A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood: SoPas Garden Tour Shows Off Sustainable Properties

Written by Stephanie Payne Campbell

Between 400 and 600 people toured the seven homes featured in the South Pasadena Garden tour on Sunday. Each garden showed off principles of sustainability from the use of drought tolerant California native and Mediterranean landscaping, planting for wildlife including ponds and bird habitat to permeable paving options and recycling organic waste. 

Although this was South Pasadena Beautiful’s 44th garden tour it was only the second garden tour highlighting sustainable gardens. South Pasadena city water conservation analyst Debby Figoni was also on hand to distribute sustainable gardening information and answer many garden questions.

Local South Pas resident Alexander Main offered free pedicab rides to many tour-goers. With seven gardens to visit it was an exciting and relaxing way to visit the gardens.

June Scott, one of the tour organizers, opened up her own garden for the tour, which highlighted a low-water use native meadow that had replaced her front lawn.  Once her children no longer played on the backyard lawn it was replaced with decomposed granite, cement koi pond and Mexican weeping bamboo for a low water, yet lush privacy screen.

“We had a great turn out and wonderful weather to enjoy the day and we are so thankful to our generous garden owners who shared their beautiful gardens with the community.”