RESIDENTS PUT DOWN ROOTS ALONG VENTURA.

Byline: Dominic Berbeo Staff Writer

More than 100 Sherman Oaks residents teamed up Sunday to plant trees along Ventura Boulevard, giving the busy thoroughfare a greener, more pedestrian-friendly makeover.

In the third annual tree planting, organized by the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association, 48 trees were planted between Sunnyslope and Woodman avenues, including Mexican fan palms and Chinese tallows.

For many of the volunteers, it was a first-time experience planting a tree.

``I didn't know it was such hard work,'' said Leah Chaloenvanijvisit, one of more than a dozen 11th-grade students from Notre Dame High School earning the community service hours needed to graduate. ``But it's worth it. It makes the street look a lot better.''

The palm trees have a life expectancy of about 100 years, and the tallow shade trees will live for more than 40 years, said Jim Summers of the nonprofit environmental group TreePeople, which provides tree experts at plantings around the county. Leaves on the shade trees will turn a bright red during the fall.

He said the young trees will need 15 to 20 gallons of water per week through the summer to survive and will be able to completely survive from their own roots in five years.

Hillary Gebhardt, a chiropractor and Sherman Oaks resident volunteering with her husband, Jim Gebhardt, and their 5-year-old son Austin, called the planting a positive step for the community.

``We get to meet neighbors we might not have met otherwise, and it's good for our son, because he can watch the tree he helped plant grow as he grows,'' she said.

Richard Close, president of the homeowners association, said the $29,000 to pay for the project came from $19,000 raised by the group and a $10,000 matching grant from the Los Angeles Department of Public Works. He said the group got key help in securing the grant from City Councilman Mike Feuer, who represents the area.

Close said the association would pay roughly $800 per month for the trees to be watered and trimmed.

``The city is decades behind on trimming trees, so we're not going to sit around and wait for them to do it,'' he said. ``Next year, we hope to plant more trees.''

Part of the money raised came from the group's annual barbecue and fashion show, Close said. Some people also donated $500 to sponsor a tree and have their name dedicated on a bronze plaque.

One of those trees, being planted in front of Joe Kavanough Foreign Car Service, had a special meaning for its planters.

Dedicated to the late Joe Kavanough, who owned the car company, the money came from Ken Gerston, the owner of Continental Coin in Sherman Oaks.

Planting that tree was a group of apartment tenants from the nearby Chase Knolls Garden Apartments. The tenants recently formed a group to fight eviction from the 260-unit complex by the landlord, who plans to replace the building with luxury units.

``We've gotten a lot of support from the community, and we wanted to come out and give something back,'' said Deanne-Marie Jaedicke, vice president of the Chase Knolls Residents and Neighbors Association.

Kim Petty, who has lived in Sherman Oaks for more than three years, was walking her dog down the boulevard Sunday. She said she can already see the improvement.

``We can finally get a little shade around here,'' she said. ``Maybe now some people will get out of their cars and enjoy the walk instead of being so lazy.''

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Photo: Members of the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association plant trees Sunday along Ventura Boulevard.

Gene Blevins/Special to the Daily News