Arlington Garden, the only free Mediterranean climate habitat garden in Pasadena, is celebrating its 17th anniversary with Autumn in the Garden on Sunday, September 25th. The event will honor inspirational members of the Arlington Garden community including Pasadena City Councilmember Steve Madison, businessman and philanthropist Bob Bozzani, and Arlington’s garden designer, Mayita Dinos.
The main Autumn in the Garden (5:00-7:30pm) event will feature live music curated by Floating and dublab. Attendees are invited to socialize in the garden during the twilight hours, listen to music and enjoy food from local dumpling artisans Dina’s Dumplings and wine from Wenzlau Vineyard. Awards will be presented at a special VIP reception held before the event from 4:00 to 5:00pm.
Arlington Garden was created in 2005 on a former staging ground for the 710 freeway by founders Betty and Charles “Kicker” McKenney working with Steve Madison and City Manager Cynthia Kurtz. In the words of Betty and Charles, the garden was to be “a permanent part of Pasadena’s landscape, a natural public garden in an urban setting, made for the entire community.”
Inspired by Jan Smithen’s book Sun-Drenched Gardens: The Mediterranean Style, Betty and Charles worked with designer Mayita Dinos to create a garden celebrating Southern California’s unique climate. The garden has since evolved to become a regenerative habitat garden, demonstrating how a landscape can be beautiful while increasing resilience to climate change. Michelle Matthews, Arlington’s Executive Director, describes the garden as “a landmark of healthy habitat and living soil” that is a leader in landscaping for climate change. “We already demonstrate,” she says, “what most public gardens across the nation are trying to achieve.”
Arlington Garden is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization selected by State Senator Anthony Portantino as Senate District 25’s California Nonprofit of the Year in 2019.
The event’s sponsors include Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, City of Pasadena, Ellen Brown, Cheryl Bode, Don and Nancy McIntyre, Jason Storbeck, Claire and Bill Bogaard, Robert Gillespie, Sybil Grant, and Melissa Weinberger.
Visit EventBrite for tickets to Autumn in the Garden and for more information about the event.
