Pam Morrison (ISyE) and Sheyil Taylor (BME) are known around their schools for their love of all things that bud and bloom. With April being gardening month we talked to them about some of their favorite indoor and outdoor plants for sprucing up offices or yards. It just so happened that we caught Pam right before she officially retired on March 31, so we took the opportunity to get her thoughts on her careers at Tech. Good luck to Pam as she begins a new phase in her life which is bound to be filled with hours of gardening.

Pam Morrison
Admissions Coordinator II
Industrial & Systems Engineering

When did you come to Georgia Tech and what roles have you had here?

In 1979 I had three children and needed to go back to work. I decided I'd work somewhere with good benefits. My sister worked at Bell South but it takes a long time to get in there because you have to take testing and whatnot. So I went to a temp service but I failed the typing test and they said there was nothing they could do for me. As I was leaving I saw another temp service, and this was on a Friday afternoon. By the time I got home they'd called me and wanted to know if I'd go to Georgia Tech. This was in November of 1979 when industrial engineering was in A. French. I went there for two weeks, then went to some more temp places. IE called me again and asked me if I'd come back. I did and my first Georgia Tech friend was Patty Parker. She kept talking to me about working at Georgia Tech and she convinced me to stay. Bell South called, but I turned it down to stay here. Clayton State called me too, but I turned them down as well. 

I left in 1985 to stay home with my children. I had three in five years and they were a handful for my mother to care for. So I left with no intentions of coming back. I even took my money out of TRS and planned to stay home. In 1991 my husband decided to be self employed, so I needed medical coverage for our family. I didn't want to get up and look for a job, but John White, who I knew from industrial engineering, became the dean of the College of Engineering and Fran Cochrane called and said she needed a receptionist in the dean's office. I put her off for a little while but I finally came back in November of 1991. I stayed in the dean's office until after the Olympics and then I came over to ISyE when this position (academic advisor) opened. I've been doing this since 1996. 

What did you like about ISyE?

I have so many friends here. There was a group of us, and almost everyone is retired. We mostly came in at the same time in the late 70's or early 80's, and we had so much fun together. We'd eat together, or go to plays or dinner together after work. Mike Thomas was the school chair and he made it a fun place to work.

Leaving now it's not so hard, because so many of my friends are gone. The new people are wonderful, but it's just time for me to go. I have so many things to do that I haven't done in all these years. I get to see my granddaughter's Easter play, and things like that. And I do like to work in my yard.

What do you plant in your yard?

I have flowers, trees, shrubs- I love all of it. I can just picture how things should look and be laid out. I like to keep my pine straw neat and fluffy. I also plant a few vegetables. Last year I planted okra for the first time and it turned out well. I plant tomatoes of course, and squash and green beans. I may try carrots. 

Fighting the deer has been a problem. They've gone after my vegetables, but I found a potion on Pinterest. It's a natural potion and it seemed to keep the deer off of my day lilies. They love day lilies but this works. It smells pretty bad. It's eggs, milk, hot pepper sauce, and some water. You just mix it up in a gallon jug and let it get ripe outside. You put it in a pump sprayer and it repels the deer (here is the recipe).

Do you have any tips for prepping soil before planting?

I'm always looking to try new things, and I've read recently that banana peels are good for rose bushes. Eggshells are good too. If you crush them and sprinkle them on the ground they keep snails and other pests away. Coffee grounds are supposed to be a good fertilizer.

Do you enjoy the landscaping on campus?

I love the plants on our campus. I've talked to our campus gardener and she's wonderful. We talk about people murdering crape myrtles. The ones along the walkway coming from the student center up to the ISyE building are beautiful. The bark is so smooth and they are laid out so well. They make a canopy or arch, even in the winter. She says not to prune them like so many people do, because that causes knots. It's not nearly as beautiful to me. I don't cut mine down.

I really like hydrangeas as well. I have a lot of them and I just got some limelight hydrangeas last year with white blossoms. We have so many oak leaf hydrangeas around campus and they look wonderful  They're all so beautiful when they bloom. Sometimes I cut my blossoms and hang them to dry to use as decorations. 

Do you have plants in your office?

In my office I've had violets. In my old office they had a window, and in my newer office I use the sunlight lightbulbs and I leave it on 24 hours a day. They've done very well.

What are some of your favorite plants to use in landscaping that are easy for beginners to maintain?

Hollies are easy to grow and maintain. You just have to prune them before they bloom, and that's what gives you the berries. I have various junipers. They make great ground cover so you don't have to use as much pine straw. Deer don't like junipers at all. Crape myrtles are also very hardy and easy to maintain, especially if you don't cut them back. I also have a pyracantha that's very pretty. It's an evergreen shrub that gets beautiful red berries. I really gravitate to plants with a lot of color in different seasons. That's why I love maple trees too. They're so bright and pretty in the fall. 

