Description

Description

My garden was originally an orange grove. In the 1930's Glendora was one vast orange grove. Glendora was not owned by any one person but by several family farmers each of which had a "grove" house, a home surrounded by an orange grove.

After the World War II many newly returned veterans migrated to Southern California and the orange groves began to be removed and replaced by housing tracts. The last working grove in Glendora went out in the late 80's (It was only a few acres).

My garden still has 17 original Valencia Orange trees. In the spring the sweet fragrance of the orange blossoms almost becomes overwhelming. The Valencia Orange trees of my garden have a unique history. They were all cut off 2' feet above the ground in the 1940's in an attempt to stop the spread of the Japanese Beatle that had infested the area.

After World War II Roy Davis acquired the property and let the orange trees grow back. When I purchased the property in 1988 the trees had become rather "woody". I started pruning them in the hope that I could save some of them. I wished to preserve the feeling of Glendora that I had experienced as a child when many orange groves still existed and you could wander endlessly through the forest of trees.

Now, over 12 years later, the surviving 17 trees produce a decent crop of Valencia Oranges every year which I sell to a steady clientele. They are ripe and sweet on the first day of summer.

I have several specimen live oak trees. The giant live oak has a spread of over 80 feet and is over 60 feet tall. Two more live oak are in the back, one of which has the treehouse in it. I also have a Cork oak and a Blue oak. There are eight sapling live oak which I keep pruned down.

I have an apple, an apricot, a persimmon, two figs and a plum that are older trees that were here originally.

Younger trees which I have planted include two nectarines, two peaches, a plum, an apple, a guava, a persimmon, a pear (An Jou) and four avocados (Dyer, Haas, Gwen, and Whitsell). Other citrus trees include a lemon, a cumquat, a pink grapefruit (Ruby Red), a navel orange and a lime (Bears). Some of the aforementioned are dwarfs. There are also a small olive, small manzanita and a toyon.

I have several Bonsai Trees. The oldest is a cedrus deadora which I have had for 25 years. It was given to me by a friend after the apical meristem had been cut off by an uninformed employee of Monrovia Nursery. It has an apical meristem now and has quite a nice shape. (It took me 10 years to get a decent one going!)

I also have a bosai live oak, a blue live oak, a liquid amber, a hollywood juniper, a jacaranda and orchid tree that are all over 15 years old. Other potted trees include several palms Sago, King, Fan, both dwarf and standard Vietnamese Fish Tail Palms and a Flame Tree.

Besides the trees I have seedless grapes (Thompson and Flame), boysenberries and blueberries (Sunshine Boy and Georgia Gem, heat tolerant) for fruit.

Vines include a pink jasmine, morning star jasmine, pink wisteria, blue wisteria , honeysuckle, orange bougainvillea, red bougainvillea, and a creeping fig.

I have several plants that were quite popular in the area during the craftsman era which include Shrimp Plant, Justica (Jacobinia), Myrtle, Privet, Japanese Arelia, Camelia - White & Peach, Philodendron, Nandina and Bird of Paradise.

Other popular flowering plants include Agapanthus, Gerber daisies, Daylillies - Yellow & Orange, Tulips, Cymbidium Orchids, Clavia, Blue Potato, Roses (both hybrid and original), Dianthus, Impatiens, Baby's Breath, Canna, Pentas, Alstromeria (Peruvian Lillies), several varieties of Penstemmon, redand magenta, and several varieties of Azelia.

Geraniums including a magenta colored creeper, Cordata, and the following scented varieties Lemon Rose, Aroma (menthol), Lemon and Lime.

Species of lavender include ‘Goodwin Creek' , ‘Fat Spike Grosso', ‘English' and ‘Royal'. Some local native flowering species include Aniscanthus Wrightii, Zauscheria Latifolia and Ceanothus (California Lillac).

Scattered throughout the yard I have many species of salvia including ‘Purple Majesty', Mexican bush sage , Involucrata, ‘Rose Autumn', ‘Marachino' , Sinaloensis, 'Nueva Leon' , ‘Purple Haze', ‘Indigo Spires', and lavender which the hummingbirds are very grateful for in the fall.

Culinary herbs include parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme.
Perennials include the following culinary sages ‘Golden', ‘Purple', ‘Variegated', ‘Tricolor', ‘Pineapple' and ‘Garden'.

