Enjoy desert sunsets, cacti, and succulents at this garden.
Visit us at maedunbroc.com
Music by Jason Shaw at AudionautiX
Featured image courtesy of Desert Botanical Garden
Transcript:
Hello Friends, Today is January 5, and this is A Garden a Day with Mædunbroc Gardens.
We are starting a brand new week in a brand new location.
With today’s destination, I’m keeping us in the warmth of the sun. We started the month on tropical islands with rainforests and oceans and bromeliads and palm trees and humidity, so I thought today we would go someplace a bit dry for our next garden excursion.
This, folks, is not just a garden. It’s an experience. Honestly, this is a garden I would spend all my free time in if I lived close by.
There is so much to do and see here, and this garden might not be what you think of when you think of a garden. I’m an East Coaster, so I think of boxwood and roses and tulips and rhododendrons, things like that. But today’s garden is in the desert, so it’s completely different from what you might consider a garden, if you’re an East Coaster like me. Here, you will find saguaro cactus, agave, yucca, and succulents — all just as beautiful in their own way as European gardens or Japanese gardens or my East Coast gardens, but it’s completely different.
Let’s head to the southwest of the United States to the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, Arizona.
This is our first major garden with 140 acres and 55 of those under cultivation. The garden employs 175 full-time staff and utilizes 650 volunteers to keep the Desert Botanical Garden looking topnotch at all times. And it’s one of only 24 gardens accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. Receiving accreditation by that organization is considered a mark of distinction — so Bravo! to Desert Botanical Garden.
The garden focuses on plants that thrive in the Sonoran Desert. You will find more than 50,000 plants as you explore five major trails that wind through the garden. You will see cacti, succulents, wildflowers, and other desert-loving plants, including 544 rare or endangered species.
It is recommended that you start on the Desert Discovery Loop trail. Here you will find a variety of cacti and succulents. From this trail, you will be able to access three of the other trails.
The Plants and People of the Sonoran Desert Loop explores how desert plants have been used for food, medicine, and building materials and offers examples of Western Apache, Hispanic, and Tohono O’odham households. You will see five diverse desert habitats on this trail.
Next, hike the Sonoran Desert Nature Loop which offers amazing views of Phoenix. You might also see wildlife while hiking this trail, and here’s an insider tip — Schedule your visit so you can be on this loop at sunset. You will not regret it.
Then, take the Center for Desert Living Trail to learn about sustainability and then hop over to the Desert Wildflower Loop to see vibrant blossoms in the spring. If you’re lucky, you might even get to see hummingbirds flitting amidst the yellow, orange, pink and purple blossoms. Then make your way to visit the Butterfly Pavilion — open in the Spring and Fall. The pavilion contains hundreds of butterflies that thrive in the southwest.
In addition to the gorgeous outdoor gardens, the Desert Botanical Garden offers indoor and outdoor events throughout the year. Plan ahead to visit during the month of December to see Las Noches de las Luminarias — a holiday tradition since 1979 — with 8,000 luminaries lighting the trails as you stroll through the gardens at night.
Or you can take classes on gardening and landscaping held throughout the year. There are also children’s programs throughout the year including story time in the garden and loads of options for adults including yoga in the garden, sound meditations, wine tastings, author talks, and music in the garden. If I lived in Phoenix, I would be at this garden every single day.
Plan ahead before you go. This is the desert, after all, so bring a refillable water bottle and sunscreen, even in the winter, and it wouldn’t hurt to wear sunglasses and a sunhat. The garden is open most days of the year. They ARE closed on Christmas Day, Thanksgiving Day, and the fourth of July, and they sometimes close early for special events. It’s a good idea to check with the garden before you go. You also might want to skip the garden during the hottest part of the year — June, July, and August. The heat can be unbearable during those months.
Pets and picnics are NOT allowed in this garden, but you CAN grab a bite to eat at one of two eateries on site — The Patio Cafe is available for a quick salad or sandwich.
Or you can enjoy dinner at Gertrudes Restaurant — a farm-to-table experience with seasonal menus showcasing locally sourced ingredients and exceptional service in an absolutely beautiful location.
Desert Botanical Garden was established in the 1930s by a passionate group of locals who answered Swedish botanist Gustaf Starck’s call to “save the desert”. In 1934, they formed the Arizona Cactus and Native Flora Society to sponsor a botanical garden in the Sonoran Desert. The garden opened in 1939 and has grown and thrived ever since.
Today, the Desert Botanical Garden is a living museum. There are over 99,000 specimens in the garden’s herbarium and over 4,000 species in the Living Collection.
The Schilling Library onsite is open to members and visitors with an admission ticket and contains over 9,000 books and 500 journal titles focusing on native desert plants.
This is a superb garden, and if you are in the Phoenix area, I do hope you take the time to check it out.
Thanks for listening today.
If you like A Garden a Day, and I hope you do, please consider liking, subscribing, and telling your friends. If you are able, please also consider giving us a five-star review. It lets me know you like the show, and it also helps others find the podcast. I really do appreciate it.
And I want to take a moment as we start this new week to let you know how to get in contact with me. I do not use social media, so you won’t be able to find me on any of those platforms. You can, however, leave a comment on Spotify, or if you are watching on YouTube, you can leave a comment there. We are also on GoodPods, which provides an opportunity for comments (kind ones, please), and reviews on any podcast app are always greatly appreciated. I will do my best to read your comments and reviews anywhere you leave them, and I do thank you for getting in contact with me.
If all goes well, I will be right back here tomorrow. See you then!
To read more about Desert Botanical Garden, check out these links:
https://www.travelawaits.com/2561438/desert-botanical-garden-tips-for-visiting/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desert_Botanical_Garden https://www.tripsavvy.com/desert-botanical-garden-in-phoenix-arizona-2681143
https://www.experiencescottsdale.com/listing/desert-botanical-garden/25064/
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