Meet Jane Walsh

Jane grew up in Northern New Jersey. Having joined the Navy to see the world, she was a bit dismayed that her first duty station was in Lakehurst, NJ. Eventually, because of her love for Romance languages (she taught Latin and Spanish in New Jersey, Virginia, and Texas before and after her 18 years in the USN), she was stationed in Portugal at the NATO Headquarters near Lisbon. Thanks to the Navy, she earned a Masters’ degree in National Security Affairs at Navy Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA, where she met her husband, Stephen. They have one son, Danny, born in the old Portsmouth Naval Hospital during Hurricane Gloria.

As a child, Jane remembers the smell of roses and spearmint, and the faces on the pansies in her Nonna’s garden. Her father carried on the gardening tradition at their home, growing Jersey tomatoes (best in the world), and other vegetables. Years later, ending up in Virginia, she was thrilled to see the size of the pansies, and to learn that they survive the winter! She has lived in West Ghent, Larchmont, and finally East Ghent for more than 20 years. She misses the extremely fruitful peach tree and roses in the first home, and the tulip magnolia on Monterey Avenue (that the subsequent owners cut down!) At her current home, she has learned to appreciate the southern sun.

Being a dog lover, Jane often took long walks with her mutts, Blondie, then Betty (RIP Feb. 2023). Blondie loved the water fountain at “The Fred,” and Betty recommended the smells around Maury High. One day, there was a lady tending to the larkspurs at the Fred Heutte Center who was a Master Gardener. She later asked Bob Kelly how to apply for training and was accepted into the class of 2015. For her first 50 hours, she worked on Li’l Sprouts, Ask A Master Gardener, the Hermitage, Zoo Horticultural Cart, and the spring plant sale. Since then, she still enjoys the same activities, joined the Speakers’ Bureau, does resilience projects and more. She loves to whack phragmites.

When she is not working on MG projects, Jane loves to write deep thoughts. She works in her garden, sees a movie about every week, takes the train to New York as often as possible to see plays and independent films. In Norfolk she loves the Chrysler and Barry Art museums, the Virginia Symphony, and the Naro Expanded Cinema. At home she watches Jeopardy and aces the Latin and Myth questions. Lately she’s into Korean TV. She is also studying Italian! She loves to photograph flowers, outdoor art, architecture, decaying buildings, and NYC subway mosaics. She likes racquetball and snow sports, plays Words with Friends, both kinds of Mahjongg, and wishes most of all she could be around horses.

When you see Jane, you can ask her about any movies worth seeing, and invite her to different MG activities you enjoy.