Engaging Master Gardener volunteers from the Pinal County Cooperative Extension program kick-off their 2014 season of informal landscaping/horticulture workshops at Boyce Thompson Arboretum Saturday, Feb. 1, with the presentation “Winter color in your garden.” Their workshops are relaxed, informal, outdoors (when the weather’s nice, indoors when its not); and included with BTA daily admission of $10, no pre-registration or separate fee required to attend; just be in the visitor center breezeway before the 11am start time. And, of course these workshops are at no cost to BTA annual members! Membership is $50 for two people for a year; that includes a pair of one-time-use guest passes worth another $20, too; and discounts during the March and October seasonal plant sale fundraisers. Winter months don’t have to be dominated by a brown, drab landscape. Southern Hemisphere plants such as African aloes and Argentine cacti are on their summer schedule this time of year, and can bloo
m with lovely flowers ranging from red and coral to bright white. Or consider plants that produce bright red berries, festive color – and a lure for entertaining desert birds such as Curve-billed Thrasher, Northern Cardinal, Verdin and Phainopepla. Meet Carol, Chuck & Jeanne Anne, Elane and other engaging Superstition Mountain Master Gardener volunteers Saturday morning and learn how you can have a beautiful garden or landscape in the winter. Once-a-month workshops continue March 1 with “Hello Spring!” (a class designed to showcase wise planting choices — with stock that’ll be available at BTA’s popular spring plant sale in March); and then April 5 brings “Big Ideas for Small Spaces,” such as courtyards, entryways, patios, condos, and RVs or park model lots. Read more about Arboretum events at http://arboretum.ag.arizona.edu/events.html.
Superstition Mountain Master Gardeners ‘Winter Color’ Workshop Feb. 1 at BTA