Jackie Robinson Post Office Garden
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Project Date: October 22, 2016
The Jackie Robinson Post Office Native Garden installation has been an amazing success!
I have been reflecting on a mantra which was bestowed on me by David White of the Center for Regenerative Agriculture, Ojai: "Clarity of Intention, Flexibility of Process" When we hold this basic guide, things seem to flow with grace and ease
The underpinnings of this mantra are the strengths of Transition Pasadena: a natural diversity of interest and talents, a shared, level leadership, mutual empowerment, fun as a priority, the ability to mutually hold vision or intention, and flexibility to think outside the box about how to make it happen, or make it better, or make it do, or do without! And, as an aside, the other component that always amazes me is: it is virtually all accomplished outside the money economy, unfettered by the bookkeeping of nonprofit status.
In planning this project the intention was set and then pieces seemed to fall into place, a constant reassurance that we must keep moving it forward to a higher level of engagement.
A professional Program Manager presented herself asking for community engagement! The city, unsolicited, offered the high-efficiency irrigation system. Even as Saturday, the day of the garden installation unfolded and we ran out of mulch, Lin led a group with a truck to a mountain of free mulch which adequately finished off the project. Sylvia showed up with cardboard to cover newly-sprouting weedy patches, January showed up with signage for staging and work flow, David showed up with a piano, Michiko showed up with a zero waste program, and 55 neighborhood volunteers showed up, each toting tools of guerrilla gardening.
Leaders emerged for efficiently moving a mountain of mulch up onto the planting beds, nestling large stones, staffing booths and welcoming new arrivals. We finished planting 6 trees and more than 50 other plants 3 hours ahead of schedule!
And then after four months with virtually zero rain, it rained on Sunday! and again on Monday!. How can that be, I ask myself. Life is a mysterious thing. The Universe is a powerful force.
—Therese Brummel, October 27, 2016
The Jackie Robinson Post Office Native Garden installation has been an amazing success!
I have been reflecting on a mantra which was bestowed on me by David White of the Center for Regenerative Agriculture, Ojai: "Clarity of Intention, Flexibility of Process" When we hold this basic guide, things seem to flow with grace and ease
The underpinnings of this mantra are the strengths of Transition Pasadena: a natural diversity of interest and talents, a shared, level leadership, mutual empowerment, fun as a priority, the ability to mutually hold vision or intention, and flexibility to think outside the box about how to make it happen, or make it better, or make it do, or do without! And, as an aside, the other component that always amazes me is: it is virtually all accomplished outside the money economy, unfettered by the bookkeeping of nonprofit status.
In planning this project the intention was set and then pieces seemed to fall into place, a constant reassurance that we must keep moving it forward to a higher level of engagement.
A professional Program Manager presented herself asking for community engagement! The city, unsolicited, offered the high-efficiency irrigation system. Even as Saturday, the day of the garden installation unfolded and we ran out of mulch, Lin led a group with a truck to a mountain of free mulch which adequately finished off the project. Sylvia showed up with cardboard to cover newly-sprouting weedy patches, January showed up with signage for staging and work flow, David showed up with a piano, Michiko showed up with a zero waste program, and 55 neighborhood volunteers showed up, each toting tools of guerrilla gardening.
Leaders emerged for efficiently moving a mountain of mulch up onto the planting beds, nestling large stones, staffing booths and welcoming new arrivals. We finished planting 6 trees and more than 50 other plants 3 hours ahead of schedule!
And then after four months with virtually zero rain, it rained on Sunday! and again on Monday!. How can that be, I ask myself. Life is a mysterious thing. The Universe is a powerful force.
—Therese Brummel, October 27, 2016
