My Grandmother’s Garden
Years ago when I graduated from college and came home for the summer, my Grandma Joan helped me start my first garden in my parent's yard. We planted mostly fruits and vegetables like strawberries, tomatoes, and zucchini. We had so much fun watching it grow together and couldn’t believe what fertile soil was just beneath the surface. You should have seen how big everything grew! Now, we can’t stop talking about all things gardening when we are around each other.
Today I thought it would be fun to share with you how Joan, now 95 years old, got started gardening and why it’s been a life-long hobby for her.
How did you learn how to garden?
[Laughs] I don’t know if I ever have! When I had my first baby, I got a Sunset Western Garden book. I would sit while holding the baby and look at the Sunset book.
But I originally learned about the garden by visiting my grandmother, Elizabeth. She had a large piece of land in Arcadia and a big garden.
Joan’s Grandmother, Elizabeth’s, Garden
When we'd go to visit her, my mother and grandmother would walk around the garden and pick orange blossoms to wear in their hair.
The garden was very important to my grandmother. That was a big influence on me.
Photo on the left shows Joan with her grandmother and sister in her grandmother’s garden.
On growing a victory garden:
I grew up during WWII and just like in the recent pandemic, we had victory gardens. I lived at the top of a hill and my neighbors would all come over. We had quite a victory garden in my backyard. Our favorite thing to grow then was carrots. That was my first experience of raking and digging. The neighbors were all my friends. There were about 3 or 4 houses with neighbors who would come over and everyone would garden at my house. It was like a community garden. I remember we’d all pull up the weeds and we’d have wars and throw them in the air at the boys with the boys on one side and the girls on the other side.
What do you love about gardening?
I think the surprises. To this day I walk out in my garden and there’s a plant that I didn’t put there. Somebody did; The birds, the wind. But I love discovering what’s new. Every morning I look out and say “What’s new?”
Joan’s garden in La Crescenta
You used to have a beautiful rose garden when you lived in La Cresenta, CA. How did that get started?
In La Crescenta, I had a friend who was a Rosarian. She told me the names of roses, and how different roses come out every year, and introduced me to David Austin Roses. I got interested in climbing roses and had a Cecile Brunner because my grandmother had one. When I moved to Solana Beach, I took the Cecile Brunner rose with me.
What drew you to roses?
I like the fragrance and the way they look. I learned a lot when I worked at the Huntington and Descanso Gardens because they both had rose gardens. We knew the man in charge of the roses at the Huntington (Clair Martin), so we helped him every Saturday.
He wanted me and my friend, Doris to collect the names of roses in each bed. The beds were put together by year. We would literally crawl in the dirt because the labels were sometimes buried and attached to the main stem. We had to do it while the visitors were walking through the garden. I remember tourists walking by and instead of taking pictures of the roses, they took pictures of me and Doris!
Joan’s sister and niece in her La Crescenta garden
What’s the difference between gardening in La Cresenta and in Solana Beach (about 2 hours apart):
The soil in La Crescenta was so different than here in Solana Beach. Because La Crescenta was in a floodway, there were tons of rocks. They called it “Rock-Crescenta.” Here the soil was sandy. Since I’ve come to Solana Beach especially, I’m a lot more interested in succulents. I like how easy it is to break off a piece and stick it into the soil.
Photo on the left is Joan’s Solana Beach front garden in 1997.
On growing sunflowers:
I read a book about having a playhouse made of sunflowers. You plant the sunflowers in a circle and when they grow you tie them at the top in the middle so the kids can go in and sit under it. I did that and was so excited.
My grand-daughter, Gabbie, came over one day with 4-5 little girls and I suggested they go inside. They got in there and all of a sudden I heard screaming! They lasted about 2 minutes because there was a spider in there. They never went in there again!
What’s your favorite season in the garden?
Spring. Things come up that were here last year that I totally forgot about!
Joan’s garden in La Crescenta
If you could give a beginning gardener some advice, what would you say?
1) Buy the Sunset Western Garden book (if you live in the area).
2) Wear gloves. I never did that before, but now it’s a must.
3) If there are garden clubs, go.
Joan’s garden in La Crescenta
Joan’s grandmother, Elizabeth
Who is your garden inspiration?
1) My grandmother, Elizabeth.
2) Pat Welsh. She has a very thick book. She has everything in that book that you’ll ever want to know. I just looked up ranunculus bulbs and which side to plant them. She had it in there!
3) Nan Sterman. I watch Nan every Tuesday on television. She frequently writes long articles in the paper. She’s very practical.
Big thank you to Joan for agreeing to be interviewed for the blog today!
I will end by saying that any time someone asks me who my garden inspiration is, I always say my Grandma Joan. There’s something about gardening that makes it so special to pass down from generation to generation and I’m so grateful to have a grandma who taught me about the magic that gardening can bring to life.
Photo on the left is Joan with me, my mom, sister-in-law, and niece showing off our harvest.
