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Arlington Garden is Many Things

Arlington Garden is Pasadena’s only dedicated public garden. Pasadena has 22 parks and significant natural open spaces, but except for Arlington Garden, Pasadena has no public gardens. Arlington Garden is an example of urban open space,--or uses such as plazas, paseos, and gardens, which are appropriate in many places throughout town where sites are too small or expensive for traditional parks.

Arlington Garden is a demonstration of successful waterwise gardening in Pasadena’s Mediterranean climate. Pasadena needs plant life that does well in our wet winters, hot, dry summers, and temperate falls and springs, to demonstrate how beautiful and effective a garden in harmony with our climate can be. Arlington Garden is home to 350 trees and thousands of Mediterranean climate plants that do well with moderate to low watering, featuring California natives, cactus and succulents, South African and Australian natives.

Arlington Garden is a valuable horticultural garden. Arlington Garden is home to a great variety of rare and endangered California Natives.

Arlington Garden is a sustainable land use. Arlington Garden features walls, paths, an amphitheater, and sculpture, made from over 20 tons of reclaimed concrete. A series of berms and a swale running the length of the Arlington Drive parkway catch and retain thousands of gallons of rainwater after each rain. At least 20 growing trees in the Garden have come from seed, and our annual wildflower display is entirely from reseeding. In 2009, Arlington Garden used 17% of the water used at Singer Park, a neighborhood park of the same size just two blocks away. In 2010, with the City reducing water usage, Arlington Garden still used just 40% of the water used at Singer.

Arlington Garden is a place to find serenity in an urban setting. Arlington Garden has brought the serenity of nature to the City. A classical seven circuit labyrinth, a raised urbanite poppy set in the middle of the meadow, paths winding through trees and plants, and benches set throughout the Garden allow one to stroll or sit and obtain some peace and quiet. A Pasadena middle school girl told her teacher that she likes the Garden because she can “hear my thoughts here.”

Arlington Garden is the result of an exceptional public/private collaboration. Arlington Garden is a collaboration among Betty and Charles McKenney, the City of Pasadena, and Pasadena Water & Power, who combined to create Pasadena’s only dedicated public garden on property leased by the City from Caltrans. This rare collaboration has encouraged others to embark on similar creations and to recognize that urban open spaces are attractive and valuable kinds of land use.