Share Your Story: First person

Internal Communications’ Linda Clarke describes a recent morning conversing with colleagues.

Yale Gardeners Ronnie Brown (left) and Mike “Sully” Sullivan, Grounds Maintenance, were working in a bed of daffodils near 221 Whitney Avenue the other day when I stopped on the way to the office. I was interested in how they were caring for the daffodils since the flowers had already bloomed. Why were they were folding over the stems and then tying them together?

Sully explained to me that this was the best way to give as much nourishment as possible to the daffodil bulbs so next year’s blooms will be robust and healthy—the natural process of photosynthesis goes on until the folded stems turn brown and can then be cut off. I thanked Ronnie and Sully for their expertise and continued on my way to work, determined to do the same with the daffodils in my garden at home.

Linda Clarke, editor, It’s Your Yale
Photo by Rob DeSanto, senior digital communications officer, Internal Communications