I have three species of rosemary ‘Blue', ‘Pink, and ‘Golden Rain'. Species of mint, which I use to make my ice tea more refreshing, include ‘Lemon', ‘Lime', ‘Orange', ‘Apple', ‘Persian', and ‘Peppermint'.

I have ‘Lemon', ‘French' and ‘English' thyme planted around the sundial.

I have grown both ‘Curled' and ‘Single Leaf' parsley which are not perennials but biennials.

Other perennial culinary herbs include french tarragon, winter savory, fennel (bronze and green), curry, horehound (Marrubium Vulgare), oregano (Greek, ornamental, golden and official), sorrel, feverfew ( Chrysanthemum Parthenium), burnet, marjoram , anise hyssop, chives, catnip and lemon balm.

Bulbs include Narcissus, Bearded Iris- Yellow & Purple, Fresia- Oberon & Orange & Royal Blue & Original White, Daffodils, Crocus, Grape Hyacinth, Dutch Iris, Gladiolus, White Hyacinth, Lecojum (White Bells), Oriental Lillies (Stargazer), Daylillies, Calla Lilly (purple and white) and Crocosmia Montebria.

My favorite fragrant plant is Fragins Osmanthus(a base for many perfumes) but Gardenia - Jasminoides & August Beauty, Plumeria (white), Freesia (Oberon, Royal Blue and heirloom) as well as the Peace Rose all vies for second.

I have a section of cactus including a 15' tall Mission , a two types of Organ Pipe(each over 6'), a Cereus Peruvians and many potted ones including Rattail, Peanut, Lobivia, Mamilliria, Cleistocactus, Christmas, Prickly Pear, Cerus, 'Old Man's Beard' and others.
Succulents include Cape Aloe Ferox, Haworthia Cuspidata, Escheveria Derenbergi, Aeonium Canariens, Echeveria Pulvinata, Sedium Morganium (Donkey Tail), Crassula Perforata (String-of-Buttons), Cotyledon Orbiculate, Haworthia Fasciata Variegata, Epiphlyllums (Pink Parade & ) and several others .

Large specimen succulents include an Elephant Foot and a Jade Plant. I also have a Stapelia Hirsuta (Carrion Plant) which always has me searching for a dead animal before I see the bloom.

Ferns include Rabbit Paw, Sword, Asparagus and Leather.

I have grown many annuals as well. Flowers that I let reseed themselves include California Golden Poppy, Columbine -Red & White & Blue, Verbena-Peruvian Pink, Crimson Rambler Morning Glory , Asslyum, Larkspur, Lupine, Camomile, Sunflower, Coreopsis, Johnny Jumpups, Rock Rose and Cosmos.

I plant sweet peas(pink, purple, salmon) from seeds I collect the year before. For my wife I plant a few pansy or impatiens plants and a couple Cyclamen by her conversation area which I pick up at the nursery.

My favorite summer vegetables include the following- tomatoes; Better Boy, Beefsteak, Lemon Boy, Cherry and Italian Pear: squash; Zuccini, Spagetti, and Sunburst: corn both yellow and white; different varieties, an early and a later, planted to mature about a month apart: bell peppers; yellow, red, green and purple: beans; Royal Purple, bush and Cowpeas; chilies; Anaheim, Yellow Gem, Banana, Jalapeno, Serrano and although I have planted and been successful with Habeneros I will not grow them again! Ouch! The peppers, chilies, and tomatoes I grow from pony packs while the squash and corn I grow from seed.

Annual summer herbs I grow include several varieties of basil my favorites are; Cinnamon, Anise, Red Rubin, Broad Leaf, Lemon Thai and Purple Ruffles. Lemon Thai and Purple Ruffles dry best and retain an excellent basil flavor for long periods if properly stored.

Summer Savory and borage are the only other annual herbs I grow. I have about given up on Dill, too delicate, and Cilantro, even small plants bolt except during winter. All these I have grown from seed.

I suppose if you have read down this far I didn't entirely bore you to death with my recital of the plants I have growing now. I have attempted to grow many others but the above plants will grow in the climate of the San Gabriel Valley were I live. My soil was extremely poor when I moved in being made up of the sand and rock of the Big Dalton alluvial fan and destroyed by chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

I mix in as much organic material as is feasible every year and use only natural organic fertilizers (blood meal, bone meal, sea shell lime(for ph), bat guano, steer manure, etc) My vegetables I mulch. Each year I have gotten progressively better results. My bell peppers last year were 4 feet high.

