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In Memoriam
Jerry Baker
June 19 , 1931 – March 2 , 2017
Jerry Baker was an American author , entrepreneur , public speaker , and product spokesperson , who wrote numerous books on gardening , home hints and health topics . He called himself America ’ s Master Gardener ®, creating his famous DIY tonics using common household products like beer , baby shampoo , castor oil , and mouthwash .
Baker began his career in the 1960s as an undercover cop in Detroit , Michigan , posing as a gardener , tree trimmer , landscaper and seed salesman . He left the police force and eventually went to work as a horticulture buyer for S . S . Kresge Corporation . His interest in gardening led him to local radio and TV appearances in the Detroit area . He eventually became a frequent guest on Dinah Shore ’ s daytime TV show , Dinah ’ s Place . The exposure he received prompted him to write his first best-selling book , Plants Are Like People , in 1972 . Baker also began the national craze of talking to your plants with the publication of his second best-selling book , Talk to Your Plants , in 1973 .
In the 1990s and 2000s , Baker had his own series of gardening shows that ran on public television stations in the U . S . and Canada . PBS used them as pledge-drive specials ; the programs featured Baker ’ s down-home wisdom and commonsense solutions to gardening problems . From 1987 to 2007 , Baker hosted his own national call-in radio show called On the Garden Line .
— From jerrybaker . com
William Riley Marken
September 2 , 1942 - August 11 , 2017
William ( Bill ) Marken , 74 , of Los Altos , California , died August 11 , 2017 , at home surrounded by his family and listening to Bob Dylan . He lived life to its fullest until the end , especially after his diagnosis with pancreatic cancer in November 2015 . A lifelong Californian , Bill was born in Morgan Hill to Harry and Emma Marken , and grew up down the street from his future wife of 52 years , Marilyn Tonascia Marken . Early jobs in the orchards of the Valley along with visits to his father ’ s plant nursery inspired a lifelong love of gardens and nature .
After attending Occidental College and graduating from University of California-Berkeley in 1964 , he applied for a job , any job , at Sunset Magazine . Somehow his application caught the eye of the magazine ’ s gardening editor , who placed Bill temporarily on the landscaping crew while waiting for an editorial job to open up . After a while , Bill moved over to the editorial side and was assigned the massive revision of Sunset ’ s Western Garden Book ( which came out in 1967 ), while still working half time in the garden . From those humble beginnings , Bill had a 30-plus-year career at Sunset , eventually becoming the Editor-in-Chief in 1981 . During his term as Editor-in-Chief , from 1981-1996 , Sunset had its highest ever circulation .
Upon leaving Sunset , after it was purchased by Time , Inc ., Bill remained involved in magazine writing and editing , but also enjoyed delving into the new ( then ) online world , working for Garden . com and eHow . com , among others . Until last week , Bill was consulting for Garden Design magazine , as well as writing the occasional article — most recently “ Lessons from a Three Generation Edible Garden ” for the summer 2017 issue .
Despite a full professional life , Bill made time for many other interests . Having traveled to Lake Tahoe since a young boy , he felt strongly about preserving the lake and was on the Board of the League to Save Lake Tahoe for 16 years and served as its president for 4 years . Bill went back to school at the age of 65 and received his Masters of Liberal Arts from Stanford University in 2012 .
Bill is survived by his wife Marilyn , daughters Catherine Marken Boyle and Liz Marken Fiorentino , sons Mike and Paul Marken and 12 grandchildren — all who live nearby .
— Shared from the 2017-08-15 San Francisco Chronicle eEdition
Additional areas for up and coming demand for jobs and opportunities are :
• Performance-based landscapes for highway infrastructure
• Integrated Pest Management ( IPM ) growers for organic operation
• Aquaponics for residential and commercial use
• Composting productions and the diversity for new and improved products , including mushroom compost and its other byproducts
• Vermiculture , developing more pleasing designs of the bins and housing for these systems
• The production of biochar for the improvement of soil and regeneration for fire-dependent species
This list is by no means complete , but it shows very strong areas of interest from scientific professionals and students . I can ’ t wait to see what is coming next .
RESOURCES
• Mushroom Market Analysis
• American Mushroom Institute
• Philadelphia Orchard Project
• 20 Urban Food Forests Around the World
• Rutgers ’ Rain Garden Certification Program
• National Association of Realtors ’ Field Guide to Green Property Management
• Green Property Management
• Philly Urban Creators
• Greenville County Soil and Water Conservation
• North Carolina Certified Rain Garden Specialists
Eva Monheim is an assistant professor of horticulture at Temple University . When she ’ s not in the field with her students , she ’ s on the grounds of Longwood Gardens teaching woody plants and arboriculture to professional garden students . Her commitment to education is tireless , and her dedication to mentor students is paramount . A former newspaper columnist , she is an award-winning artist who loves dabbling in photography .
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