The City of Pasadena held a tree planting event on Arbor Day, which is almost seems redundant since Pasadena is already a heavily forested city. In fact, Pasadena has a Department of Forestry to take care of all the thousands upon thousands on 120+ year old oaks and other trees that line the city streets. But we were glad to see them plant a new tree along one block in a commercial area that was almost treeless.
At this event I listened to the good advice the man from the Forestry Dept. was giving: dig a hole much wider than the root ball, but not deeper and don’t pack down the soil on the root ball.
Then I decided to amble on over to Arlington Garden, Pasadena’s only public garden. Just to be clear about it, Pasadena has 25 public parks, but only one garden devoted to carefully tended plants from the Mediterranean and California ecosystems–plants that don’t need much water, although this garden does have an irrigation system.
Less than 8 years ago Arlington Garden was a three acre vacant and very unsightly lot. Nearby residents began a campaign to turn it into a public garden. I’ll spare you all the details and deals that were made with various public agencies, but the residents, primarily one couple whose condo looked out onto the bare lot, were successful.
Noted garden designer Mayita Dinos created a plan that included a Mediterranean garden, a citrus garden, a meadowland, a succulent garden and more. She even included a bocce ball court.
The citrus garden has turned into a source of fundraising–they sell the orange marmalade made from the oranges grown in the garden. Whether it is because it is only March–even though the weather lately has been like early summer–or for some other reason, Arlington Garden, especially the California section looks very untidy.
Untidy or not, the gardens are a very popular lunch place as well as a garden for sitting and strolling.
To see many more photos of the Arlington Garden, go here.
