading plays, his students act them out. This helps them "learn by doing," Yoch said.

Students seem to enjoy that.