I picked 168 tomatoes in one picking, about a week between pickings, last summer. I never let my Zuccinni get over an inch and a half in diameter and prefer them to be finger size.

In my vegetable growing area I grow only peas in the winter to help replenish the soil.

Any plants that appear unhealthy or become infested I immediately pull out. If aphids are a problem on perennials I mist them with insecticidal soap.

I keep all my fruit trees pruned back pruning them back after they lose their leaves in the fall.

I pull all the annuals at the end of the growing season and I keep the soil well mulched.

I do my best to keep the soil slightly damp year round. I water everything by hand or by hand set sprinkler.

I attempt to trim all my evergreen plants within a month of winter solstice and do any repotting at the same time.

Perennials and bulbs do best if planted or transplanted in the fall.

I have a bird bath and a fountain for the birds and animals to drink from. Since I use no insecticide the birds always go away with only a healthy meal!

Have I forgotten anything? Probably! I know I didn't list all my plants! There is always room for one more plant!

After reading the above can you guess how large my lot is?

It is only a third of an acre!

The house, the garage/workshop/laundry, the garden shed, the playhouse , the storage shed, the cathouse and the Bar-B-Que shed only have a total footprint of 2700 square feet while the front walkways, the patio and two other small "landings" take up another 500 square feet leaving about 14000 square feet free. Of that more than half is covered with pea gravel. (I quit counting after 100 scoops) Water percolates well through gravel and the Golden Poppies, Verbena , Asslyum, Coreopsis, and others grow fine right up through it!

In the year 2004

Overview

Herbs

Fruit

Vegetables

Ferns

Potted Plants

Vines

Heirlooms

Fragrant

Flowers

Bulbs

Cactus and Succulents

Overview

I now have only 12 Valencia Oranges and I am getting my last crop from one of them. The oaks overshadowed 4 that I cut down. The Oaks are all healthy and doing well. The avacodas have done well and are established.

Herbs

Species of mint, which I still use to make my ice tea more refreshing, now include ‘Orange', ‘Apple', ‘Persian', and ‘Chocolate'.

Perennial culinary herbs still growing include french tarragon, winter savory, fennel (bronze and green), oregano(Greek, ornamental, and official), marjoram, chives, and catnip. I have three species of rosemary ‘Blue', ‘Pink, and ‘Golden Rain'.

Summer Savory, Lemon Thai basil, a new basil variety from several basil life cycles and borage are the annual herbs I still grow and they reseed themselves.

Species of lavender include ‘Goodwin Creek' , ‘Fat Spike Grosso', ‘English' and ‘Royal'.

Fruit

I have an apple, an apricot, a persimmon, two figs and a plum (Santa Rosa) that are older trees, here originally, and still doing well.

Younger trees which I have planted include two nectarines (Goldmine White), two peaches, a plum (Satsumi), an apple, a pear (An Jou) and four avocados (Dyer, Haas, Gwen, and Whitsell).

Other citrus trees include a lemon, a cumquat, a pink grapefruit (Ruby Red), a navel orange, a tangerine (Pixie) and a lime (Bears).

I still have seedless grapes Thompson, Flame and Fantasy Seedless.

Berry vines include boysenberries, Golden and Red Raspberries, Blackberries (Olala) and blueberries (Sunshine, O'Neal, Misty and Georgia Gem, heat tolerant) for fruit.

Vegetables

Summer vegetables planted this year - tomatoes; Better Boy, Beefsteak: squash; Zuccini, Crockneck, Spagetti, and Sunburst: bell peppers; yellow and green: beans; Royal Purple bush: chilies; Anaheim, Yellow Gem, Jalapeno.

Ferns

Ferns include Rabbit Paw (Davallia Trichomanoides), Sword (Nephrolepis Exaltata), Asparagus and Leather.

Potted Plants

The bosai cedrus deadora, live oak, blue live oak, liquid amber, hollywood juniper, jacaranda and orchid tree that are all almost over 20 years old. Other potted trees include several palms Sago, King, Fan, both dwarf and standard Vietnamese Fish Tail Palms and a Flame Tree.

Vines

Vines include a pink jasmine, morning star jasmine, pink wisteria, blue wisteria , honeysuckle, orange bougainvillea, red bougainvillea, and a creeping fig all are still alive.

