Mary Lewis

Syngenta Flowers

Associate breeder

What 3-4 professional and/or personal accomplishments are you most proud of? 

• I am very proud to have been at college during the time when Tim Smalley and Paul Thomas were teaching. The amount of knowledge and opportunities I was exposed to as a result of their mentorship, set me on a completely different career projection than I thought I’d pursue. 
• I was able to travel the world and see the formative gardens of our history, learn horticultural practices of different countries, work for Disney and access internships. I don’t think I could’ve gotten anywhere else — to then go to grad school and work on such a fascinating crop like asclepias, and have the unforeseen success I did with it, was also an accomplishment I will always be proud of. Which all accumulated to what I do now, doing breeding work for Syngenta Flowers. 
• Being mentored by the best in the business and getting to create and perfect products for the industry. It has been so rewarding that I can’t believe I’ve been at the job for two years already.

What led you to work in the horticulture industry? 

• Paul Thomas, Ockert Greyvenstein and Anne Leventry. I was all set and determined to finish my undergrad and start a career as a grower when Paul Thomas asked me the simple question of: “What do you dream of doing?” I gave some answer to the extent of, I’d love to do breeding but I didn’t see that as being possible.
• Within four months, Anne had opened a breeder’s assistant position with PanAm, and Ockert found himself stuck with me for a summer. That was it for me. I knew in three weeks that this was what I wanted to do and it was worth going to grad school for. That fall, I was in grad school and four years later, here I am. Happy as a pansy in a planter.

What’s the best thing about your job? 

• I get to do what I love, every day.

Describe to a 6-year-old what you do in life? 

• I work with plants.
• I create flowers for your yards that grow better, look prettier, have unique colors and support the bees and butterflies.

What are your favorite hobbies? 

• Reading
• Hiking
• Sewing
• Napping in scenic locations

When you’re not working, what are two things we could find you doing? 

• Cursing my life choices halfway through an All Trails “moderate”-rated hike
• Searching for the best boba

Do you have any unusual talents, or can you tell us something interesting about yourself that other people may be surprised to find out? 

• I just recently made a debut as a model for the Delta Pro series promotional materials. I know, not something I had ever envisioned for myself, but they needed a face to put with the product’s release and everyone else was out of the office that day, I guess. They will probably never make that same mistake in asking for my help again — but I can say it was a rather fun experience. 

What are you (un)secretly good at?

• Finding good boba spots

What are your top three bucket list items? 

• • Have a series release I bred
  • Visit every U.S. national park
  • Eventually be known as an industry leader 

One thing you can’t live without? 

• Sunscreen

What’s your favorite plant variety and why? 

• Daphne odora.
• I adore the fragrance of that plant, and they are finicky enough that having a healthy plant makes me feel accomplished as a gardener. 

You’re buying a vacation package to anywhere in the world without a budget, where are you going? 

• Italy. England has beautiful gardens, but I love the gardens in Italy more.
• Plus, the food is amazing and the wine is better than in France.