Mary Jane Wilson
The new SaddleBrooke Gardening Club (SBGC) started scheduling members-only garden tours with the arrival of our cooler fall temperatures. Seeing someone’s garden and hearing them talk about how and why they did things, along with the opportunity to ask questions and share personal experiences, is what most of our members have been asking for.
Members of the Veggie/Herb subgroup on garden tours learned about square foot gardening, sun exposure considerations, the design of raised beds, how to construct a PVC hoop tunnel, how to care for and use red wiggler composting worms, and much more.
Flower/Rose subgroup members were invited to tour a Wildlife Habitat and Pollinator Garden certified as a Monarch Waystation, a Tucson Audubon Habitat at Home at Cardinal level, and a National Wildlife Federation certified Wildlife Habitat. We saw an incredible variety of blooming plants, complete with visits from beautiful hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees. Plants that attract our local pollinators include tithonias, salvias, penstemons (in season), blanket flowers, lavender, Mexican oregano, various species of milkweed, and many more native blooming species. Do you like purple flowers? Check out Salvia “Amistad” for its vivid spikes of violet-purple tubular flowers.
Members of the Cactus/Succulent/Other subgroup had the opportunity to tour a member’s garden that has many varieties of cacti planted over the last 10 years, giving members a good idea of how long it can take for plants to reach mature size.
The Citrus/Fruit Tree subgroup had a November field trip with eight members to Rillito Nursery and Garden Center. A knowledgeable staff member shared that fall was a great time to plant citrus! The group received valuable information on irrigation, fertilizing, mulching around trees, and cold weather protection. Different citrus tree types and sizes were seen. The group hopes to return to this nursery toward the end of February for their citrus taste sampling day!
Monthly members-only subgroup meetings will offer tours of members’ gardens, trips to offsite locations, and/or discussions of timely topics, such as what people are planning to plant in their fall/winter gardens, fertilization strategies, and upcoming projects related to the change of seasons. There is a schedule of future meeting dates/times on the Upcoming Events section of the website at www.sbgardeningclub.weebly.com in addition to all the great gardening information available there.
Membership applications and information about the club and subgroups can be found at www.sbgardeningclub.weebly.com. To have your name added to the email roster of the new SaddleBrooke Gardening Club, send an email to [email protected]. Once you are on the active roster, you will automatically receive all the club news and invitations to club events. Dues for a basic membership are $10 a year. Dues paid now include membership privileges through the end of 2025. This new club will reinvigorate your enthusiasm for gardening and make you a much more successful Arizona gardener.