For four years, peer Vicki Lamica has attended Perry Wellness Center. Among the many reasons we appreciate her is the pride she takes in our campus’ appearance. Vicki often picks up overlooked debris on the grounds and grooms the plants at Rudy’s Happy Patch Market.

Staff member Mulkey McMichael is appreciative of her efforts and has picked up some helpful gardening advice. “I observed Vicki’s attention to her care of Knockout roses,” the avid gardener noted. “I asked her about the correct way to groom the plants, and she shared that she only removes spent blooms and not stalks. Vicki told me that when you remove spent blooms, they soon come back in full color.”

Vick’s advice has proved to be sound. Mulkey maintains the vast rose plantings found at Armageddon Gear on Highway 41 near Buena Vista. He has utilized her rose grooming tips with these plants, and they showing their appreciation in these early fall days.

“This is a simple job but does bring back the roses to full color,” Mulkey says. “I have also learned a special rose fertilizer made by Vigoro is great, and application of the fertilizer every two months. I passed the maintenance plan on to a UPS guy when I was at Armageddon. I told him that we had more roses at the Perry Wellness Center market. He was pleased to learn of the proper maintenance, and it was a way to drop the name, Perry Wellness Center!”

From Vicki to Mulkey to Buena Vista industry to UPS, paying it forward can even apply to excellent rose gardening advice.

In the photo above, Vicki Lamica takes pride in her task of plant maintenance at Perry Wellness Center.