Ed Kitchen
Ed Kitchen became a Master Gardener in Monroe County in 2018. He learned about the program and signed up for classes in 2017, shortly after retiring and moving to Bloomington with his wife. He had been living in Phoenix, but his two daughters attended IU and we fell in love with Bloomington during our many campus visits. His daughters decided to stay in the area, so it was an easy decision for them to relocate to Bloomington. Plus, they now have four granddaughters!
According to Ed “…the best things about being a Master Gardener are the tremendous education you receive from the classwork, and the fellow gardeners you meet along the way.” Ed further recounts what one long-time Master Gardener told him, “I have never found a Master Gardener that I couldn’t count as a friend.” True!
Ed serves on the MCMGA Board of Directors as Secretary and finds it rewarding to know the activities and decisions made by the Board further the association’s mission of ‘Helping Others Grow.’ He feels strongly about members stepping up and pitching in saying “I would encourage any Master Gardener to think about joining the board as vacancies pop up from time to time.
Ed’s interest in gardening stems from childhood when he helped tend the small vegetable garden his family had along with a small orchard. His family lived in the St Louis area and would occasionally visit the Missouri Botanical Garden.
“A showcase of the Missouri Botanical Garden is the ‘Climatron,’ a geodesic dome conservatory filled with rainforest plants. As a child, walking through the conservatory filled with tropical plants, especially in the dead of winter, got me hooked on growing houseplants which continues to this day.”
He and his wife maintain a large collection of orchids, cacti, succulents, citrus, and tropical plants, some of which they’ve had for over 40 years. “We purchased a plant which at the time was called a ‘pony tail’ Beaucarnia recurvata back in the early 80’s, which is now an elephant’s foot over 9 feet tall. This year it bloomed!” Along with the potted plants, they maintain an orchard, and several flower and vegetable beds. Ed concludes, “As you can tell, we love gardening!”
