A rare blending of art, science, education, and nature comes together in the person of Joan Muench, coordinator of volunteer gardeners at MEMBG. Now an exuberant forty-something, Joan received her bachelor's degree in graphic design from UCLA and then earned a teaching credential from CSUN. In 1996, she completed the certificate program in horticulture and gardening through UCLA Extension. To hear her tell, the odyssey that led to her enrollment in that program and her involvement with MEMBG is nothing short of miraculous.
One spring day in 1994, Joan, who had spent twenty years as a professional graphic designer, went for her regular walk from her home to UCLA and back again. But this walk was different. Aside from her routine of having lunch on campus and enjoying the flowers along the way, as she strolled along Joan began asking herself one of the really BIG questions: "What do I want to do with the rest of my life?"
As a graphic artist, Joan was frustrated with spending most of her time indoors. She wanted to do something outdoors, so she called a local community college to ask about its horticulture program. Luckily for MEMBG, each of the three times she called, nobody answered the phone. While sorting through her mail that evening, Joan noticed her UCLA Extension catalog and opened it to the page on the horticulture certificate. She signed up for the program on the very next day and enrolled in her first class, "Introduction to Botany." Her life hasn't been the same since.
While learning about the science of horticulture and gardening, she also learned about MEMBG from a fellow student in class. She began volunteering here in June 1994, and a new love was born. After one year of volunteering, Joan was hired to work two days per week to prepare the garden for the October 1995 MEMBG symposium, "Neotropical Biodiversity and Conservation." Today, four years later, she is still working here.
In 1996, Joan and Elizabeth Schwartz (see the article, "Good Luck, Elizabeth," in our last issue) were asked to expand the garden's volunteer program, with the long-term goal of recruiting seventy-five volunteer gardeners. THe MEMBG currently has thirty-five volunteers, an eclectic group that ranges in age from 16 to72, and includes UCLA students, community residents, volunteers who help during lunchtime or on weekends, and even some folks who were introduced to MEMBG while visiting at the UCLA Medical Center. The typical volunteer devotes four to eight hours per week, and every two months volunteers meet on a Saturday morning for a lecture or demonstration by a gardening expert.
As coordinator, Joan interviews all prospective volunteers and provides an orientation to the garden that includes some basic botanical instruction as well as lessons on the use and care of gardening tools and equipment. Then, together with garden manager Rand Plewak, garden manager, she determines work priorities and assigns tasks based on individual gardeners' knowledge and skills. Joan also helps to plan field trips and social gatherings for volunteers. But Joan makes sure that she still gets her hands dirty, to--an essential pleasure for every gardener! On Monday, Friday, and Saturday, Joan can be found alongside other volunteers, weeding, pruning, raking, cleaning debris, potting plants, and preparing soil mixtures.
When asked what she likes best about the garden, Joan unhesitatingly replies that she likes the diversity of special sections and especially the streamside. There, in the midst of bustling West Los Angeles, she experiences quiet and peace. Her favorite plants are the shrubs. Also, trees and other plants that have interesting historical backgrounds fascinate her. As an artist Joan is particularly attracted to plant colors and forms, paying special attention to shapes, patterns, and textures. Pruning is a sculptural experience for her.
As a child, Joan was exposed to the joys of gardening by her father. She has pursued her lifelong love of gardens by traveling numerous times to England, visiting four to five gardens each trip, and also taking long walks in the English countryside. Joan's favorite garden is Christopher Lloyd's Great Dixter Garden in southern England, whe she especially enjoys the water garden, orchard, perennial border, and eighteen topiary birds. Here in the United States, Joan prefers the Huntington for its diversity and great desert garden; Rancho Los Alamitos for its small "kitchen garden" with benches, gates, small beds, and hanging pots; and, of course, MEMBG for its casual nature, calm, and peacefulness.
Still working part-time as a graphic designer, Joan has created a diverse life for herself. She finds opportunities to expand her gardening education by attending lectures at the Hortus nursery in Pasadena, at the Theodore Payne Foundation for native plants, and anywhere else she can learn about interesting topics. A Bruin sports buff, Joan regularly cheers on UCLA's football, basketball, tennis, and baseball teams. She swims three times a week--something she has been doing for eighteen years! Joan also enjoys films, particularly black-and-white movies, and is attracted to the drama of the lighting. She collects postcards of the Santa Monica area, where she lives in a condo and practices her gardening on a balcony. And she shares her busy, rich, and fulfilling life with five cats. Whew, what a gal!
Joan tells us that her association with our staff and volunteers gives her renewed faith in the human race. She is a real cheerleader for others, and, given all of her hard work and dedication, she deserves our gratitude and our cheers, too. So, thank you, Joan...and carry on!
[For information about becoming a volunteer gardener, call Joan at (310) 825-1260.]
Carol Felixson, Docent and Communications Coordinator