Now celebrating its fourth anniversary, Arlington Garden has matured into a beautiful refuge overflowing with drought-tolerant trees and hundreds of plants. Conceived by Pasadena residents Betty and Charles McKenney in 2005, and built and maintained with support from Pasadena Water and Power, the Public Works Department and dozens of donors, the one-time vacant lot at Pasadena Avenue and Arlington Drive showcases a remarkable collection of species that are native to Southern California or otherwise suited to our semi-arid climate.

It’s worth a visit any time of year: In autumn watch the leaves of sycamores, Chinese pistache, cottonwood and western redbud trees turn yellow, orange and red; Washington navel orange trees pop in winter with more than 1,000 oranges; spring brings a magnificent show of California poppies, yellow tidy tips, California sunflowers and goldenrods, blue lupine, pink and magenta clarkia, bright red Shirley poppies and multicolored succulents; and summer coaxes blossoms from orange trees, buckwheats and budleyas as well as an explosion of pink blooms from 21 crape myrtles. Benches, tables, meandering paths and fountains invite visitors to stay a while.

For more information visit the garden’s homepage at www.arlingtongardeninpasadena.org.