Heirlooms

Plants popular in the area during the craftsman era which I still have include Shrimp Plant, Justica (Jacobinia), Japanese Arelia, Clavia, Amaryllis, Camelia - White & Peach & Pink, Philodendron and Bird of Paradise. Don't plant Nandina or Privets.

Fragrant

My favorite fragrant plant is Fragins Osmanthus(a base for many perfumes) but Gardenia - Jasminoides & August Beauty, Plumeria (white), Freesia (Oberon, Royal Blue and heirloom) as well as the Peace Rose all vies for second. Scented varieties of geranium still alive are Lemon Rose, and Lemon. The myrtle plant smelled good but was not in a good spot. It was by the front step and where now is found a California Fuchia..

Flowers

Flowering geraniums now alive include a magenta colored creeperand Cordata. Other popular flowering plants I still grow are Agapanthus, Gerber daisies, Daylillies - Yellow & Orange, Cymbidium Orchids, Clavia, Blue Potato, Roses (both hybrid and original), Dianthus, Impatiens, Baby's Breath, Alstromeria (Peruvian Lillies), several varieties of Penstemmon, redand magenta, and several varieties of Azelia. The Canna I dug out as it's leaves are more tropical and I have gone to a more drought tolerant landsacpe for flowering plants. The Pentas grew all right but was shortlived.

Species of surviving salvia include ‘Purple Majesty', Mexican bush sage, ‘Rose Autumn', ‘Marachino', 'Nueva Leon' , ‘Purple Haze', ‘Indigo Spires', lavender and

Some local native flowering species include Aniscanthus Wrightii, Zauscheria Latifolia and Ceanothus (California Lillac).
Flowers that are still reseeding themselves include California Golden Poppy, Columbine -Red & White & Blue, Verbena-Peruvian Pink, Crimson Rambler Morning Glory , Asslyum, Larkspur, Lupine, Camomile, Sunflower, Coreopsis, Johnny Jumpups, Rock Rose.

Bulbs

Tulips I will no longer grow as they are too expensive and not suited for the climate. Bulbs that return year after year are Narcissus, Bearded Iris- Yellow & Purple, Fresia- Oberon & Orange & Royal Blue & Original White, Daffodils, Crocus, Grape Hyacinth, Dutch Iris, Gladiolus, White Hyacinth, Lecojum (White Bells), Daylillies, Calla Lilly (purple and white) and Crocosmia Montebria.

Cactus and Succulents

I have a section of cactus including a 15' tall Mission , a two types of Organ Pipe(each over 6'), a Cereus Peruvians and many potted ones including Rattail (Aporocactus Flagelliformis), Peanut (Chamaecereus Sylvestri),Lobivia, Mamilliria, Cleistocactus, Christmas, Prickly Pear, Cerus, 'Old Man's Beard' and others.

Succulents include Cape Aloe Ferox, Haworthia Cuspidata, Escheveria Derenbergi, Aeonium Canariens, Echeveria Pulvinata, Sedium Morganium (Donkey Tail), Crassula Perforata (String-of-Buttons), Cotyledon Orbiculate, Haworthia Fasciata Variegata, Epiphlyllums (Pink Parade & ), Euphorbia Milli (Crown of Thorns), Rhipsalidopsis Gaertneri (Christmas Cactus), Elephant Foot , Jade Plant, Stapelia Hirsuta (Carrion Plant) and several others .

Large specimen succulents include an Elephant Foot and a Jade Plant. I also have a Stapelia Hirsuta (Carrion Plant) which always has me searching for a dead animal before I see the bloom.

Birds

One of the great things about my garden is the birds. The birds love the garden and every morning I am awakened by the sound of singing birds. The most common birds in my yard are of the following species: ruby throated hummingbird, woodpecker, mockingbird, blue jay, finch, golden finch, rock pigeons, and morning doves.

Once I saw a Golden Eagle take a pigeon out of the top of the oak. I was standing in the front of the garden watching a tall tree across the road about two hundred feet away. A Red Tail Hawk had disturbed some crows and now the whole flock of crows was harassing the Red Tail Hawk sitting in the top of the tree. I think the turmoil going on near by caused the pigeon to be distracted. The Golden Eagle hit the pigeon and that was the end for the pigeon.

