More Garden Freebies

Did you know that a tree can do all of the following?:

** Help reduce overall air conditioning use and associated costs by up to 20 percent at homes and buildings.
** Shade outside air conditioning units, allowing them to operate 10 to 15 percent more efficiently
than unshaded units.
** Provide shade that makes an attic 20 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit cooler on hot, sunny days, and walls about15 degrees Fahrenheit cooler than unshaded walls, meaning less energy is needed for indoor cooling.
** Reduce the urban heat island effect, lower outside air temperatures, and cut down glare on sunny days.
** Lessen dryness in arid climates by releasing moisture through their leaves.
** Create wind barriers to help provide savings on winter heating costs.

No wonder LADWP has partnered with Trees for a Green LA to give away free shade trees to residents. The only downside is that their are no fruit trees offered.


Here’s a summary of how the program works:
1. Log on to www.LADWP.com/trees and complete the online workshop. Completion of a workshop is required to receive one  to seven trees per property.
2. You will learn about proper tree selection, siting and planting techniques, and draft a site-specific plan
based on your residence. You then sign an agreement to plant and maintain your tree(s).
3. Representatives of the Trees for a Green LA program deliver your tree(s) within two to three weeks. You plant and care for the tree(s), and reap the benefits nature’s air conditioners!

You can also send an E-mail request for additional information to    tree.program@ladwp.com


I visited the site and downloaded the Home Tree guide. It was full of interesting information, and I actually got to see the tree types they offer (starting on page 25). Some of my favorites are:



the Golden Medallion Tree (which does not require much water)









the Purple Leaf Plum (a fast grower)

the Ginkgo Biloba (its leaves have a beautiful shape and it tolerates almost all soil conditions)

the Fruitless Olive Tree (it's classic California and drought tolerant)

Good Stuff

Do you want to live the good life? Well, so does everyone.  I just discovered an incredible sitcom from the '70's about an English couple that chases this dream. Mr. Good decides to quit his job ad take his wife along with him in the pursuit of "self-sufficiency". Much to the horror of his neighbors, he purchases a goat, trades in his lawn for a veggie garden and engages in other non-conventional activities that furrow brows... Hilarious episodes highlight the confusion and fear involved in slaughtering their first chicken and the Goods' ineptitude in making goat butter. In this age of urban home steaders, I've been completely surprised by the relevance of the show. Yet, self-sufficiency has been around since cavemen first learned to tote clubs. You can watch The Good Life instantly on Netflix.

Watch this bit about a bartering blunder between Mrs. Good and the window washer: