Calendar

August 12: Board Meeting at Ivey's Restaurant starting at 10 am. Ivey's is located at 1697 E Fry Blvd., Sierra Vista. All members are welcome to attend.

August 19: Garden Club meeting at the Constable's Office starting at 1pm. Meeting place is located at the old County Complex at 4001 E. Foothills Drive in the building with a flagpole in front. Speaker: Beverly Wilson, who has a Masters in Landscape Architecture and is owner of Mountain Oak Design in Sierra Vista, will speak about Healing Gardens: The Power of Nature on the Well-being of Humanity.

September 2010

September 10: Board Meeting at Ivey's Restaurant starting at 10 am. Ivey's is located at 1697 E Fry Blvd., Sierra Vista. All members are welcome to attend.

September 16: Garden Club meeting at the Constable's Office starting at 1pm. Meeting place is located at the old County Complex at 4001 E. Foothills Drive in the building with a flagpole in front. Speakers: Sandy and Betsy Kunzer: Plants and other species of the Galapagos Islands.

Free! - Green Waste for Composting - Free!
Now available at the First and Wetmore Sunflower Market Location Only.This Sunflower Farmers market is launching a Green Waste pilot program in an effort to divert compostable material from the landfill to the garden. Instead of taking up precious space at our local landfill this material can be used to nourish our nutrient-deprived desert soil. Gardeners will enjoy healthier plants bearing beautiful blooms and bountiful harvests. Not an avid gardener? Composted material also makes great water-saving mulch for use around plants and trees. Come get some green goodness: Every day after 2pm we'll put out large, covered trash barrels containing non-edible green waste at the rear of the building. You'll need a container (or several), a shovel (or some other tool) and gloves. You can help yourself to as much of the green waste as you wish - no limit. We do ask that you kindly leave the area clean so we don't attract bugs and critters. The success of our Green Waste pilot program depends on participation. Let's make this a success! Tell your friends about this valuable soil amendment resource. Question or comments about this program? contact Desi at tuc20liquor@sfmarkets.com.

BAJA Arizona Sustainable Agriculture (BASA) Events: August 27-28 - The Eleventh Annual Arizona Highlands Garden Conference, Payson. The Arizona Highlands Garden Conference is the state's best kept secret for gardening fun! The theme this year is Sustainable Gardening for Homes and Communities, and is based on the idea that our gardening practices can produce food for and beauty in our homes and communities today without compromising the resources needed for future generations. Come learn and be inspired! The conference is open to the public. Pre-registration is required; seating is limited. Registration forms and other details are available at extension.arizona.edu/gila/horticulture . September 12 - “Somos Las Semillas, We are the Seeds” Santa Cruz Valley Organic Farm & Garden Tour This first annual free tour of seven organic farms and gardens in the Santa Cruz Valley will be held on Sunday from 10 a.m. to dusk. It includes Arivaca Community Garden, Forever Yong Farm, Avalon Gardens, Agua Linda Farm, U of A Cooperative Extension Green Valley/Sahaurita Backyard Growing/Raised Beds, the 900 tree organic grove at Green Valley Pecan Co. and Continental School Garden. Visit one or all of these organic growers in any order. The tour is an open house at each site including how-to demonstrations and handouts on small scale organic food production in the desert. It hopes to increase awareness of local organic growers and to inspire everyone to eat more vegetables by starting gardens in their own backyards and communities and seeking fresh locally raised produce. Locally grown produce is weeks fresher than most produce sold in large grocery stores and it travels many fewer miles. Buying from local growers supports the growth of the local food market. As the local market grows more people will be able to see small scale farming as a viable way to make a living creating a local food abundance with many positive social and economic impacts. On the tour there will be free samples of fresh vegetables to taste the difference as well as healthy snacks and drinks for sale. Fresh produce and other farm products will also be available at some stops. For more information contact Karen Geores at djeores@cox.net or check back here to get a tour map with farm descriptions and directions. Sponsored by Baja Arizona Sustainable Agriculture, Santa Cruz Valley Heritage Alliance and Maricopa, Platicamos Salud Community Health Center. November 13 - Cascabel Mesquite Milling at the Cascabel Community Center. Check here for more details nearer the date. A few tips as you harvest this summer: Mesquite pods can ripen anytime from late June through September or October, depending on conditions. Ripe pods are dry and brittle and come off the tree with little pulling. Even green pods can be picked and allowed to ripen as they dry. We do not recommend gathering pods from the ground, as they are more likely to carry invisible molds which can produce toxins. After gathering, rinse the pods, then dry them in the sun until very dry and brittle. Store in a dry place until milling day.

Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum: 2021 N Kinney Rd. Tucson. Hours: June - August: Sun-Fri: 7:00 am - 2:30 pm (no entry after 1:45 pm). Sat: 7:00 am - 10:00 pm (no entry after 9:15 pm). Admissions after 4:00 p.m. ONLY $7.00($2.25 for 6-12, FREE for 5 and under.) Summer Saturday Evenings:Beat the heat and enjoy the fun with the start of summer hours and Saturday evening happenings at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. Summer Saturday Evenings give visitors a unique chance to tour the Desert Museum at night, a time when many of the animals are at their most active with the onset of the summer heat. The popular Summer Saturday Evening programs showcase what happens in the desert after dark and how plants and animals adapt. Summer Saturday Evenings begin Saturday, June 5 and continue each through August 28. After 4 p.m. Saturdays.

Tucson Botanical Gardens: 2150 N. Alvernon Way. Open daily 8:30-4:30 (except holidays). Regular garden attractions include the Birds and Gardening Tour at 9 a.m. Thursday mornings; and Exploring the Tucson Botanical Gardens highlights TBG history and plant trivia, and will familiarize visitors with native flora. Dog Days of Summer: Tuesdays, 7-8:30 a.m. (June through September) It’s the dog days of summer! Beat the heat by bringing your dog to the Garden every Tuesday morning this summer. The Gardens is 5 1/2 acres of lush greenery, shady meandering paths, and beautiful native flowers –the perfect setting for your morning walk. Walkers are welcome at 7 a.m. and dogs will be admitted until 8:30a.m. Please bring a leash,water for your dog and waste disposal bags to keep our garden clean. Dogs will also be welcome the fourth Thursday of each month during Twilight Nights. Join us for an evening stroll, 5-9 p.m. Dogs are not admitted to the Garden during regular business hours so be sure to take advantage of these opportunities. Twilight Thursdays: Enjoy summer evenings in the Gardens once again.From June through September the Gardens will be open from 5-9 p.m. every Thursday night. Except for Third Thursdays, Twilight Nights is free to members. On the fourth Thursday night, the Gardens will welcome your pet dogs – on leash of course. On the Third Thursday of each month the Gardens will host family friendly entertainment. These events are half price for members $3.50 for adults (nonmembers,$7) and $1.50 for member children (nonmembers, $3). hot Wings: Opens July 1st. Hours: Daily 8:30am-4:30pm. Thursday evenings 5-8:30pm. New summer indoor exhibit featuring native butterflies. Painted ladies, gulf fritillaries,sulphurs and queens? How about buckeyes or giant swallowtails? Did you know that these are all butterflies native to the Tucson area? These are only a few of the over 100 species you can see in your own yard if you live in Pima county. For a limited time, you can also see native butterflies in a new exhibit at the Gardens. Get up close and personal with your butterfly neighbors in the comfort of a cooled greenhouse and our outdoor Butterfly Garden. In addition to live butterflies, interactive displays will help you explore the habits and lifestyles of these fanciful, colorful creatures.