We have seen and heard owls several times. Occasionally a few sea gulls fly overhead when there is a storm coming in off the ocean. Crows are always flying over but do not land often.

A healthy organic garden

From the heart

I always like to hear from enthusiastic gardeners and I am pleased when visitors enjoy my garden pages. I love the natural Earth that God has given us. I have spent many years planting different varieties of fruit in my garden and now enjoy fresh garden fruit for much of the year. I love to watch the birds and listen to their voices happily chirping away.

Sadly I feel that American culture has lost site of many of the things in life that have true value and meaning, like working in the garden and enjoying the fruits of ones labor, literally. What follows is a short reality check on home gardening.

Chemicals versus Organic

The Industrial Revolution has made human life much simpler to sustain than it has been in the past. By doing so it has also dumbed us down.

As we moved from the rural farm setting to the cities we left behind the knowledge of our ancestors.

For most of human evolution, humans didn't poison pests, humans outsmarted them:

We would control mosquitoes by clearing stagnant water, or stocking ponds with fish that ate them.

We would compost clippings in a pile mixed with leaves and manure and wet as often as it took to get hot enough to kill weed seeds and check plant pathogens.

We would add compost to soil to improve drainage to avoid fungus and to fertilize our plants.

We would choose hardy plants to grow, suited to the environment.

We would stop pruning in spring to encourage nesting birds who eat insects. Lush hedgerows in old fields where there to accommodate nesting birds.

We allowed some areas to remain in their natural condition to support the growth of predators; lacewings, wasps, ladybugs and arachnids.

Americans have gone from gardening with their wits to using chemicals. Americans assume that the Environmental Protection Agency allows us to only use "safe" chemicals but, sadly, the EPA has done about as good a job as the Food and Drug Administration has keeping junk food healthful.

Chemicals directly marketed to home owners for home gardens are highly toxic.

They will kill the insects and will also kill the reptiles, fish and birds that eat the insects and predators that eat the the reptiles, fish and birds.

Rosepride, an Ortho product, contains organophosphates to kill insects. Organophosphates were originally developed in Germany during World War II as a chemical weapon. Gulf War Syndrome and chronic fatigue are the results of exposure to organophosphates.

Rosepride also contains the fungicide Triforine as part of its "triple action" cocktail. It is an EPA Class 1 chemical, meaning highly toxic.

The predominant herbicide in weed-and-feed treatments belong to a family of chemical closely related to 2,4-D, one of two active ingredients that made up Agent Orange.

This is a hormone disruptor that throws a plant's growth into overdrive, causing it to grow itself to death. Chemists explain it as "cancer for plants." EPA statisticians and University of Minnesota pathologists associate chemicals closely related to 2,4-D with high levels of cancer in Midwestern crop workers, and birth defects in children conceived during spring spraying.

The newest wave insecticide, Imidacloprid, used in systemic rose treatments, is heralded as a good thing because it kills only bees. What about the inherent obscenity of treating a flower with a chemical that kills its pollinator? Will a bee that is underexposed carry the pollen back to the hive to contaminate one of natures most precious gifts, honey.

The agricultural chemical industry likes to promote the idea that use of chemical fertilizers, defoilants and pesticides is the traditional method of farming. Mass use of chemicals in farming has only been with us since World War II.

(Aside: Low level exposure to pesticides causes Parkinson's disease. So if you want your children to develop Parkinson's spray away like Michael J. Fox's mother did!)

Using chemicals is not the conservative way it is the liberal way and we are paying the price.

Organic gardening dates back to the time when men stopped hunting and gathering and became shepherds and farmers. Organic farming is what allowed the civilizations of man to grow and prosper.

Anyone that gardens at home should avoid the use of toxic chemicals.

Why poison our eighth of an acre under the stars?

Conversion from the use of chemicals - insecticides, defoliants and fertilizers - to organic gardening techniques takes a few years but the payoff is well worth it.

The first consideration is the personal and familial health, less toxins equals better overall health.

The second consideration is economical. Why spend a small fortune on toxic chemicals when letting nature return to normal costs nothing? As the soil rejuvenates and plant health increases beneficial predatory insects multiply and the reptiles and birds return.

To create a healthy organic garden

To create a healthy organic garden do not use defoliants, the only defoliant that knowledgeable gardeners use is Roundup. It is used exclusively to stop a non-native incursion of a prolific unwanted plant and used sparingly according to the directions.

