A Little Patch of the Good Earth
Land-lovers have grown crops for 25 years at Ocean View Farms, a community garden on a seven-acre hill in Mar Vista overlooking the Santa Monica Airport. Owned by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and managed by the Department of Recreation and Parks, the colorful quilt of organic flora--and some pesky fauna--claims 500 plots, 300 active members and a waiting list of 100. We asked some urban farmers why they dig it.
Frank Harris, 40, customer service representative at La Brea Bakery, Los Angeles
How long have you had a community plot?
Six years.
What do you grow best?
Tomatoes. I put a lot of effort into it.
What doesn’t grow for you?
Corn. People here grow it 10 feet tall, but I just have the hardest time.
Garden invaders? Snails. The organic way is to come out at midnight and give them the organic pesticides.
Favorite garden tool?
The hand trowel. It forces you to get closer to the soil.
Garden miracles or mysteries?
All kinds of “volunteer” sunflowers, some squash.
Do plants have souls?
Absolutely. So do gardens. They give back physically and spiritually.
Do you talk to your garden? Not really. At home, I talk to my potted plants, mostly greetings like, “How you doin’?”
Elston Burnley, 69, retired police officer, Culver City
How long have you had a community plot?
Five years.
What do you grow best?
Sweet potatoes. One was 4 1/2 pounds. We had it for Thanksgiving.
What doesn’t grow for you?
Tomatoes. We’ve had a blight.
Garden invaders?
Snails, weeds, nut grass. False garlic looks and smells like garlic but it isn’t.
Favorite garden tool?
A two-wheel plow and cultivator. It’s lightweight aluminum.
Do plants have souls?
They’re just plants. I don’t believe they have souls.
Do you talk to your garden?
No. I don’t condemn people who do.
Karl Lisovsky, 46, writing teacher at UCLA, Venice
How long have you had a community plot?
Twelve years.
What do you grow best?
Broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts. This has been a fabulous growing season.
What doesn’t grow for you?
Tomatoes. We have the blight here.
Garden invaders?
Snails are the most persistent. We had gophers until we got cats.
Favorite garden tool?
The shovel, [but] my hands before anything else.
Garden miracles or mysteries?
What I like best is when a garlic or a bulb will spring up. They’re called “volunteers,” and I try never to pull ‘em up.
Do plants have souls?
No.
Ginny Mackintosh, 82, retired retail manager, Mar Vista
How long have you had a community plot?
Sixteen years.
What do you grow best?
Lettuce. You put it in the ground and cover it with burlap. In a week or so it pops up.
What doesn’t grow for you?
Never could handle rhubarb. I don’t grow okra or eggplant.
Garden invaders? I have a gopher in my artichokes.
Favorite garden tool?
The hand tool with four prongs for breaking up weeds.
Secret tip for great gardening?
I have a secret way of putting plants on a trellis. I connect a piece of pipe to a hose, and the water does the work for you.
Garden miracles or mysteries?
Just those damn gophers.
Do plants have souls?
Absolutely. You can’t be a gardener and not believe in a higher power or a force.
Do you talk to your garden?
Yes. I tell them they’re doing very well.
