05/22/2026
lanta-born Master Gardener Dena Brummer learned early-on the importance of the phrase, “bloom where you are planted."
“I’m a military brat and have moved 21 times, so home has always been wherever my shoes are. I like to say I’m a daughter of the South and a woman of the West."
While being uprooted was a constant during Dena's youth, she found consistency in food, gardening, and hospitality - and those early experiences shaped her lifelong relationship with the land. Now a resident of Pasadena, she says she is “rooted in community spaces across the region.“
Dena first learned about the MG program while working at Muir Ranch at John Muir High School. “At the time, the ranch hosted Master Gardener training classes, which was my first introduction to the program. Seeing the depth of knowledge and the spirit of community education really stayed with me and planted the seed for me to apply."
Food systems were important to Dena when she applied to the MG program. “I came into the program with a strong interest in food-growing systems - especially edible gardens and how they intersect with community health and food access."
Dena says the MG program helped transform the way she gardens. "It helped me move from gardening intuitively to gardening with a deeper understanding of the underlying science. I now think much more about soil biology, ecological relationships, and long-term sustainability in the spaces I steward."
Since graduation, Dena has volunteered with several programs focused on helping people learn how to grow and cook their own food. “I’ve applied much of what I learned through several community programs I’m involved in. I teach a gardening course called Seeds to Supper in partnership with the Pasadena Public Library, and I also help lead Grow LA workshops at the Altadena Community Garden."
One native plant Dena's digging right now? “I’m really drawn to California buckwheat. It’s incredibly resilient, beautiful in a quiet way, and it supports so many pollinators. It reminds me that gardens can be both productive and deeply supportive of local ecosystems."
