 the vision of understanding that you just don't do that," said Greene, noting that one of his many jobs is that of a lobbyist.
Not even a three-month reprieve from work -- after suffering a stroke six years ago -- could keep Greene from his duties. He fielded calls from his hospital bed and used his laptop to e-mail instructions to his staff.
"Gene is the heartbeat of the garden," said Betty Ethridge, the garden's coordinator, who has worked at the facility since 1995. "His blood is running through the veins of this place. . . . This is his life."
But Greene directs all the credit to his army of 70-plus volunteers and docents, who educate the public on water reclamation and Japanese culture.
"People say it's Gene's garden, but this belongs to the people and the city of L.A.," he said. "I just happen to have the best job in the city."