The crown jewel of Carefree and amazing oasis in the desert, Carefree Desert Gardens join communities throughout the United States in a celebration of National Public Gardens Day on Friday, May 10 from 10 a.m.–3 p.m. in downtown Carefree.
This day of public garden awareness traditionally occurs on the Friday preceding Mother’s Day weekend, inviting communities nationwide to explore the diverse beauty of their local green spaces and to take advantage of local conservation, education and environmental preservation resources.
Among the activities planned for the day are: a presentation of Desert Medicinal Plants by JoAnn Sanchez, creator and director the Western Herbalism program, Botanica, at the Southwest Institute of Healing Arts; an awards ceremony honoring the winning photos selected from those submitted in April during the annual Carefree Desert Gardens Photo Contest; and docent-led tours of the garden with Lee Brownson, former Executive Director of Wallace Desert Gardens. Plein air art creation by local artisans and live music will round out the celebrations.
National Public Gardens Day was established in 2009 as a day to promote awareness about North America’s arboreta, zoos, and historic, botanic and public gardens. Members of the American Public Gardens Association, a Pennsylvania non-profit organization that supports, resources and promotes public gardens in North America, created the event as a way to increase knowledge about the educational resources public gardens provide within local communities.
For more information and the complete schedule of events, contact the Town of Carefree at 480-488-3686, or visit Carefree.org.
