BY TREVOR KEISER
Clarkston News Staff Writer
From flower beds to Karate training, Al Smock loves it all. He is a part of this year’s Garden Tour, set for July 18.
‘Many people do many different sports, and play golf, but the number one hobby in America is gardening,? said Smock.
Smock has worked hard the past year, transforming his backyard into a natural haven for God’s creation, since he and his family moved into their house off Cranberry Lake Road.
‘Nothing was done professionally, my wife and I did all the work our selves,? noted Smock.
They dug all the paths, laid all the bricks, poured out all the stones, and planted all the flowers and plants with their own two hands.
Smock’s garden has an Asian theme to it, with statues and bricks with Japanese writing on them; derived from his martial arts background.
‘I have an American, Japanese style garden,? he said. ‘The Japanese gardens are very tight and well kept, mine would be considered untamed to them.?
All of Smock’s plants and flowers are perennial.
‘I just have to trim them and they come back year after year,? he said. ‘It also saves on spending money for annual plants.?
Smock has more than 1,500 Hostas of 30 kinds in his garden.
‘They are not a lot of maintenance, not a lot of water, and they actually grow better in the shade,? he said. ‘The plant just keeps getting bigger each year.?
Smock said he loves his yard because it has the perfect combination of shade and sun.
More than 35 beds in his garden contain early, middle, and late blooming plants and flowers. About 90 percent of his 3/4-acre property is garden. He split some of the beds up to make them smaller.
‘If a bed gets too big, you can’t appreciate the plants,? he said.
He has a variety of plants and flowers, including tulips, daisies, daffodils, baptisia blue false indigos, Hydrangeas, roses, Hostas, sedum, Hibiscus, and lemon herb, as well as some Norwegian spruce trees.
‘Some people actually take the lemon herb leaves and put them in their ice cube trays and freeze them,? he said. ‘Then when they put the ice in their glass they get lemon flavored water.?
Smock also noted that deer are big fans of eating Hostas, roses, tulips, and the blooms of Hibiscus. He recommends people spray their plants with ‘Deer Away.?
‘You must remember to spray again after it rains,? he noted. ‘Four or five deer can wipe your plants out quickly.?
Smock also has a variety of vegetable gardens, including a variety of peppers, tomatoes, pull beans, zucchini, squash, egg plant, cucumbers, and romaine lettuce. Each row of vegetables was raised with a combination of dirt, shredded leaves, and wood chips.
‘Worm castings (poop) is the best fertilizer,? said Smock. ‘The more worms you have, the more nutrients.?
Smock also said horse manure is a great fertilizer as well, but it must be at least 6 months old.
‘Anything natural can be broken down and used as fertilizer, such as egg shells, coffee grinds, tea bags, and even paper, if it doesn’t have a lot of ink on it,? he said.
Along with plants, flowers, and vegetables, Smock also grows different herbs, including chives, allium, oregano and thyme.
‘It’s nice when we’re grilling fish, we can just step out on the deck and cut fresh herbs to put over top.?
What got him into gardening?
‘About 90 percent of what I know I learned from my mother. As far back as I can remember, she always had a flower and vegetable garden,? said Smock.
Whenever he visits her house in Livonia, she has to give him a tour of her garden.
‘She always ends up naming some plant I have never heard of,? said Smock ‘She is always teaching me something new.?
One of his favorite things about hosting garden tours is looking at the people.
‘I love seeing people’s expressions when they see the garden,? he said.
But his favorite part about the garden is spending time with his wife drinking their coffee first thing in the morning before their kids get up, while enjoying the beauty around them.
‘It’s very peaceful and serene,? he said ‘I like spending time together before we begin our busy days.?
Smock noted he could walk through the garden 15,000 times a day and never get tired of it.
‘It’s relaxing, peaceful, and a lot of work.?
His girls also enjoy playing hide-n-seek and tag in the garden, because there are so many paths to take and places to hide.
Smock is a stay-at-home dad, and his wife owns her own business. They both are black belts in Karate. He was a manager for about 20 years of the Ultimate Karate Livonia club. He still does some training on the side for a few people.
Smock said after high school sports were over, he wanted something to do. He always wanted to learn Karate, but his mother never put him in it.
‘When I found out my friends were going to sign up, I said I would go along,? he said. ‘I thought I was in pretty good shape. In about 20 minutes, I was on the floor dead tired.?
He said he was inspired by the movie ‘The Karate Kid.? It is a family favorite.
‘When I ask my 2 year old ‘what does the Karate Kid say?? she says ‘wax on, wax off.??
Smock said he loved teaching karate to kids.
‘I hated the business side of it, charging money. If I was rich, I would have taught it for free. I loved the actual teaching, especially to kids. It was amazing how it changed their lives, both physical fitness and their confidence level.?
Smock is excited to be a part of this year’s Garden Tour, July 18, 12-6 p.m. Cost is $20, $22 with lunch. The tour is sponsored by the Clarkston Farm and Garden Club and Clarkston Community Education. For more information, call 248-623-4321. Tickets are also available at the Clarkston Country Store, 21 N. Main Street.