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Throop Learning Garden

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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?

9/12/2016

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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
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Exploring Compost

9/11/2016

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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.

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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
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    Garden Co-Managers

    January Nordman
    Michael Kelley

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