To create a healthy organic garden do not use insecticides, insecticidal soap, which is simply strong soap - lie + lard -, not detergent, is alright to use on soft bodied insects such as aphids and white flies but only if infestation is extreme. Healthy plants typically do not become infested and infested plants are best removed.

To create a healthy organic garden do not use chemical fertilizers, composted chicken manure, guano, blood meal and bone meal are the best fertilizers. Avoid the use of products that contain sewage sludge which means chemical cocktails and heavy metals.

To create a healthy organic garden avoid monoculturing. Create reserves for beneficial insects with salvia, lavender, local native shrubs and grasses.

To create a healthy organic garden create garden zones. Separate woody drought tolerant plants like rosemary from water loving plants like impatiens.

To create a healthy organic garden improve soils and monitor pH values, use peat moss or saw dust to increase drainage and for acid loving plants and add sea shell lime to increase alkalinity.

To create a healthy organic garden use mulch. Composted saw dust, wood shavings and ground bark are ideal but any organic matter without weed seeds will work. It is better if the mulch is in small enough bits to mix into the soil after the growing season.

To create a healthy organic garden prune plants at the proper time. Most plants can be safely pruned in the late fall or winter never in the spring when they are just beginning their yearly growth cycle.

As, unfortunately, the only side of a story told is often the side in which someone stands to make a substantial profit, as the chemical industries continue to reap substantial profits from the destruction of natural organic habitats, the preceding To create a healthy organic garden is a public service message in the spirit of Rachel Carson.

sludge

Sewage is big business.

Sludge is sold as BioEdge, Nitrohumus, and Vital Cycle and spread on farmland, lawns, and home vegetable gardens. In 2007 the Carlyle Group paid $772 million for the sludge-residuals company Synagro.

Sludge contains anything and everything that goes down the drain from Prozac flushed down toilets to motor oil hosed from factory floors.

Food companies Del Monte and H.J. Heinz won't accept produce grown on sludge-treated land.

The Netherlands and Switzerland ban the use of sludge on farmland.

In January 2009, shipments of Canadian sludge with elevated radioactivity levels were turned back at the border.

An EPA survey of sludge samples from across the US found nearly universal contamination by 10 flame retardants and 12 pharmaceuticals and exceptionally high levels of endocrine disruptors such as triclosan, an ingredient in antibacterial soap that scientists believe is killing amphibians.

The fight over sludge is not about sewage; it's about hiding industrial waste." - Ed Hallman

Studies have shown that some chemicals in sludge can interact with one another to become more persistent or toxic. Other research has suggested that the toxins in sludge can pass into milk and meat.

Andy McElmurray applied sludge to his fields. Nearly half his 700 cows died from severe diarrhea due to high levels of thallium in the sludge. Thallium, the active ingredient in rat poison, was used as a catalyst by a nearby NutraSweet factory. In a local milk brand thallium was detected at levels more than 11 times above the legal limit for drinking water.

If a toxin is in a cows milk it will be in the meat and it had to be in the plants the cows ate! Plants grown on sludge may transfer toxins in the sludge to you!

The care and feeding of lawns in America.

Over 50 million households and 16 thousand golf courses in America consume lawn care products to the tune of $40-billion-a-year.

That is roughly equivalent to the gross domestic product of Vietnam.

America is far and away the world's leader in cultivating perfect, weed-free, ultra-trim, super- green grass.

How did the greening of America come to pass?

A leading theory, mentioned in news reports, rests on genetic predispoition.

According to the "savanna theories," human beings are attracted to grassy open expanses because we evolved as a species in Africa.

"Our habitat preference for short grass and scattered trees seems to be a vestige of that history." - John Falk

A better explanation rests on history and ecology.

While it is true that lawns in the U.S. go back to the time of Washington and Jefferson, only after World War II did the perfect-turf aesthetic emerge.

The story begins in the late 1940s with the mass production of suburban homes.

Every one of the 17,544 homes built in Levittown, NewYork, was surrounded by grass.

But the quest for perfectly groomed expanses of turf doesn't really begin until the l950s.

First, you need to understand some ecology.

Americans tend to associate bluegrass - one of the most common lawn grasses with Kentucky, but the species actually hails from the moist, cool climates of Eurasia. Trying to grow bluegrass and other cool-season species here that are not indigenous to North America is thus an uphill battle.

