Photo Courtesy of Carefree Desert Gardens
Through April, Carefree Desert Gardens is hosting a monthly seminar series for community members interested in nature, flora and fauna.
Landscape Design for Reduced Maintenance
Date: Saturday, February 12, 9:30 a.m. to noon
Location: Sanderson Lincoln Pavilion in the Carefree Desert Gardens, 101 Easy Street, Carefree
Are you wanting an attractive garden, yet tired of investing your time and money? Sadly, landscapes aren’t always designed with maintenance in mind. The result? Landscape that is over-pruned and underwhelming, not reflective of the original design. On Saturday, February 12, Carefree Desert Gardens welcomes horticulturist Noelle Johnson, dubbed the “AZ Plant Lady” and writer of the popular garden blog “Ramblings from a Desert Garden.” Noelle, with a degree in Urban Horticulture, is an instructor at Desert Botanical and Tucson Botanical Gardens. She is the creator of the popular online course, “Desert Gardening 101.” During this presentation, she will show attendees how to avoid, and fix, those areas of your garden that take a lot of work so you can have a beautiful outdoor space with less maintenance.
Remarkable Trees: A Global Journey
Date: March 12, 9:30 a.m. to noon
Location: Carefree Town Council Chambers, 33 Easy Street and Nonchalant Avenue, Carefree
On Saturday, March 12, Carefree Desert Gardens welcomes Linda Larson, master gardener and a faculty emeritus at Mesa Community College. She has gardened for over 30 years in the Valley and writes a monthly “Traveling Gardener” blog. Linda is an advocate for the importance of public green space and the value of nature in our lives. “Trees are often an overlooked, silent backdrop with their limbs reaching into the sky. Yet without trees, there is no us,” she says. She has traveled the world, all 50 states, and visited 900 gardens. Join in for an inspiring and life-affirming story of the importance of nature in our lives.
Flora and Fauna of Namibia: My Journey
Date: April 9, 9:30 a.m. to noon
Location: Carefree Town Council Chambers, 33 Easy Street and Nonchalant Avenue, Carefree
Namibia is a country located to the northwest of South Africa, west of the Kalahari Desert in Botswana, and south of Angola. At 2.5 million inhabitants, it is one of the least densely populated countries in the world. It has the lowest rainfall of any Sub-Saharan African country. The Namib Desert that borders the Atlantic Ocean is the oldest in the world. On Saturday, April 9, Carefree Desert Gardens is pleased to welcome back Scott McMahon, manager of the cactus collection at the Desert Botanical Garden from 2006 to 2020. Scott holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in Plant Protection from the College of Agriculture at the University of Arizona. For over 40 years he has been collecting cacti and succulents and is twice past president of the Central AZ Cactus and Succulent Society. Join in as Scott takes attendees on a journey to Namibia, home to some of the most iconic succulents in the world, some of the oldest exposed rock formations, and many familiar animals adapted to survive in the desert environment. No passport required!
For information on this event series, call 480-488-3686.
