Transition Pasadena - Throop Learning Garden

Throop Learning Garden

Throop Memorial Church • 300 South Los Robles Avenue, Pasadena

Throop Learning Garden is an example of how we can transform our environment through community. We worked together to found a garden based on permaculture principles. We began with Bermuda grass and hardpan clay. We now enjoy a garden that includes a raised bed food garden, a fruit tree food forest, a drought tolerant native garden, demonstrations of water harvesting techniques, soil building, uses for “urbanite” and other recyclables, and comfortable places to congregate. We also host a wealth of birds and beneficial insects, including praying mantises, many moths, and butterflies.

Garden work days are most Sunday mornings from 8:30 to 10:30.

~ 2013 Pasadena Green City Award for Urban Nature ~

What's Up at Throop Learning Garden?

6/1/2017

Throop Learning Garden enjoyed a “super bloom” of wildflowers this spring,
thanks to an abundance of winter rain. Our orchard also responded to the rains
by producing an abundance of fruit. Our apricots, blackberries, and blueberries
have all been harvested and enjoyed. Plum, apples, persimmons, pomegranates,
and figs are still to come.

We have several upcoming projects of interest:

Join us for a hands-on workshop that will build a cold stack compost.
Date: Saturday June 10 from 10am-noon
Transition Pasadena & Throop Learning Garden host a Compost Workshop, featuring garden guru George Patton.
Donation: $10
Space is limited so RSVP to [email protected]
We are refurbishing the raised bed gardens. We will replace the cement blocks, which hold heat, with redwood planks. Stay tuned for construction workshop date.
We are revamping our shade structure over the raised bed veggie garden. This will allow us to continue growing more heat sensitive plants, like cucumbers, into the heat of summer.
Plus, we continue to plant our summer crops in the hugel garden. So far we have planted okra, squashes, and flowers. Still to come: Tomatoes, corn, & beans.

Please join our gardening community any Sunday between 8:30 and 11:00am. Enjoy the oasis of habitat. Watch birds and butterflies frolic in the flowers. Get your hands dirty. Feel the sun on your face. Go home with fresh seasonal produce and flowers. Reconnect with soil, flora, fauna, and a spirited group of humans.

— January Nordman

What’s Up at Throop Learning Garden?

9/12/2016

It has been a busy summer at Throop Learning Garden. Many thanks to all who have volunteered their energies and insights.

This summer George Patton and our crew built a hugelkultur/ waffle garden behind the Los Robles bus stop. We planted a Three Sisters-style garden, based on corn, beans, and squash. We also added peppers, sunflowers, pumpkins, tomatoes, and okra.

The corn is 7’ tall, and made an ample feast for the raccoons that live in the storm drain across the street. They did not read the sign admonishing to pick only one and leave some for others. Fortunately, we are enjoying abundant harvests of the other crops. The pumpkins are ripening and should be harvestable next week.

We've also added a biodynamic compost stack, installed during the workshop with George Patton and Sheryl Spangler at the end of July.

Our olives are coming ripe about a month ahead of schedule. Our tree, on the Del Mar yard, is heavily laden with fruit. We plan to do an initial harvest this coming Wednesday, September 14, around 10 a.m. We also plan to workshop olive brining, at a date to be determined.

We are also looking into a workshop on kombucha and kimchi. Again, dates to be determined.

And last, but not least, we are developing a half hour earth-based garden meditation at Throop on Sunday mornings at 10:30 a.m. beginning Sunday, September 25. The meditation will be non-denominational, but structured for a short, seated time, then a walking meditation. The focus will be deepening our connection to the earth.

— January Nordman

Exploring Compost

9/11/2016

Throop Learning Garden Workshop, July 31, 2016

What makes good compost?

George Patton and Sheryl Spangler led our gathered gardeners on a sultry Saturday morning in late July to explore all things compost. We began with a review of what had been constructed at Throop.

We looked at our static bins, worm bins, and talked about how to expand our capacity to make living compost. This led to a hands-on opportunity for six participants to actually build a biodynamic compost stack. Along the way we shared experiences and questions, further enriching the discussion.

So what’s George and Sheryl’s recipe for making good compost?

Start with an area or container that is at least 3’x3’.
It’s best to locate compost in the shade.
Have a covering of some sort to preserve moisture.
Build a “mattress” at the bottom to contain the nutrients. This could be cardboard sheets, newspaper, or a bedding of straw or leaves.
Add water soaked, soggy chunks of cardboard,
Add worms,
Add an “inoculant”: a handful or two of good compost, or commercial starter,
Next successively stack layers of green leaves, brown leaves and twigs, then manure or alfalfa,
Make sure each layer is watered thoroughly,
Top with straw, newspaper, or cardboard. This keeps moisture in and minimizes critters.

We built our biodynamic compost in under 2 hours. It’s cooking nicely, so we anticipate having finished compost in 4-6 weeks. (Update: As of 9/10 it has decreased over 1.5 feet in mass, & the interior is looking like rich soil).

Stop by and take a look. It’s located at the Los Robles end of the church property in the area near the bus stop.

