News Summary
Club Gay Gardens in Glendale is a vibrant gardening collective for queer Angelenos that has revitalized a parkway garden along Brand Boulevard. Meeting monthly, members participate in various horticultural activities that foster community spirit and learning. Co-founders Maggie Smart-McCabe and Linnea Torres initiated the collective, pulling in volunteers and transforming the once-neglected site into a flourishing green space. The club emphasizes environmental care and social justice, aiming to alter conventional gardening perceptions while advocating for the importance of urban green spaces.
Glendale is witnessing a vibrant community initiative through Club Gay Gardens, a gardening collective designed specifically for queer Angelenos. The club, which meets on the last Sunday of every month, has transformed a modest parkway garden along Brand Boulevard into a thriving hub of horticultural activity and community spirit.
The garden, populated with native plants, is managed by a dedicated group of gardening enthusiasts ranging from beginner gardeners to those possessing formal horticulture education. Members engage in various activities during their gatherings, including seed-sorting, planting, and cleaning up litter. This collective effort not only nurtures the garden but also strengthens the bonds among its members.
Juno Stilley, a regular participant who joined the club in 2023, has taken her involvement a step further by establishing her landscaping business, Juno Garden. Stilley finds immense value in the knowledge shared by the diverse group of club members, enabling her to learn more about plants and ecology.
Maggie Smart-McCabe, one of the co-founders of the club and an urban ecologist, recognized the need for community involvement when she met fellow co-founder Linnea Torres on Instagram. Both saw that they were the only individuals caring for the parkway garden, paving the way for the creation of Club Gay Gardens. This grassroots effort has successfully attracted volunteers who assist with maintaining the garden.
The tasks involved in developing the gardening site were initially challenging due to compacted soil, which hindered planting efforts. However, the collective’s persistence has turned the area into a flourishing garden. As the older plants thrived, they provided much-needed shelter for younger ones, which increased overall community participation and care for the gardening project.
Club Gay Gardens draws a parallel between nurturing plants and the queer community’s support for the underdog. This theme resonates strongly among members, culminating in creative contributions such as a “goth” crop bed and a vibrant “rainbow” bed, showcasing a variety of plants. The club regularly receives plant donations from local nurseries, which aids in expanding their gardening efforts.
Beyond cultivating greenery, Club Gay Gardens actively challenges conventional notions surrounding gardening, traditionally associated with affluent demographics, often featuring white women. Events like the annual Pisces Plantasia aim to provide a context for gardening within broader social justice discussions, and earnings from these events have previously supported local initiatives, including the Altadena Seed Library and other community programs.
Members advocate for greater appreciation of urban green spaces, urging city planners to consider nature’s value in their decisions. There are also plans to extend the club’s reach into other areas within Los Angeles, supported by a grant for professional development and training.
Smart-McCabe emphasized the growth of native plants as a metaphor for the gradual progress of the gardening club itself, highlighting how the collective helps foster relationships through a shared commitment to environmental care amidst urban challenges. The Altadena Seed Library, co-founded by Nina Raj, complements these efforts by providing seeds to promote community resilience against climate disasters.
Recent history, including past wildfire tragedies in Altadena, underscores the interconnectedness of recovery initiatives and the essential role of gardening in community healing. Club Gay Gardens serves not only as a gardening collective but also as a symbol of unity, advocacy, and the importance of nurturing both plants and community ties in the face of challenges.
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Additional Resources
- Los Angeles Times: Club Gay Gardens
- LAist: Regrowing Community After Wildfire
- AOL: Designer-Approved Gardening Tips
- Wikipedia: Gardening
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Garden
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