Back to the Garden: Seeds for Global Gardens Sheilah Britton, Pinal County Master Gardener I’ve just purchased $30 worth of seeds to plant in the small bins at SaddleBrooke Ranch’s Community Garden and, as an experiment, I intend to catalog and keep a daily journal of its progress and success to be followed up with a report…
Tag: Gardening
Generals, February 2022
Back to the Garden: Cristate Saguaro—An Eyeful of Magic
Sheilah Britton, Pinal County Master Gardener The Sonoran Desert is full of surprises—javelina families sharing a prickly pear cactus, hawks on the arms of saguaros, water rushing through arroyos after a rain, a chorus of coyotes howling at dusk, and cactus flowers coloring the desert in spring. But when you come upon a saguaro whose familiar…
Clubs & Classes, January 2022
Back to the Garden: Be Water Wise
Sheilah Britton, Pinal County Master Gardener Beginning the first day of this year, Jan. 1, 2022, the United States Bureau of Reclamation has announced a Tier 1 Shortage to go into effect for the Colorado River basin. It is the first time a water shortage has been declared on the Colorado River, a source of water…
Generals, December 2021
Back to the Garden: Holiday Garden Gifts
Sheilah Britton, Pinal County Master Gardener When I first moved to Arizona in the late 1970s, I shipped fresh citrus to my parents who lived in the mountains of Colorado each December. It was a rare thing for them to have a box of tangelos and lemons in the midst of winter. A short time…
Generals, November 2021
Did You Know? SaddleBrooke Ranch Community Garden
There is a community garden located at the end of Egret Trail in Unit 4C. For those experienced growers with a green thumb or for someone who just wants to try something new, this could be just what you are looking for. Arizona is known for its long growing season, so there are lots of…
Generals, November 2021
Master Gardener Program
Learn about Growing Wildflowers in Arizona Nov. 18 Zann Wilson, Pinal County Master Gardener Your SaddleBrooke/SaddleBrooke Ranch Master Gardeners are pleased to invite you to attend an online program presented by Jared McKinley with his partner Katy Gierlach, owners of Spadefoot Nursery, a local nursery that promotes growing native plants and supporting wildlife in the…
Generals, October 2021
You Are Invited to Attend Online Program by Steve Watts
Marilyn Kline, Pinal County Master Gardener Your SaddleBrooke/SaddleBrooke Ranch Master Gardeners are pleased to invite you to attend an online program presented by Steve Watts. Steve currently serves on the board of the Tucson Cactus and Succulent Society (TCSS) and is the co-director of the organization’s cactus rescue program. The TCSS Rescue page has more information…
Generals, October 2021
Back to the Garden—Our Grateful Desert
Sheilah Britton, Pinal County Master Gardener Just over a year ago, I wrote my first column for SaddleBrooke/SaddleBrooke Ranch Master Gardeners. Titled, “Ocotillo: Dead or Alive,” it was inspired by my own Ocotillos that had looked dead from the moment they became part of my landscape but, according to my research, might come to life at…
Generals, September 2021
Back to the Garden: Rain and Shine
Sheilah Britton, Pinal County Master Gardener The summer of 2021 has been a marvelous time for gardening in our SaddleBrooke/SaddleBrooke Ranch communities. Tomatoes, squash, potatoes, lettuces, herbs, and flowers were abundant before the rains of July—and cooler temperatures have allowed us to enjoy our home-grown delights for many days following the monsoon moisture. This July…
Generals, September 2021
How to Become a Master Gardener
Laurie Foster The University of Arizona Cooperative Extension trains gardening enthusiasts of Pinal County as master gardener volunteers who help their fellow citizens grow better gardens and more sustainable landscapes. Class dates: Wednesdays, Oct. 6, 2021, through Feb. 16, 2022, from 9 a.m. to noon Tuition: $150 per individual and $225 per couple, which includes books and…