Chris Houchin: Professional Gardener and Landscaper
Company: Quiet Garden Landscaping
chris@quietgardenlandscaping.com
818-515-hush

On being Ed Begley’s Gardener…
Being Ed Begley Jr.’s gardener certainly has its rewards and challenges. Apart from the fact that I’ve gotten to know one of the worlds foremost environmentalists (who’s just an all around great guy), on a personal basis, the rewards are simply knowing that my work has a positive impact on our environment. I know that the role I play is a small one, but it really does have to start somewhere. It’s fairly easy these days to keep a well-maintained and thoroughly manicured yard. It’s not as easy to do that the environmentally correct way or what I’ve dubbed the “Enviro-Friendly Gardening Way.”

Enviro-Friendly Gardening Enemy #1 – two-cycle engines
I began Quiet Garden, and to a much greater degree, became Ed’s gardener, out of my shear disgust for the 2 cycle leaf blower. To make it clear, fuel for two-cycle, or “Two-Stroke” engines, is a gasoline-oil mixture, thus particularly toxic. The pollutants emitted from them are tremendous. They emit air and noise pollution which are both detrimental to our physical well being and are also extremely detrimental to the already terrible air conditions, particularly in cities like Los Angeles. According to the U.S. EPA, small gasoline engines create up to 20 percent of the air pollution and according to the Lung Association, a leaf blower causes as much smog as 17 cars. Sorry for the scare tactics. However, I think we can all agree with Ed Begley, me and many others that this is something worth serious consideration.

I first met Ed Begley Jr. at the local hardware store where he was delivering a shipment of his Begley’s Best natural cleaning solution. He hired me on the spot to maintain his Studio City property, right after learning of my service in which I use only conventional, electric and battery powered gardening tools. These tools include a rake, a 24-volt cordless lawn mower, a rechargeable weed whacker, an electric weed whacker, and yes, two different kinds of non-combustion leaf blowers.

The “Cordless Broom”, as it’s called, can run about 10-13 minutes on one fully charged 18 volt battery and is more than adequate for clearing walkways, porches and similar surfaces of dust and debris. They create zero emissions and create about the same sound as your hair dryer. The other requires an extension cord and a standard 110 outlet. It has quite a bit more power, and unfortunately more sound, than the cordless variety, but is still much quieter than any two stroke engine. Yes, running an extension cord can be a bit of a “drag” (pardon the pun), but once you get your system down it’s not that big a deal. Besides, it’s mostly in the autumn when tremendous amounts of organic debris require collection.

One huge factor to consider when on the subject of yard cleaning is that the weekly routine of blowing and manicuring our yards, like so many suburbanites are used to, abuses the soil, robbing it of its natural source of nutrients. These nutrients are particularly important for healthy, fruit-bearing plants. Many folks, like Ed Begley and myself, realize the importance and the need to be able to grow our own food in and around the cities. For the day may soon come when shipping food from other parts of the country may become less practical due to fuel shortages or even other acts of God. Again, I’m not trying to scare or spread fear, just awareness. Often I might rake some of the big stuff and blow the rest into the beds so it can decompose and become mulch. Soil and plants can benefit from this. It also helps hold moisture in the ground.

Pick up a rake, but don’t be a “Land-scraper!”
It’s not necessary to be super obsessive about organic debris! It’s good sometimes - particularly in some of the planter beds. In the spring and fall I’ll go through the planter beds and do a thorough cleanup. At this time, I might add some soil conditioner like Grow Power or Dr. Earth.

We also put much of the organic garden debris, along with organic scraps from the kitchen, in Ed’s compost pile. It’s actually more like a compost hut, but whatever your preference, every enviro-friendly garden and gardener should have some sort of compost area if possible. Within no time, it turns into the richest soil you’ll never have to buy.
I could go on and on about the ill effects of gas-powered blowers. Their effects on mothers, new borns, elderly people, people with asthma, night workers or, the stress it causes to our friends in the animal world are well documented. Not to mention the fact that many communities now have city ordinances making the two-cycle leaf blower illegal. Bottom line is . . . blowers are bad!

Enviro-Friendly Gardening Enemy #2 - pesticides
The use of pesticides, herbicides and molluskicides has become a common and accepted way of controlling what lives and what doesn’t live in our gardens. This is NOT acceptable in the Begley Garden, however. I must admit, this does make my job exponentially more challenging and quite frankly can make me look bad too. For those who watch the HGTV show Living With Ed, you might notice how Rachelle often makes mention of the weeds which are constantly popping up in and around their yard. Another gardener in another yard might have a pressurized canister containing “Round Up” or a similar grass/weed killer to spray and kill these overnight growers before they can go to seed and spread throughout the yard. Moreover, another gardener in another garden might use a metaldehyde-based molluskicide or “snail bait’ to kill slugs and snails or a malithion-based spray to eliminate white flies, black flies or aphids. Not at Ed’s though…and for good reason. Any real environmentalist is well aware of the devastating effects that these chemicals have on our environment.

