A Guide to the Best of Southern California : GARDENS : On Your Knees

What do gardeners and marathoners have in common? Knee trouble.

After a few seasons of planting, weeding, pest hunting and other chores that call for scurrying around on cold, stony ground, the knees really feel it. For relief, you can strap on kneepads and look like a roller-skater who took a wrong turn. Or buy one of those foam pads that decompose faster than pampas grass in a frost. But a more stylish, practical solution is Greenknees Garden Pants.

Made of cotton twill, the $49 pants feature water-repellent knee pockets that hold the same high-density pads favored by football players. Greenknees inventor Bob Denman of Brea also built into his britches a shears holder and a pouch to store seeds. Sizes range from extra small to extra-extra large. Greenknees are available by mail order through Denman & Co.: (714) 524-0668.