Lucy Lange If there ever was an event that epitomized the name, the first community garden party fits the bill. The event, held June 4, was organized by a group of SaddleBrooke Ranch community gardeners who thought that getting together as a group would be enjoyable. About 45 members attended a perfect evening of great…
Sheilah Britton, Pinal County Master Gardener According to the National Weather Service, monsoon season officially begins on June 15, which means we might expect to see rain, flooding, lightning, wind, and dust sometime in the next few months. But, we haven’t really had a monsoon for the past two years, so how do we proactively…
Back to the Garden: A Community Garden Sheilah Britton, Pinal County Master Gardener If you have walked the nature trail at SaddleBrooke Ranch in the past few months, you’ve likely seen a barren section of land transform into a fenced collection of raised beds, a shaded area with tables and benches, potting tables, and an oversized…
Zann Wilson SaddleBrooke Ranch is proud to have a community garden, which owes its very existence to a special member of our neighborhood. Gretchen Malaski, a nine-year resident, has been pursuing the concept of a community garden almost as long as she has lived here. Gretchen loves to grow and has a lovely home landscape to…
Master Gardeners Explore the Desert Sheilah Britton Your SaddleBrooke and SaddleBrooke Ranch Master Gardeners are pleased to bring Doris Evans, retired educator in environmental education positions as Curator of Education at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum and as Environmental Education Resource Teacher with the Tucson Unified School District, for an online community education program on Thursday,…
Sheilah Britton Your SaddleBrooke and SaddleBrooke Ranch Master Gardeners are pleased to bring Tanya Quist, a faculty member in the School of Plant Sciences and Director of the University of Arizona Campus Arboretum for an online community program “The Role of Trees in Climate Change” on Thursday, March 18 at 1 p.m. Tanya Quist received…
Sheilah Britton Snow is swirling outside my window as I write this morning and low clouds cling to the Catalina Mountains in the distance. Freezing temperatures are forecast for tonight, but as gray and cold as it is, this may be our best chance yet this winter to expect any wildflowers to bloom when spring…
Sheilah Britton The image of plump, colorful fruit against a background of verdant green foliage leaves a lasting impression on any visitor to the Southwest who has left a white, snow-covered universe in the midst of winter. There is something slightly liberating about being able to pick fruit from a tree in your backyard, peel…
Sheilah Britton Your SaddleBrooke and SaddleBrooke Ranch Master Gardeners invite you to join us for an online Community Education program with Kim Matsushino of the Tucson Audubon Society on Thursday, Feb. 18 at 1 p.m. Kim will speak on the topic “Creating Beneficial Habitats for Birds and Pollinators.” Kim Matsushino is a native Tucsonan who…
Joe Allen You may not realize it, but all plants and especially desert adapted plants* need much less water during the winter months of December through March. Due to much cooler temperatures, there is less water evaporation from the soil as well as less transpiration of water vapor by the plants themselves. Continuing summer watering…