Thanks to George and Sheryl for their thoughtful instruction. Thanks to all who participated, for your questions, energy, and joyful work.

— January Nordman

The Growing Threats to Chaparral Ecosystems

6/2/2016

Notes From the Garden

The San Gabriel Chapter of the California Native Plant Society hosted Dr. Stephen Davis, plant ecologist from Pepperdine University, at its May meeting. Dr. Davis presented a talk on the extended drought and its effects on California chaparral. His research involved two “bookend” species essential to the healthy functioning of the chaparral ecosystem: Laurel Sumac and Bigpod Ceanothus. These plants were chosen as the two plants with the most hearty comeback potential after fire. Laurel Sumac has incredibly deep roots that persist after fire, allowing the plant to send up suckers after the main trunk has been burned. Bigpod Ceanothus seeds break open during fire, so seeds can germinate post fire.

Both are survivor species. Laurel Sumac may have roots as deep as 42’, allowing the plant to tap in to deep water resources. Bigpod Ceanothus Has great capacity for withstanding dehydration during drought times. Both have survivied for thousands of years.

But now we face the special challenges of climate change. Most droughts in California since the Pleistocene endured for 20 years or less. Occasionally droughts of 30-100 years were recorded. During these times normal air temperatures prevailed. Currently we are experiencing the mean temperature creepin, and in some cases, leaping in ways we have never experienced. Coupled with the lack of rainfall, Dr. Davis and his students have noticed a dramatic shift in the response of the bookend species.

Laurel Sumac has been attacked throughout the Malibu area by a fungus that usually lives commensurately with the plant. This is causing cankers to form throughout the plant that thwart the rise of water from roots to stems, thus stressing the plant and ultimately killing it.

Bigpod Ceanothus has relatively shallow roots (+-5’). During drought it dessicates readily, sending its energy into the main stem of the plant. If it dessicates too far it has the effect of splitting the bark, allowing air into flow passages, essentially creating a plant embolism. The plant dies back, unable to deliver fluid to all its parts. Also the seeds have been germinating not from hot fire followed by rain, but by increased soil temperature followed by hot, dry weather. In the current situation the seed sprouts only to be dried out and killed.

Dr. Davis and his students are documenting a phenomenon never witnessed before. Their area of study is an area in Malibu that burns every 7 years or so. Nonetheless he concludes that our chaparral landscape is in big trouble from climate change and extended drought.

For more information:
http://seaver-faculty.pepperdine.edu/davis/

— January Nordman

Photo by Therese Brummel.

“Kids Dig In” & Hope For The Earth

4/14/2016

Notes from the Garden

Sundays — 8:30 to 10:30 am
Throop Memorial Church
300 S. Los Robles Ave., Pasadena

Spring rains encouraged a riot of wildflowers. We revel in the beauty and bounty of the garden.

We planted blueberries with the “Kids Dig In’” children’s program at Throop. The shrubs were planted in large containers in late March. Already they have nearly doubled in size and are covered with tiny blueberries.

The “Kids Dig In” children’s program takes root month by month. We meet the second Sunday of every month at 11:00am to practice awareness, meditation, garden skills, how to nurture food crops and habitats, and just enjoy the beauty around us. The program is designed for 5-10 year olds. Younger children are welcome with an attending parent.

This month we will also host children’s events on Sunday 4/17, as Throop celebrates Earth Day. Meet at Throop at 11:00am, after the garden work party.

Hope for Earth Tree
Hang your hopes for bringing peace and healing to Creation on the Throop Olive Tree between April 11-17.

— January Nordman

Throop Celebrates Earth Day

Throop Celebrates Earth Day
Throop kicked off “30 Days for the Earth” with a special service that introduced theconcepts that lead up to making a pledge to change carbon and toxin consumptive habits(ie: pledge to swear off flying or pledge to refuse to use Styrofoam containers)

Hidden City Neighborhood Walk
Join us April 21 from 4-6 pm for curated walks in the neighborhood.

eARTh festival - Saturday, April 16, 4-7 pm in Throop Hall

A celebration of our earth through music, poetry, art, puppetry, climate talks, plant and seed swap and more!

For more info go to: http://www.throopuupasadena.org/thirty-days-for-the-earth.html

Shelley Powsner and Laura Henne’s Composting Workshop

10/4/2015

Throop Learning Garden happily hosted Shelley Powsner and Laura Henne in an afternoon about compost on September 19. They shared their expertise, insight, and advice with a small group of rapt students. She offered an overview of composting techniques, emphasizing how to choose the type of composting best suited to one's specific needs. We chose a static compost for Throop Learning Garden, for the type of yard waste and the amount of attention we would give it. The workshop participants constructed two static bins, under Shelley's guidance. Come and check them out at the west end of Throop Learning Garden!

After a potluck lunch, Laura schooled us in vermiculture, or worm composting. This is one of the composting techniques best suited for urban gardeners who have more kitchen vegetable scraps than yard waste. She demonstrated the workings of several types of bins and how to construct and care for them. Then we had the opportunity to build a worm bins.

