Altadena Community Garden’s 35th Annual BBQ will be held Saturday, July 11 from 1- 5:00PM in the Garden, 3330 Lincoln Avenue, rain or shine. The Altadena Community Garden, at the corner of Lincoln Avenue and Palm Street, one block north of Altadena Drive, is located at the site of the old Mount Lowe Military Academy, in operation from 1937-1973. This year, the Academy’s biennial reunion coincides with the Garden’s annual picnic. A joint celebration is planned.
The 108 gardeners who tend 65 individual plots on the three-acre property host the annual barbeque. The summertime event is a celebration of food, music, education booths, awards and garden-centric community fellowship. The public is encouraged to attend for a first-hand peek at one of Southern California’s premier community gardens. Tickets are $8.00 at the door, or $7 in advance. Children 6 to 12 years old are $4.00, and under 5 are free.
The food is down-home good. Locavores will appreciate the fruits and vegetables served from the gardens, plus barbecued ribs and chicken, along with home-baked breads, and a wide array of dessert items on groaning tables. The buffet luncheon starts at 1:00, with demonstrations, raffle prizes, guest speakers, and musicians peppering the event.
This year’s education vendors will include the Common Ground Master Gardeners Program from the University of California Cooperative Extension of Los Angeles County; Mother Magnolia, an eco-friendly landscaping company; and representatives from the Los Angeles County Police, the Los Angeles County Sheriff, California Highway Patrol and the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
Certified Master Gardeners will teach 15-minute garden-wise workshops every hour. Topics will include: transplanting from color packs, 4 inch and gallon containers, composting do’s and don’ts, and soil preparation and conditioning for robust crops. Also available will be information on enrolling in the popular UC Extension Master Gardeners annual training program.
Mark Rice of Mother Magnolia Landscaping will brew, distribute recipes and dispense nutrient-rich garden “tea,” an elixir of all-natural fertilizer. Rice, a resident Altadena gardener, will also answer questions about compost and mulch in a drought-stressed environment.
The LA County Sheriffs, California Highway Patrol, Los Angeles County Police and Fire Department will be on hand to recruit, field questions about safety protocols in emergency situations and during natural disasters, and to chat with local residents.
-- Sandy Gillis