I don't like to prune my shrubs or trees. I like them to look natural, and it's much easier that way.

Congratulations on your retirement. Do you have any parting thoughts as you finish up your time at Tech?

It's been a great place to work. I'm very grateful for Tech's retirement plan, and we're very fortunate to have it.  Everyone was very flexible and accommodating when it came to balancing work and life as a parent. I've worked with some great people and fantastic students and I'm leaving with a lot of wonderful memories. I'll miss it, but I know it's the right time to go.
 

Sheyil Taylor
Business Administrator for Research
Biomedical Engineering

When did you come to Georgia Tech and what roles have you had here?

I've been at Georgia Tech since 2003. I started off over at GTRI in building services as an administrative assistant. Then I came over here to the academic side in 2005 and worked for Dr. Harvey in biology as his administrative assistant. Then in 2006 I came to biomedical engineering and I've been here ever since. I came in as an admin but now I'm a business administrator for research. I support six professors with their grants and university life. I help keep them organized.

What do you like about working here?

I like the academic environment here at Georgia Tech. I worked in the department of corrections for over 10 years, and this is a breath of fresh air. Everything there was so locked down, but being in an academic environment is much more open and relaxed. I like it a lot.

I love working here at Georgia Tech. I love the work we do- some of the professors I work with are doing research on the Ebola virus, which is very interesting and exciting. It's very fulfilling, and there's always something new developing. I'm thankful and I'm blessed to be here. 

You have a reputation around your school for being the plant lady. How many do you have in your office?

I have about 10 plants in my office. I just love plants. I have a lot of them in my home too. I love flowers and gardening, and everything about it.

Do you have any idea where your interest in plants came from?

My mother and my grandmother fostered my love of plants- even my great grandmother. It's just something that's always been in our family. My great grandmother had a plant from the philodendron family called a split leaf- they look like a hand and they're really big and green- and she used to have them in the yard and in the house. You can take pieces and grow more plants off of them, so everybody in our family got a piece of that plant, and it was kind of a family tradition. I still have plants that came from that one plant. It's just part of our family..

What advice do you have for people who would like to have plants in their office?

I like to fertilize them three or four times a year. I give them some type of plant food. Some people use eggshells either on the soil or mixed in. I personally don't like the way that looks sometimes, but I know people who do it, and their plants are very pretty. I also like to water them with rain water. If you can collect rain water and use that I think it makes a big difference. To me though, the most important thing is talking to them. You have to talk to your plants. They like it. They like attention. I talk to them when I'm watering them, just like you'd talk to an animal. I name my plants too.

I also use sunlight lightbulbs in my office. I requested them from facilities and they brought them for me. It's a much more natural light and if you have an office without much natural light they're good for the plants, and for you too.

You also want to re-pot your plants occasionally, especially if they're getting too big for their pot. Some people do it very regularly but I do it every few years. I like them to have a good established root ball before I move them. I don't want to disturb them when they're still growing their roots out. 

When it comes to indoor plants, I think it's best to have a system for watering. I water mine every Friday. They get a nice big drink. Having a schedule is easier for you and for the plants.

What should people consider when choosing plants for their office?

If you don't plan to be very attentive you need to choose your plants carefully. People buy plants because they look pretty, but a lot of times the ones with really nice colors require a lot of extra attention. The African violet is one that people like the look of, but there's a special way to water it and care for it. They require a lot of attention and maintenance. Certain plants are just like that.

On the other hand, I have one in a pot in my office that I call a Florida philodendron, and that thing is wild. It's in a small clay pot and it grows all over my shelves. It just keeps growing and growing. It doesn't need as much attention. Some of my plants come from cuttings from the plants of friend and co-workers. Just give them some soil and water and they'll sprout into a new plant- they're so resilient.

I also rescue plants for co-workers. I adopt them for a few months and bet them thriving again before I give them back.

What should people be doing this time of year to get ready for outdoor gardening?

By the beginning of April you want to have most of your seeds in the ground. It's been a wet spring, so the soil is nice and soft. I've planted all the way into August though, so if you haven't started it's not too late at all.

Vegetables can be planted now, depending on what they are. People should be cleaning out their gardens, turning over the soil, putting nutrients or fertilizers in, and that type of thing. I'm planting tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions. Be careful not to over water your plants and vegetables. If they get too much water the roots will rot. You have to find the right amount for them. 

Whatever you do, make sure you enjoy it. It's a great time of year to be enjoying the weather outside and getting your hands dirty. Gardening is great for your soul.