Pasadena Residents Help Beautify Business Area and Enhance Water-Use Efficiency at Neighborhood Planting and Mulching Day

Over 26 volunteers from the community joined Pasadena Water and Power’s Neighborhood Planting and Mulching Day on Nov. 12, at the Block 5 Parking Lot, which serves multiple small businesses along the southeast comer of Washington Blvd. and Lake Ave.

PWP Interim General Manager Jeffrey Kightlinger Interim General Manager of Water and Power, described the event as the culmination of a six-month multi-departmental project among PWP and the Departments of Public Works, Transportation, Housing, the Municipal Assistance, Solutions, and Hiring (MASH) program, and the Office of Economic Development to upgrade the site.

Work included lighting upgrades, parking lot improvements, and landscape and irrigation retrofits.

The volunteers and City staff planted a variety of drought tolerant plants throughout the site, and 14 new Carolina Cherry Laurel trees. They also applied mulch to enhance soil health and moisture retention. PWP hosted workshops onsite on proper planting and mulching techniques and drip irrigation.

Before the event, staff provided irrigation repairs and installed high efficiency spray heads and drip systems.

The volunteers were organized by staff from the District 2 Council office, which also coordinated community partners, such as the Pasadena Beautiful Foundation and the Bungalow Heaven Neighborhood Association. Northwest Youth Ambassadors also joined in the planting and mulching event.

Aside from activities involving volunteers, PWP continues to offer programs to residents and businesses to support water-use efficiency, including rebates for irrigation improvements, turf removal, and landscape retrofits.

PWP has an online library of water-use efficiency workshops. To learn more, visit www.PWPweb.com/savewater.