Book Review: Confessions of a Bicycle-Powered Landscaper

Ken can be outspoken about the sorry state of most of the conventional landscaping practices that have so often done more damage than good. And yet he remains upbeat and un-scolding, speaking with the confident, gentle voice of a seasoned practitioner who has a better way. Ken is always happy to share what he has learned with others, and he does it with verve and clarity.

Of course Ken’s story is echoed in the work of other progressive landscape professionals. We all share what we know openly, in the interest of helping make the world a better place. But Ken was an early adopter and a pioneer of many things now taken for granted in the ranks of ecologically-oriented practitioners. He knows his stuff.

Some of the guiding principles covered in detail include reducing inputs and outputs, encouraging permeability, fostering beauty, ensuring accessibility, and creating value. There’s a comprehensive list of “The 21 Tools of Highly Effective Gardeners,” a recipe for a frappé made with a bicycle-powered blender, a handy design questionnaire, and tons of cool photos, charts, and diagrams. There’s even a set of instructions for building one of Terra Nova’s signature bamboo trailers, just in case you want to follow in his tire tracks.

Ken is also a permaculture instructor at Cabrillo College, and much of what underlies his practices is based in permaculture. Three ethical foundations are “Earth Care, People Care, and Fair Share.” These spawned a dozen Permaculture Principles that go far beyond anything you will read about in a conventional gardening book. Those who have studied permaculture will recognize all this; those who have not are in for a quick course that may save them a lot of time absorbing the massive trove of information that makes up the canon. Newcomers to this way of thinking might find themselves disoriented to see their entire approach to gardening turned inside out, but once the shock has passed there is much here for useful transformation.

Through it all is Ken’s folksy didactic humor. He has quite a collection of quotable maxims. “I don’t use herbicides. I am an organic herbicide. My active ingredient is elbow grease!” “The broom has no on-and-off switch, and it runs on the orange juice and toast I ate for breakfast.” “Leaf blowers disturb our circadian rhythms, a bad thing for those of us who sleep.”

There’s plenty of takeaway here, in addition to being a highly readable tale of the journey of a free thinker and eco-stalwart. Ken tells his story with verve and inspiring enthusiasm. I have known Ken for decades and I can vouch for the fact that he’s the real deal.

Book Review by Owen Dell, RLA, ASLA