If you’re not a gardener, you need to know this: gardeners love to share the wealth. There’s nothing better than looking around someone’s backyard and hearing the stories of where various plants came from – a grandmother’s lilac, a friend’s hosta, a neighbor’s zucchini vine that will one day conquer the world.
So when Becky Benya (an applications development manager) contacted Chase Leonelli, a wellness manager at Sequoia Wellness, to suggest that NEOMED follow in her former employer Kent State University’s footsteps to have a plant swap, he said yes.
Talk about getting out of your silos: Gardeners from across NEOMED divisions and departments gathered in Parking Lot A on a recent Monday to trade plants from their gardens – ferns, coneflowers, columbine, iris and more, with a few veggies thrown in.
Leonelli said, “I don’t know much about gardening, but I was happy to help organize the event along with Maureen Rude (who also works at Sequoia) and Becky. I hope to see it grow into a larger event next year!”