Pasadena’s Throop Learning Garden Vandalized

Throop Learning Garden vandalized (Photo – George Patton)

Imagine you have raised a large family that is now a thriving and beautiful clan admired far and wide. Then tragedy strikes and they are wiped out in a single catastrophe.

By Thom Hawkins

You would be devastated, and you would find it difficult to pick up the pieces and carry on. The Garden Director at Throop UU Church, George Patton, is at this very moment dealing with the sudden loss of fifty of his renowned family of unique and rare flowering plants that were cruelly ripped from the ground, roots and all, in the dark of Tuesday night.

Over the past years George has bravely and steadfastly dealt with many loses in the garden due to vandalism, but nothing on this scale. The sheer spitefulness and mean-heartedness of this act has left him breathless. What you have to understand about George is that, above all else, he is an artist. The Throop Learning Garden is his permaculture canvas and colorful flowering plants his palette in the tradition of English Wild Gardens. Someone has slashed his canvas.

Throop Garden (Photo – ColoradoBlvd.net)

Apparently two someones, soon to be known. There is an eyewitness, and police are looking for the perpetrators and encouraging any other eyewitnesses to come forward. It would be best if these individuals would turn themselves in immediately and work with George to help repair their damage.

Despite Throop being locked down for months, volunteer Director Patton and his dedicated crew of volunteer gardeners have not only maintained the garden but also expanded and improved it in many ways to serve as a beacon to the way forward. The garden reflects the heart and soul of a loving community that has given Pasadena the gift of joy and beauty.

The garden community has been struggling with the financial repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. They now must find the resources not only to replace the plants but also to install security cameras and lighting. In the past year, many pounds of fresh produce have been stealthily picked in the night. These acts of vandalism must stop.