For 20 years, Arlington Garden has survived on what the community could give donated plants, volunteer labor, weekend visits with leashed dogs. Then, at 1:30 on a May morning last year, it lost nearly everything it needed to keep the garden alive.
A fire of unknown origin destroyed the garden’s storage shed on May 21, 2025, taking with it every tool, wheelbarrow, and pruner the staff and volunteers used, along with the automated irrigation system that watered the three-acre site. South Pasadena and Pasadena Fire Departments responded. The garden at 275 Arlington Drive Pasadena’s only dedicated public green space, free and open every day since 2005 closed for months. It reopened in August, but the shed is still gone. The surrounding plantings, though, were mostly untouched “hardly even singed,” the garden said at the time.
Now, as the nonprofit that stewards the garden marks its 20th anniversary, it is asking Pasadena to help fund what comes next. Arlington Garden in Pasadena, a 501(c)(3) that operates the Caltrans-owned property under a lease with the city, announced a fundraising campaign in April with lead gifts from Pasadena Beautiful Foundation and from Alfrida and Greg King, longtime Pasadena residents who live next to the garden.
The money will go toward three needs: a new shed, a replacement for the original irrigation system now more than 20 years old and an expansion of the garden’s educational programs to reach middle school students across the Pasadena Unified School District, according to a City of Pasadena District 6 announcement.
“Arlington Garden has been free and accessible to the public for 20 years, and we rely on the generosity of the community to help care for the garden,” said AJ Jewell, the garden’s executive director. “We are so grateful for these first campaign contributions from the Kings and Pasadena Beautiful Foundation, and hope that they will inspire others to donate to the garden and help ensure its future.”
The garden already hosts environmental science lessons for PUSD fifth graders, and a new nature journaling curriculum developed in consultation with the district was set to launch for sixth graders, according to an Edible San Fernando Valley report published in July 2025. Local private schools also use the space for lessons on climate literacy, composting, and native plant ecology, according to the same report. Adults can take part in year-round workshops on regenerative gardening, soil health, and fungi ecology, according to the same report.
Sara Edwards, president of Pasadena Beautiful Foundation, said the gift reflects the two organizations’ shared priorities. “Together, we are investing in the kind of thoughtful, community-centered green spaces that make Pasadena so special,” Edwards said in the announcement. Pasadena Beautiful Foundation was founded in 1960 and works to restore and protect the city’s parks, urban forests, and public spaces, according to the announcement.
Greg King, who visits the garden regularly with his wife, Alfrida, and their dog, Abby, said the couple considers the space essential. The Kings, who were both born and raised in Southern California, are active in the Pasadena community and support organizations including the Pasadena Community Foundation and Pasadena Art Alliance, according to the announcement. “It is a vital space in the Pasadena community that nurtures both people and the environment,” King said. “Alfrida and I hope that our contribution encourages others to join us in sustaining it.”
The garden grew from land that was supposed to carry a freeway. From 1904 to 1964, the site was home to the Durand estate, a 50-room mansion surrounded by gardens, according to a City of Pasadena District 6 featured story. Caltrans purchased the three-acre lot in 1964 to store heavy equipment for the planned 710 freeway extension. Community opposition killed the freeway, but the lot sat empty for decades. In 2002, District 6 Councilmember Steve Madison asked neighbors what should be done with the barren site. Betty and Charles “Kicker” McKenney, who lived nearby, championed a garden. Working with designer Mayita Dinos, former City Manager Cynthia Kurtz, and drawing inspiration from Jan Smithen’s book “Sun-Drenched Gardens: The Mediterranean Style,” the McKenneys broke ground in 2005. Both founders are now deceased.
Madison, who has represented the district since before the garden’s inception, said the space has become a model for what civic collaboration can produce. “Formerly a blighted empty lot, we worked together with neighbors, City staff, and Caltrans to transform the property into a garden oasis and a model public/private partnership,” Madison said. “The City, the Arlington Garden board, and the neighbors are working to ensure the property has a permanent role as a community garden space.”
The garden is home to 350 trees and thousands of drought-tolerant and native plants. It uses no herbicides, pesticides, or chemical fertilizers, according to the garden’s website. Birds, bees, butterflies, and other wildlife are abundant year-round. It is open from sunrise to sunset every day, with no admission charge. The garden is a 15-minute walk from the Metro Fillmore Station.
Arlington Garden is supported largely through individual donations. To learn more or donate, visit arlingtongardenpasadena.org. The garden is located at 275 Arlington Drive.
