Article by Gwen Jones, Department of Family Services
(Posted 2022 July)
Joe Francis is the ultimate lifelong learner. At 86 years old, he has devoted much of his life to learning about plants and gardens. As a member of Fairfax County’s Master Gardener Program, Joe also enjoys sharing his knowledge about gardening with members of the community.
Joe’s interest in plants began almost by accident. Growing up in Lackawanna County, PA, Joe attended a boarding school where the boys were required to play sports as part of their education. Lacking enthusiasm for sports, Joe was often sent to the office as punishment for not participating. During one of those visits, the 14-year-old noticed a landscaping crew working outside and asked if he could join them instead of participating in team sports. The headmaster agreed and Joe’s gardening education began. Joe learned very basic plant care while working with the crew, but the experience sparked his lifelong fascination with gardening.
After graduating from high school, Joe joined the Army and left Pennsylvania. While in the Army, Joe was often transferred so he was unable to put down roots. However, during this time he met and married his wife, Agatha (Aggie) and they had a son. While their son was still an infant, Joe was sent to serve in the Vietnam War. When he returned to the states, he was stationed at the Pentagon. Joe and his family initially moved to Arlington, but in 1970 purchased their home in Herndon. Situated on three acres, the four-square style home, built in 1906, was ideal for Joe’s gardening ambitions.
While Joe and Aggie were improving their home, raising their son, and developing their gardens, Joe also developed a passion for orchids. His interest began when Aggie gave him his first orchid (which he still owns.) Knowing little about how to care for orchids, Joe joined the National Capital Orchid Society and began attending seminars and workshops offered by the society and its sister societies. In addition to the seminars, Joe also learned a lot about orchid care from his fellow society members.
As Joe’s orchid collection grew, he became interested in finding all the old orchid hybrids. He also learned about the primary diseases that affected orchids and worked to purge diseased plants from his collection.
When Joe retired from the Army, he embarked on a second career – working at a nonprofit for 23 years until retiring for good in 2001. That same year, Joe joined Fairfax County’s Master Gardener Program. To become certified as a Master Gardener, members must complete 33 hours of training per year for three years, and once certified, provide 24 hours of community service annually.
As Joe grew more active with the program, he became impressed by his fellow members. Many of them were like Joe – recent retirees who brought a wide range of knowledge and skills to the program. Joe noticed that the one shared trait of all his fellow Master Gardeners is their passion for giving back. In fact, when asked what he most enjoys about the Master Gardener program, Joe says that he loves the clinics. “To me, that was the greatest part of the experience. People would ask weird questions and we had to pull out what they were really asking. This interaction and helping the public was the greatest thing.”
During his many years with Fairfax County’s Master Gardeners Association, Joe has held many leadership roles and has become a beloved figure among members and Virginia Cooperative Extension staff. Beyond his expertise and many contributions to improving the FCMGA, Joe is known for making new members feel welcome and helping them find a place within the group where they can get involved and thrive.
In addition to serving as a Master Gardener, Joe has found many other ways to give back to his community. For 37 years, Joe donated plants to the Town of Herndon for the landscaping of public spaces. This partnership began when Joe remarked to Herndon’s then-mayor about how ugly the shrubbery was at the Herndon Community Center. The mayor responded by inviting Joe to use his gardening skills to beautify it. Joe accepted the challenge and began providing plants he grew in his greenhouse to Herndon’s landscaping crews, along with advice for how to care for them.
Joe recently donated his collection of orchids to the U.S. Botanic Garden. The 700+ plants are now housed in one of their facilities and put on display when they bloom.
Over the past few years, Joe has also grown tomato seedlings in his greenhouse and donated them to community gardens. He chooses varieties that produce smaller plant sizes and have high nutritional value. This year he donated over 60 plants of varieties such as Cherokee Red and Brandywine.
Joe and Aggie have no plan to leave their beloved home and have made modifications to ensure that they can age in place, including installing an elevator and making the bathrooms accessible. They both continue to work tirelessly in their garden with some assistance from a landscaping crew, who have learned a lot while working alongside the couple. Joe continues to be an active member of and tireless advocate for the Master Gardener program, saying “People can bring their own gifts and talents to the Master Gardener program. It is a great opportunity for retirees or empty nesters. It gives you a whole new life!”
Learn more about Fairfax County’s Master Gardener program at FairfaxGardening.org
Three Simple Steps for a Successful Garden
by Joe Francis
Step 1: Test your soil. This will tell you what you need to add to the soil to ensure your plants will thrive.
Step 2: Study your light patterns. By studying how much sun a location gets at various times of day, you can determine what plants you can successfully grow in that location.
Step 3: Plant your garden!
This article is part of the Golden Gazette monthly newsletter which covers a variety of topics and community news concerning older adults and caregivers in Fairfax County. Are you new to the Golden Gazette? Don’t miss out on future newsletters! Subscribe to get the electronic or free printed version mailed to you. Have a suggestion for a topic? Share it in an email or call 703-324-GOLD (4653).