Let Your Garden Grow Wild (Woman's Club of South Pas)

“Let Your Garden Grow Wild” and sustainable gardening program at Woman’s Club May 7 

               Gardening with nature, use of native plants, and learning how to “Let Your Garden Grow Wild” will be the topic of a talk and media presentation at the May 7th luncheon meeting at the Woman’s Club of South Pasadena. Barbara Eisenstein, horticulturist, research associate at Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Gardens and expert on California native plants, is the guest speaker.  The public is invited to attend the program to be held at the Clubhouse, 1424 Fremont Avenue.

          Barbara will focus on the value of working with nature to achieve beautiful and interesting yards without the use of toxic chemicals.  Her talk will present practical approaches to landscaping and gardening with native and drought tolerant plants.  She points out that many people have “embraced a gardening style in which cleanliness and neatness have led to waste and dispersal of poisons throughout our world.”  Barbara will offer tips and examples of how to transition from resource and water intensive yards to more sustainable, natural and enjoyable gardens that welcome and nourish birds and butterflies. 

        Barbara lives and gardens in a century-old Craftsman home in South Pasadena that has been featured five times on the Theodore Payne Native Plant Garden Tour.  She is also the founder of and manages the “Friends of the Nature Park” located in South Pasadena’s Arroyo Seco. 

            Toni Marshall, Program Chair for the Woman’s Club, says, “We are delighted to have Ms. Eisenstein talk about the importance of achieving more natural and sustainable gardens especially with California’s continuing drought.”  The Woman’s Club has a long history of supporting conservation of resources. They worked with the City in 1911 to establish a park in the Arroyo Seco and also started a tree planting program for the developing neighborhoods. 

           Prior to Ms. Eisenstein’s program, the Club will present the “Shining Star” award to Linda Hess in recognition of her founding of Urban Harvester, an organization that collects excess fresh food from grocery stores, restaurants, and caterers and donates to hungry and needy people.

               Reservations for this interesting Club meeting should be made by Sunday, May 4th   by calling Lynn Cathcart (323) 255-5739 or Betty Guenveur (626) 799-2395.  The Club meeting begins at 10:30 a.m., the “Shining Star” presentation at 11:00 a.m., and “Let Your Garden Go Wild”  program at 11:15 followed by luncheon at noon.  The cost is $12.