by Timothy Rutt
Shh! Looking for daring, stealth gardeners ....
Back in 2010, Cody Howard took a neglected stretch of Altadena Drive north of Berendo and stealthily turned it into a desert "guerrilla garden." Originally working sometimes under cover of darkness, and with surreptitious help from neighbors, Howard, a horticulturalist with the Huntington Gardens in San Marino, planted an almost-self sustaining garden of succulants and desert plants, beautifying a stretch that had been left to dirt and weeds.
He was found out by Altadena Heritage, which awarded him a Golden Poppy Award in 2012, as he came out of the shadows.
Howard is holding a cleanup and planting day for the garden on Sunday, Oct. 27, from 12-4 PM, and everyone is invited. Howard writes;
Bring tools, gloves, water and excitement! There's lots of weeding to do and lots of big plants to plant as well. We'll also be moving some plants around in the garden and hauling rocks.
You can sign up on the Facebook page that Howard has set up for the event (which happens to coincide with his birthday), or just show up and become a "guerrilla gardener" yourself.