Tohono Chul: 7366 N. Paseo del Norte, Tucson. Hours: Grounds and tea room: 8 am-5 pm. Exhibit house, greenhouse and museum shops 9 am-5 pm. Admission: Members free, Adults $7, Seniors (62+) $5, Active Military $5, Student (w/ID) $3, Children ages 5-12 $2 & under 5 free. 520-742-6455 or www.tohonochulpark.org. Lectures: over for the season. Classes: Mediterranean Gardens Sonoran Desert Style Sat., Oct. 2 / 10am / Ed. Ctr. #1. Old European Mediterranean gardens are such treasures! In this first in a series of culturally-themed garden design classes, Shelly Ann Abbott, Master of Landscape Architecture, shows you how to create the cool and relaxing feel of a Mediterranean courtyard or patio in the hot and arid conditions of Tucson. Abbott discusses architectural elements such as fountains and accents as well as complimentary, water-saving plant materials that are also attractive to hummingbirds and butterflies. $4 members/$8 general public. Show-and-Tell Succulents, Sat., Oct. 16 / 10am / Ed. Ctr. #1. Well-known, local horticulturist Greg Starr shares a wide a variety of succulents, including cacti, in a show-and-tell session that focuses on selection, care and maintenance. Whether it’s a potted plant or one for the landscape, some of the information to be touched upon includes exposure, water needs and hardiness. Feel free to bring a plant and ask Starr what kind of care it needs and whether or not you could plant it in your landscape. Maybe you have a potted succulent that is baffling you, bring it along and see if you can baffle the Starr! $4 members/$8 general public. Nature Photography in the Digital Age Tuesday, Oct. 19-Nov. 16 / 9am-12pm / Ed. Ctr. #2. If you find your digital camera difficult to understand, you’re not alone! Today’s complex digital cameras are challenging for beginners. Artist and professional photographer Robert Renfrow, MFA helps you get comfortable with digital photography in this fun and useful class. Step by step he leads participants through the basics of operating digital cameras with easy-to-understand explanations of functions such as f-stops, shutter speeds, light metering, resolution, white balance and even an introduction to the basics of composition. Taught on the grounds of the Park, this beginner-friendly class is a great opportunity to ask lots of questions and “make friends” with your digital camera. $100 members, $125 general public. Contain Yourself; Explorations in Container Gardening, Sat., Oct. 23 / 10am / Ed. Ctr. #1. You can grow virtually anything in pots, from sculptural plants to herbs and veggies, to annuals and perennials. Explore the joys of container gardening with Lynn Hassler, co-author of Hot Pots: Container Gardening in the Arid Southwest. Topics for discussion include the pros and cons of different types of containers, plant selection, soil mixes, care and feeding, design considerations and more. $4 Members, $8 general public. Garden Art; Form and Function: Garden art is a great way to express yourself in the landscape while adding both beauty and functionality. Greg Corman, sculptor and landscape designer, leads you on a virtual tour of local sculptors’ works and offers pointers on how to choose the right piece, site selection and lighting, plus much more. $4 members/$8 general public. Busy Bees in Your Garden: Sat., Nov. 20 / 10am / Ed. Ctr. #1. Did you know that the majority of bees living and pollinating in Arizona are not honey bees, Africanized or not, but rather solitary native bees – more than 600 species in the Tucson basin alone! These little-known and often maligned creatures range in size from small, blue orchard mason bees to big, black carpenter bees. Considered keystone species in any ecosystem, they are important pollinators of desert plants and many commercial fruit, vegetable and forage crops. Bee expert Dr. Steve Buchmann and landscape designer Greg Corman discuss our harmless native bees and how to encourage them in urban gardens from the use of appropriate native plants to the construction of constructing nesting habitats from recycled materials. $8 members, $10 general public. Spanish colonial Gardens:Sat., Dec. 11 / 10am / Ed. Ctr. #1. When the Spanish colonized this region of the Southwest, they brought with them a distinctive style of architecture and garden design. In this second class of a series, Shelly Ann Abbott, MLA shares tips on creating a Spanish colonial garden or patio ideal for Tucson’s climate. The accent is on architectural elements, showcased by plantings that are not only striking, but water appropriate and wildlife friendly, all to create a Spanish Colonial feeling in your landscape! $4 members, $10 general public.

Blessing of the Harvest at Sonoita Vineyards, July 31 & August 1; 10am - 4pm, Enjoy Grape Stomping, Tractor Drawn Vineyard Tours, Lively Country Western Music and Gourmet Food. $10 per adult.

Desert Survivors Nursery: Desert Survivors is a "home grown" human service agency founded in 1981 in Tucson, Arizona. It is a unique nonprofit organization combining the appreciation and preservation of the Sonoran Desert with innovative and effective services to enhance the lives of people with disabilities. Fall Plant Sale: Saturday September 25th (8am-5pm) Members only plant sale (20% off). Saturday October 2nd (8am-5pm), Sunday October 3rd General Public Sale (10% off, 20% off to members).

Link to Various Tucson Garden Clubs:

Other nearby Gardening Events