Many turf grasses, for example, need an inch of water per week during the spring and summer, or more rain than normally falls anywhere in the continental U.S. during these seasons. That the deck is stacked against perfection is bad news for the homeowner but a potential windfall for the chemical lawn-care business.

Beginning in the 1950s, companies selling herbicides and fertilizer used advertising to cultivate the perfect-turf ideal.

Why did the perfect-lawn aesthetic emerge in the 1950s?

Because that was a time in the nation's economic history when - with Americans already awash in consumer goods such as refrigerators and washing machines - manufacturers longed for new ways of stimulating demand.

The perfect lawn fueled postwar consumerism as homeowners repeatedly bought products in the elusive quest for an impeccable yard.

Chemical lawn care companies simply pursued their economic self-interest and sold grass seed mixtures that no longer included clover. Clover was in all 'lawn', pasture mix until the 1950s because of its ability to fertilize by adding nitrogen to the soil.

Chemical lawn care companies urged homeowners to buy a bag of chemicals to make up for the nutrient shortfall.

Or better yet, put down new weed-and-feed products, which killed clover and then fertilized to replace the nitrogen that the clover had once provided for free.

Chemical lawn care companies also tapped into other postwar developments such as the trend in color.

Brightly colored consumer products were all the rage.

Super green lawns and hot-pink cars became status symbols.

Companies pushed multiple fertilization treatments to keep turf at its greenest.

Of course, beautiful lawns meshed wonderfully with the conformity that was a fixture of life in the '1950s.

What better way to show one's solidarity with the neighbors than to cultivate the same green expanse of grass out front.

Economic imperatives, color preferences and conformity are better explanations than genetics for the all - American lawn mania.

Ecological history suggests that traveling back and forth across the yard with our spreaders is no more natural than the chemicals we are putting in the ground.

-Ted Steinberg, environmental historian at Case Western Reserve University

Southern California and exotic alien invaders

Southern California's natural environment is being destroyed by an onslaught of alien plants that are overwhelming efforts to protect the region's natural landscape.

In Los Angeles County nonnative plants, including pampas grass, arundo and yellow star thistle, have largely displaced many native species.

Across Southern California, exotic alien nonnative plant species drain streams, add fuel for wildfires, replace wild flowers, drive out songbirds and ruin coastal sand dunes.

People can expect fewer deer, birds and rabbits and less trout in streams as biologically diverse ecosystems give way to ho-hum weedscapes.

"Beautiful little wild flowers that we love - that make the spring such a great time here - will be gone. They can't compete with these mega-monster weeds." - Christy Brigham, restoration ecologist for the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.

Exotic alien plant species were brought to Southern California for yard decorations, erosion control, livestock fodder and freeway windbreaks.

Exotic alien plant species comprise nearly one-fifth of the plants in the state today.

The most troublesome are; Algerian ivy, salt cedar or tamarisk, Scottish broom, spurge, yellow star thistle, ice plant, pampas and fountain grass, ficus, lantana, tumbleweed, oxalis, nicotiana, periwinkle and perennial pepperweed.

"Invasive weeds aren't seen as the problem that they truly are. A lot of these species are insidious. They creep slowly in places and you don't know how bad they are until all of a sudden they are everywhere. Then you notice that the wildlife isn't here. Go up Santa Anita Canyon out of Chantry Flats and toward Hogie's Flat, you've got Algerian ivy that runs right up the watercourse. It's so dense in there that it just suppresses everything else and it's growing up into the trees. It's a biologic disaster." Jim Hartman, who heads the anti-invasive species program for the Agricultural Commissioner's office

This web site is not a commercial web site and is presented for educational purposes only.

Description

Overview

Birds

Chemicals versus Organic

For most of human evolution, humans didn't poison pests, humans outsmarted them:

sludge

The care and feeding of lawns in America.

Over 50 million households and 16 thousand golf courses in America consume lawn care products to the tune of $40-billion-a-year.That is roughly equivalent to the gross domestic product of Vietnam.

A better explanation rests on history and ecology.

While it is true that lawns in the U.S. go back to the time of Washington and Jefferson, only after World War II did the perfect-turf aesthetic emerge.

First, you need to understand some ecology.

Southern California and exotic alien invaders

Over 50 million households and 16 thousand golf courses in America consume lawn care products to the tune of $40-billion-a-year.

That is roughly equivalent to the gross domestic product of Vietnam.