Don't Panic It's Organic!
Living in the secluded hills of Malibu Canyon is a man known as the "Invisible Gardener." With a title like that, some confusion is inevitable: Could he be a playful, elf-like man who comes down from the canyon at dawn to sprinkle dew over the ground before others awaken? Or simply a wonderfully unobtrusive groundskeeper who literally fades into the landscape while dutifully taking care of the foliage? Actually, as Andy Lopez explains, he is not the Invisible Gardener at all - nature is. I am just one of her helpers he states. And if I could get more people to do what l am doing instead of consistently destroying the environment, she would have a much easier job. In 1956, he started his own business with around 150 customers by the ninth grade. He did not get the name Invisible Gardener until 1970. After his service in the US Navy, he went to The University of Florida. He taught an organic gardening class, started an organic gardening club and produced various books. He started his current business in 1970 and one of his customers referred him as The Invisible Gardener and the name stuck! Lopez, better known around the world as The Invisible Gardener, has been in the organic pest control business since 1972. Prior to that year, Andy had been a student at the University of Florida in Gainesville. While attending the university, he started The L.I.S.T (Living Institute of Survival Technology). The primary function of this organization was to promote the awareness of alternative knowledge, lifestyles and businesses emerging in Florida at that time. This was accomplished with the publication of several periodicals including - "The Gainesville People's Pages" and "The Florida Pages - A New Age Traveler's Guide to Florida." After his time at the University, Andy moved to Miami and became active in local gardening councils and societies, including board memberships on the Rare Fruit Council, the Rose Society, and the Horticulture Society. In 1972, he developed 3 compost products - Organa (the SuperCompost) (TM), Organa Gold(TM), and Malibu Gold(TM), and a liquid microbiological activator called SuperSeaweed(TM). It was then that he started "The Invisible Gardener" - the first 100% Organic Spraying and Pest Control Service in the USA. Using natural everyday materials, Andy developed a unique system of fertilization and pest control designed to increase balance in the target environment. Moving to Malibu, California in 1984, Andy brought his company and knowledge with him to the gardens and homes of Southern California. He has expanded his practice to include a weekly radio show, the production of video education materials and teaching at local schools and organizations. He is the author of "How to Heal the Earth in your Spare Time" -"Natural Pest Control" and his latest new book - "Don't Panic It's Organic."