Are you blessed with a green thumb? If so, lucky you! Unfortunately, there are those of us whose thumbs might get a nod for being, er, chartreuse? But if you’re like me, you’re continually drawn to those gifted with being able to grow just about anything anywhere. Not only because they can advise on your tentative (aka frightened) attempts at planting, tending, and pruning, but because there is just something magical about gardeners. They are neither soil nor bug adverse and when they see a shriveled and drooping plant, it’s a happy challenge (not a personal failure). Thus, it is with great admiration that I introduce you to some of the most magical people around: the Sedona Area Garden Club (SAGC).
I have a special affinity for this non-profit club, not only because of the aforementioned magic, but because of their attention to detail and steadfast sense of pride and duty as they care for all the plants at both the library locations. Their weekly visits have kept our greenery in tip top shape for nearly thirty years. Thank you, SACG!
SAGC is one of many local organizations working to keep the community strong and connected. They specifically “advance gardening, promote civic beautification, provide education, and aid in the conservation of natural resources.” They were founded in 1996, and their first client was the library in 1997. They also help the Oncology Unit at Sedona Medical Center, Hope House, and the Sedona Community Center. Previously they maintained plants for the Sedona Arts Center and the Sedona Heritage Museum.
Between the two library locations they tend more than 50 plants every week. A few members joined me for a plant tour and pointed out favorite and challenging plants. We began at the Silent Waterfall atrium, behind the Circulation desk, and they immediately pointed out the towering Madagascar Palm tree. “It’s been here since we started volunteering here,” Barbara Saul, a long-time SAGC member, mentioned. “That one, too,” she said, pointing to the Silver Torch cactus which is as long as the Madagascar is tall (at least nine feet!).
Daysy Curry, a current SAGC chairperson, pointed out the Pencil Plant, “It’s one of the easiest to grow and to regenerate, and makes a great indoor plant.”
Cheryl Christenson, also a SAGC chairperson, pointed to the Carrion plant. “I knew the Carrion plant wasn’t a favorite, but I wasn’t sure why until it bloomed . . . it smelled awful, like dead meat!” Thus, its name, and luckily it only blooms for one day, once a year.
“And that pretty African Milk plant in the corner?” I asked. Daysy was quick to share that you must be careful with that one. Many people are allergic to the liquid that will seep out when it is pruned.
We moseyed over to the smaller atrium outside the Quiet Study, and they were thrilled to see the reading eagle perched on a rock. “I love this,” Jan Billiam, another longtime SAGC member, exclaimed. They agreed the eagle could be an honorary club member and wondered if he was reading a plant book. They definitely have book recommendations (see below.)
As they pointed out the happy Corn, Fig, and Pathos plant, the group simultaneously noticed the unhappy Peace Lily and noted that they’re often finicky plants. They noted that plants “don’t like having wet feet,” and they showed me the volunteers’ notebook of moisture readings. While there are gardeners happy to just use their fingers to test moisture, these gals test by making three dips at three levels with a moisture meter to truly know the soil’s status.
“Other advice?” I asked.
“Location, location, location,” Cheryl said, and they all nodded in agreement.
In addition to tending to the plants, and holding their monthly meetings at the Library, they had fun library stories to share. “One little boy asked why I was watering a plant,” Daysy said. “He asked ‘Aren’t we in the desert?’ So I explained that even desert plants need water, and that non-desert plants especially need water when they’re in the desert.”
They discussed the difficulty of gardening in Sedona because of the soil, the heat, the rocks, and the critters. Daysy mentioned her struggles with Tomato Hornworms on her plants. I looked curious and Cheryl showed me with her fingers how long they are—a few inches, and she mentioned that they actually have horns.
“I used to think of them as ‘ickies,’” Daysy said. “Now I just grab them right from the tomatoes and throw them in a bucket of soapy water.”
“And the quail?” she continued. “I just set a bowl of water away from the garden, and it keeps them busy.”
As we were finishing up their tour, I noticed a troubled look on Daysy’s face. Seconds later she was back at the atrium and grabbed that forlorn Peace Lilly. “I just couldn’t let it sit there like that,” she said. These dedicated gardeners often take troubled plants home to give them extra TLC and return them when they’re healthier.
“A gardener’s work is never done,” Jan said.
Finally, I asked for favorite plant and garden book titles, and their recommendations are all available in the library collection. Arizona Gardeners Guide by Mary Irish; Plants for Dry Climates: How to Select, Grow, and Enjoy by Mary Rose Duffield; Sunset Western Garden Book by Sunset Books; and Sunset Gardening in the Southwest by Kathleen Norris Brenzel published by Sunset Books. They highly recommend visiting your local garden shop as well as the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension at extension.arizona.edu/yavapai-gardening.
Next time you’re in the library, and you see the Sedona Area Garden Club volunteers wearing their green aprons, stop by and say, “Hello.” They’re always happy to chat, especially about plants, and they said they’d definitely be interested in doing a program to share their expertise. Stay tuned: I’ll be in the front row, notebook in hand. See you at the Library!
Sedona Public Library is an independently run, 501(c)(3), privately owned, debt-free, non-profit organization providing public services. Support comes from the City of Sedona; your property tax dollars from Coconino and Yavapai Counties, Friends of the Sedona Library, and businesses, foundations, and individuals like you. Please visit us at sedonalibrary.org.
As published by Red Rock News
Library News Column for August 2, 2024
Written by Anne Marie Mackler, Development Director
