Hello, we’re the Forman family. We live in South Pasadena, not far from the devastating fires of Altadena, California. We are very lucky to not have lost our home, but we want to help our talented gardener and friend Alex D. who has taken beautiful care of our yard for well over a decade. Alex and his brother Walter drive over one hundred miles every day to and from the greater Pasadena area to service their clients. They spend hours in our yard every Thursday, spotting just what needs to be done each week on top of the usual lawn care: they carefully prune roses, camellias, and other flowering plants just in the right seasons, discover good and bad bugs and point them out to me, pull weeds, plant annuals, and so much more. Alex was the first person to describe how plants communicate with one another–and this long before The Hidden Life of Trees was published.

Nearly half of Alex’s clients had homes in Altadena. That income is gone. Those clients will have to take years to rebuild their homes and yards. Thousands of our neighbors and friends, like Alex and Walter, are the ones that help make Los Angeles a beautiful and special city. We owe these two gentlemen so much for their outstanding work, week in and out, whether it’s 118° or pouring rain in a thunderstorm. If you are unable to help Alex and his family, please consider helping the independent workers who may have lost work in your neighborhood by making a donation to the YMCA or the National Domestic Workers Alliance. Any amount of financial aid you can give to help Alex rebuild his life would be greatly appreciated. The money donated will be used to help Alex and Walter pay for basic necessities. Thank you for your kindness.