As for the unwanted grass and weeds, Rachelle and I do spend a fare amount of time simply pulling them by hand. When pulling weeds and grass, you want to make sure that you get the root. Small metal weeding tools are useful. In addition, drought tolerant planting (which will be covered in the next section) will help minimize the spread of weeds.

Snails and slugs are big enough to gather by hand if you dare. They are pretty slimy but completely harmless.
You’ll want to get out there early in the morning or after the sun goes down when it’s cool and moist in order to find them easily. Otherwise, you can go hunting for them where they hide. For instance, they like to hide around concrete footings, walls and other hard vertical surfaces. If you have agapanthus (otherwise known as “Lilly’s of the Nile”), there’ll be a bunch in there! An Agapanthus plant is like an apartment complex for snails and slugs.

Snail traps are commercially available at your local home and garden shop. You might even try experimenting with beer traps. Yes, It seems that snails, as well as gardeners, love beer. When it’s time to dispose of the little critters, salty water works well (if crushing them freaks you out). For controlling small pests like white flies, black flies and aphids, the answer can be as simple as mixing up some soapy water in a sprayer and applying it directly to the tiny invaders. Even a good spray from a hose can disrupt there destructive behavior for awhile.
Aggressive, seasonal pruning can help keep pests and disease at bay, too.

Enviro-Friendly Gardening Enemy #3 – water
This would be the water monger. Many southern Californians, and Southwestern Americans alike, don’t seem to want to come to grips with the fact that we live in a desert. Los Angeles, as the nations second largest city, really only exists because of the aggressive and borderline illegal Owens Valley and Mono Lake water transfer which has been taking place since the early 1900’s through the Los Angeles aqueduct system. Ask a farmer, rancher or Native American from the Owens Valley if they think it’s fair, ethical or even wise that we in Southern California boast our great, green grassy lawns and gardens as a sort of a status symbol, while they barely have enough water left for their crops and live stock.

As a strict environmentalist, Mr. Begley realizes that, first of all, the water diverted into L.A. is not really our water to squander. Sierra mountain run-off from the Owens Valley and Mono Lake are essentially robbed by the LADWP and its customers. Secondly, it’s simply just not wise to squander water. It’s just a matter of time before another devastating drought tests our limits of water rationing. Ed replaced much of his lawn areas years ago with mainly native, drought tolerant plants, flowers and trees, many of which are fruit bearing of course
(** Ed Begley fruit bearing tree list provided below **). This is the way to go – if only more Southern Californians would follow his lead.

As his gardener, I’m frequently adjusting the water schedule to the bare minimum, testing the limits of what we can get away with depending on the season and the weather. Turning the irrigation timer to a higher setting is a last resort. It’s often necessary to bring a hose to hand water a certain plant/area or even set up a drip line so that water is concentrated directly to the root system of a particular plant. Typically, lawns are the greediest of the garden when it comes to water. So, lose the lawns folks. Or, at least try and find your minimal watering schedule, particularly in the winter months when the average temperatures drop (slowing evaporation) and rain water is plentiful anyway. New plants will need more water than ones which have been established. Established drought tolerant plants may need only one or two good soakings per summer in order to survive and be healthy throughout the year. Also, make sure you set your irrigation timers for the late night hours. Because of greater evaporation, sprinklers running during the day are a huge waste of our most precious resource. Many communities now have city ordinances making daytime sprinkler use or every day use illegal.

Enviro-Friendly Garden enemy #4 - pets
Enemy #4 is not really an enemy at all, but in fact man’s best friend. That’s right. Dogs, as well as cats, may be most environmentalists friends, but can pose certain challenges for gardens and gardeners alike. This is the case with the Begley dog, “Molly”, as well as several cats which call this Studio City property home territory.

Not always fun or easy, but keeping on top of the pet waste removal should minimize their effects. Also remember, animal waste may seem organic, but it’s not welcome in the green waste containers. We can always bury their by-product away from the common area of a property or put it into the “garbage only” containers. Also, they now have “pet waste removal services” available.

Well on that note, happy enviro-friendly gardening and if you have more questions about what you can do to help be environmentally friendly, just ask Ed or contact myself at chris@quietgardenlandscaping.com or 818-515-hush.

Ed Begley fruiting plant inventory
1 Valencia Orange
1 Semi-Dwarf Navel Orange
2 Semi-Dwarf Tangerine Trees
3 Black Fig Trees
1 Green Fig Tree
1 Meyer Lemon Tree
2 Semi-Dwarf Anna Apple
1 Large Apple Tree
1 Santa Rosa Plum Tree
3 Avocado Trees
2 Olive Trees
Vegetable patch as of Nov. 22, 2006
2 Artichoke Plants
Various lettuces
Various varieties of Pea
Various Hot Peppers
Basil

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