Before the Eaton fire arrived in January, Altadena was a lush green suburb. Acclaimed by its proximity to the mountains, its streets bordered by majestic centenary trees and its gardens, the community was a shelter for those who were looking for a place to live that felt connected to nature.
After the fire, the entire blocks were reduced to bare ground lots. Stand in the right corner and clearly see hundreds of feet, seen above full of shrubs and buildings. Families have lost trees with swings of tires and rose gardens that flourished through generations.
Fortunately, an Altadenan has been working to help residents recover some of the green spaces that lost, appearing a free position in the corner of their patio to distribute plants, seeds and earth.
Young Coast's vital oak plants are among California's native plants that the “Renow Altadena” plant support has begun to offer. It also gives seeds for a variety of native sages.
(Juliana Yamada / Los Angeles Times)
Laurie Scott, who works as an advertiser, says she opened her Altadena Stand rest because the plants comfort. She and her family lost their garage and part of their patio in the fire and in the following weeks, it was proposed to buy a small interior plant in Trader Joe's. “I grabbed a disco ball festive planter with a pothos, I returned home to put it on our window of the window, and was very excited,” she says. “He took the empty and sterile apartment [we’d moved into after the fire] And he made him feel a little more as at home. He brought life to space, and gave me hope and comfort. And I realized that if I felt like that, I was probably alone either. “
He began spreading succulent and interior plant, pots on the ships he obtained from the neighbors in a Buy Nothing group. A friend gave her a wire bakers grid and Scott began to fill it with the fruits of her work. She officially launched her own harvesting in March, publishing in a Altadena Facebook group and inviting neighbors to come to take some green, whether they had a home to take it or simply wanted something small to take with them while bouncing from one place to another.
“Everything was terrible, only the worst, and I launched Renow Altadena because I wanted to help,” she says. “I wanted to do better, although I knew I couldn't undo what happened. The only thing I could It was to make some plants and give them people, to give them that little hope for the future. Many of us have been displaced and we are in survival mode, but a plant is a bit of luxury. It is not essential, but that little is something extra that can make life much better. “
Laurie Scott began her free plants post to support her community after the Eaton fire. She offers interior and exterior plants. Interior and succulent plants can feel like a “small luxury” after so much devastation, she says. (Juliana Yamada / Los Angeles Times)
“At a time when there was so much destruction and loss,” Scott adds, “I thought the plants could represent gain and growth. And maybe even a future.”
And Altadena residents seem to agree. To date, Scott says that it has distributed more than 1,000 plants and 1,000 seed packages through its support and a satellite location in Pasadena Boba and Bookstore DYM. Other residents and assistants have been appearing to give what they can, adding everything from aloe plants to living oak coast to a 7 -foot Alepo pine that someone had covered in a bucket. A local ceramist has been making beautiful pots for some of the interior plants, and Scott has been linked to several local gardeners who have helped her access other resources.
“Altadena is wonderfully eclectic,” says Scott. “It has always been one of the things that I loved, so I am trying to put a wide range of plants on the shelf. It is really intended for anyone who has been affected, because the plants are there to bring comfort and, as my 2 -year -old son says, they are there to make people happy.”
Desiree Sayarath says that he has seen Joy Scott's plants can bring firsthand from the registration in his store, Dym. The two women met when Scott stopped in DYM after storing the shelves of their plant support and filed a conversation. Sayarath offered to organize some plants, Scott appeared with some, and in just one day, they left. “All my clients think it's really great,” says Sayarath. “People have begun to return home and need something good to concentrate.”
“Laurie plants really promote connection and growth,” adds Sayarath. “There are displaced residents who have come to plants because they are still working in their gardens, reaching until the ground and water stay. They are maintaining their wakes away when they rebuild their homes, even if they know they will take a long time. It is as if they were working in their gardens because that is all they have in their control. Their plants give something tangible to hope or perhaps a vision of what comes to come.”
And the gardeners say that Altadena's replantation sooner rather than later could be critical for long -term recovery. “Healthy soil reduces pollutants,” says Kristy Brauch, a gardener teacher who contributes to grow the Altadena reserve. “If we can put carefully selected plants and landscaping, we can help the reconstruction of the soil, support biodiversity and strengthen our ecosystem.”
While Revrow Altadena began giving succulents and interior plants, it is grown to include Native California plants, such as the Rod Golden in California and Coyote Mint. It also offers a variety of seeds for the black, white, purple, Cleveland and Hummingbird, as well as Mallarw de Albaricoque, Pensthemon, Yarrow, Poppies of California, Faclia Caterpillar and more. Scott is working with Monarch Fellowship, a volunteer initiative to plant pollinators flowers, to offer wild flower seeds in autumn and seeds and plants of leafy leafy algodoncillo in spring. Separate, Revrow Altadena offers the water box, which can help remedy the ground.
Scott says he wants to continue offering free plants and seeds, at least during spring, but his intention is to do it “until everyone is at home and beyond.” Replacing mature landscaping can be expensive, so the Altadena's objectives will probably change over the years as people return to temporary residences.
“At this time, it is difficult to look at Altadena and see how beautiful it used to be,” says Scott. “I just want to do what I can to help us find that green shelter again.”
