From July 2024
Joanne grew up in Pennsylvania in a small town named Yardley. Their house was bordered by land that was owned by a local farmer, and the community was sandwiched between the Delaware River and the Delaware Canal – lots of woods, lots of fields. She spent a lot of her childhood exploring the nature around her. In the summer, Joanne would go out in the fields and pick wild strawberries to put on her breakfast cereal. Walking through the fields and woods was somewhat of a morning ritual for her (something no parent would probably let their 7 year old do alone these days!). During one early morning jaunt in the fields, Joanne decided to pick a bouquet of wildflowers for her mom. She gathered the flowers, brought them into the house, found a vase, and placed them in the middle of the breakfast table. Her grandfather was visiting at the time, and when he came down for breakfast, he began sneezing uncontrollably. Apparently, he was severely allergic to ragweed!
When Joanne was about 12 years old, her dad became very interested in vegetable gardening. He constructed a plethora of raised beds and planted broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplant, lettuce, green beans, etc. Needless to say, this came with its fair share of weeding. Her dad had a rule that they were to spend two hours each day working outside. Joanne’s siblings hated it, but she grew accustomed to using weeding as a time to observe what was going on in the garden. The best thing about the garden was being able to visit just before dinner, and harvest an array of fresh vegetables. To this day, she often thinks of her dad when she is out in her garden, and secretly wishes that he was still around to help her.
Inspired by her daughter, Joanne and her husband, John, moved to White Salmon in 2015 from Southern California. Early on, they constructed several raised beds for vegetable gardening and enjoyed the fruits of their labor, but felt that they weren’t quite in tune with the flora of the Pacific Northwest. It wasn’t Pennsylvania and it definitely wasn’t SoCal. Joanne joined Master Gardeners in 2019 with the intention of learning the unique environment of the Columbia River Gorge from a scientific perspective: soil, environmental conditions, flora, fauna, etc. After the first year, she emerged feeling like she had a thimble’s worth of knowledge – the plant world is vast, diverse, and complex. You can’t learn it in a few months. As Master Gardeners, no one has all the answers; we just know where to look for them. Moreover, there is often no right answer; there is only an answer that is right for you based on your gardening objectives and tolerance for imperfection. Joanne’s best advice for new trainees is to get comfortable with not knowing, use your resources to explore the range of potential solutions, and don’t be afraid to ask for help! Among the many and varied CGMGA activities that Joanne is involved in, she also serves on the CGMGA board and as our treasurer.
Joanne’s personal garden style is eclectic – just like her life! She loves the randomness and chaos of an English Garden as well as the serenity and structure of a Japanese Garden. There are different garden features on her property that are a combination of the previous owners, and things they’ve developed since moving here. It isn’t a cohesive site with a theme but rather, a collection. They have an herb garden, a peony garden (gratis to Laurel DeTar), a somewhat drought-resistant garden, a vegetable garden and a south facing slope where they are trying to cultivate natives (she says they are losing to the invasives but they keep trying!). All of this is surrounded by a walkable forested area.
Educationally, Joanne has a bachelor’s and master’s degree in chemical engineering, so she has science and data in her blood. She loves learning and solving problems which is a great fit for the MG program. However, she also has a profound love of nature and enjoys meditative walks amongst the majestic trees and wildflowers of the Pacific Northwest. Connecting with nature brings her joy, clears her mind and grounds her. She doesn’t have a favorite plant because she sees beauty in everything from a humble tomato to a coast redwood to a rare mushroom. She is in constant awe of nature’s ability to create and adapt. Through gardening, Joanne experiences the powerful presence and beauty of nature, while enjoying her varied collection of fruits, vegetables, flowers, and trees.
Cheryl McKay
Leave a Reply