Members and guests will meet Dr. Jeffrey Wilson at the Tuesday, Nov. 17 monthly meeting. He’ll be sharing the latest Agricultural and Botanical research.
Dr. Wilson is the Community Garden Supervisor for the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, where he leads the development of culturally grounded agricultural programs and research partnerships.
He earned his doctorate in plant breeding from Texas A and M University and has worked in agricultural research and product development in the United States and internationally. Dr. Wilson is an enrolled member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.
The club meets all year, on the third Tuesday of each month, plus one field trip or class each month. Meetings start at 9:30 a.m. with refreshments, coffee and greeting our guests. We also have a free stuff table where members bring seeds, plants, fruit or garden tools to donate. The club offers an extensive library of Southwest Gardening books for members to check out. Raffle tickets may be purchased in multiples of $5, and a lucky winner takes home 50% of the total collected. The raffle helps pay for exceptional speakers each month. The meeting is called to order at 10 a.m.and adjourns around 11:45 a.m. The meetings are held each month at the Chapel Center, next door to the Sun Lakes All Faiths Community Church. Parking is available across the street at the Sun Lakes Country Club.
The October field trip visited Berridge Nursery in the Arcadia district between Phoenix and Scottsdale. The owner gave a private tour and a discussion on the 5,000 bare-root roses they bring in every year. The 30+ attendees enjoyed exploring the beautiful nursery, including their ‘Seasons’ greenhouse filled with 22 decorated Christmas trees. Attendees gathered for lunch after the morning tour at the well-known O.H.S.O. Grill and Brewery.
On Monday Nov. 23, the members will enjoy a scenic field trip to the beautiful Boyce Thompson Arboretum in Superior, Ariz. Attendees will stop for breakfast along the way at the historic Gold Canyon Resort before being greeted by a docent for the tour.
Tickets are on sale now for the club’s annual Holiday Party, “Get your Jingle On.” The private party will be at the Poolside Community Center in Oakwood Country Club on Dec. 9. The ticket deadline is Nov. 25.
For more information, go to SunLakesGardenClub.com or come to our Nov. 17 meeting.