Everyone went away filled with enthusiasm, inspired to put their experience into practice at home. Our deepest thanks to Laura and Shelley for the sharing of their knowledge and inspiring us all.

— January Nordman

Olive Harvest

9/25/2015

Notes From the Garden

Throop Learning Garden experienced its first olive harvest. Our olive tree provided almost a bushel of olives, after several years with no harvest.

We watched the tree, in great anticipation, as olives began to form in August. We began to plan for an olive brining workshop in late October. We all were surprised when the olives came ripe the last week of August. Our surprise was burnished by gratitude at the bounty presented to us.

So we flew into action! Therese, Mimi, and Judith worked out a picking relay team-one on a ladder picking, one spotting the person on the ladder, and one gathering up the fallen olives onto a blanket placed under the tree. Much laughter ensued. And giant bowls brimming with olives.

But then the realization that we had an abundant harvest that needed to be processed. What should we do? None of us were very experienced with olive preserving.

We divvied the olives between 7 or 8 folks to try different processing methods and share what they learn at a future date. Michael is trying the Italian salt pack method suggested by the UC Davis ag department.Maggie is doing a salt brine.

Therese is trying a variant of the salt brine. I went with a Sicilian brine for the green olives and a Kalamata brine for the black, fully ripe olives.

Here are some good resources for olive processing and preserving:

UC-Davis—huge overview of many different techniques
http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu/pdf/8267.pdf

Brining olives
http://www.milkwood.net/2015/04/12/curing-olives-basic-brine-salt-methods/

Drying olives
http://www.markdymiotis.com/food/processing-olives/
http://www.motherearthnews.com/real-food/curing/how-to-cure-olives-zmaz76zhar.aspx

With perseverance and luck, we may be able to sample some finished olives at the next Repair Café at The Shed on October 10.

— January Nordman

Lisa Novick’s Transform Your Lawn to Native Plant Habitat

9/3/2015

Throop Learning Garden welcomed Lisa Novick to Throop Hall on August 22nd.

Lisa gave a rousing presentation on how to design and install a native plant habitat to replace your lawn. She used her yard as a beautifully illustrated example of how to accomplish the transformation. She took us, step-by-step, through her process, highlighting stumbling blocks and work-arounds. She provided resources, inspiration, and the joy of the challenge of just doing it.

The audience raptly absorbed Lisa’s information. A lively Q&A session rounded up the presentation and happy raffle winners went home with a native plant.

Lisa reminded us that we are the ones who will begin to reestablish habitat and heal our environment, one yard at a time.

— January Nordman

Genevieve Arnold’s Seed Collection Workshop

8/7/2015

We were pleased to host Genevieve Arnold and her hands-on seed harvesting workshop on July 25. We learned about different types of seeds, when and how to harvest seed, how to thresh and process seed, and various strategies for storing seeds. Then we went out into Throop Learning Garden and harvested seeds from cleveland sage, white sage, fabiolus penstemon, and several other plants. We all came away with new awareness and competency.

Genevieve offers classes at the Theodore Payne Foundation.

— January Nordman

Visit to Earthworks Farms

6/11/2015

I recently returned from a trip to visit family and friends in Michigan. While there, I had the pleasure of visiting Earthworks Farms in inner city Detroit. Darryl Howard, the garden manager, gave us a tour I will never forget.

Earthworks began in 1997 as a small garden to augment the Capuchin Soup Kitchen run by the Capuchin monastery. Brother Rick and the ministry, in accord with their concept of being in relationship with all of creation, recognized “a need to address the systemic causes of poverty, broken relationships, and a wounded Earth.” Their initial goal was to raise enough food to feed their clients, but also address food security in their neighborhood. Brother Rick organized the neighbors to help. The response was very positive.

Earthworks is located near the Detroit River off Lafayette Street in the heart of a very rough urban area. A number of properties in the area were abandoned. Some burned. Others collapsed and were razed. While devastating, it was also an opportunity. Over the years, the Capuchins were able to expand the garden to local vacant lots. Along the way they partnered with the local health department to promote healthy eating to low income families with children.

In 2001 they began Project FRESH which brought farmers’ markets to local health clinics and neighborhoods. Slowly they added training to local residents, and began to produce value added foods, like jams, pickles, and canned tomatoes. They also offered training for bicycle repair, beekeeping, cooking, and basic workplace skills. Many went on to use those skills in the employ of local businesses. They continue the farmers’ markets through their teen program, thus teaching another generation entrepreneurial skills.

Darryl generously showed me around three separate lots with hoop barns. The simple greenhouses allow for year-round growing. They also harvest water, make extensive compost, work with aquaculture, hydroponics, and have orchard crops. Darryl introduced me to several folks tending their own small gardens in a community garden set apart in one of the lots. They were excited to experiment with new varieties, or just grow some old favorites.

Darryl was hopeful for the future of the gardens. He pointed out the huge impact Earthworks had on so many people, how much it had positively affected his neighborhood, and the potential that it held for the future. The garden is a welcome opportunity, no locks on the garden gates. It’s just a matter of opening the door.

I invite everyone to check out Earthworks Farms website: http://www.cskdetroit.org/EWG/

– January Nordman