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MEMBER MAGAZINE

FALL 2021

EDITORIAL COMMITTEE

SAY HELLO TO US

Sharon Elliott

37615 E. Arboretum Way Superior, Arizona 85173 520.689.2723 info@btarboretum.org www.btarboretum.org

Ann McKinnon Lynne Nemeth

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Shelly Esque, Chair Joseph Giacobazzi, Vice Chair Kent Ennis, Treasurer Rick Gibson, Secretary Carolyn Baecker Mila Besich Victoria Bever

JOIN OUR SOCIAL COMMUNITY facebook.com/btarboretum instagram.com/btarboretum twitter.com/BoyceThompson youtube.com/btarboretum

Taimur Burki Dr. Bobbi Lancaster Jared Langkilde Gema Duarte Luna Carol Parrott Jay Ream Anne Schrock, Esq.

BTA STAFF Leslie Bunchek, Finance Manager Leonard Drayton, Facilities Director Sharon Elliott, Marketing Manager Vicki Johnson, Membership Manager Ann McKinnon, Director of Development Lynne Nemeth, Executive Director Abbie Smith, Director of Education and Interpretation Lynnea Spencer, Visitor Center Manager Shelbi Storms, Assistant Director Jason Wiley, Director of Horticulture

BOYCE T H O M PSO N A R BO R E T U M | BTA R BO R E T U M .O RG

PUBLICATION DATE ©Boyce Thompson Arboretum

CO NTE NT S

October 2021

Welcome New BTA Staff

Feedback? Comments? Want to be a contributor? Email news@btarboretum.org.

Cover photo by Shelbi Storms Inside photo by Tammy Knight Back cover photo by Preston Cox Design by Sarah D. Moore

BTA Announces its First Docent Program

Desert Gardening: Your Month by Month Guide

Harvesting Desert Cacti

Fall Events at BTA

Boyce Thompson Arboretum Fall Calendar

Historic Smith Greenhouse Renovation Complete

Facing the Future Together

New Construction in Visitor Center

Looking Back—Looking Forward

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WELCOME NEW BTA STAFF STEPHEN FUCHS

Stephen has been a resident of Arizona for 27 years. He has worked in agriculture as an organic farmer, and a compliance inspector for the Arizona Department of Agriculture. He enjoys the challenge of both growing and eating super hot peppers. Stephen joins us in the Horticulture Department as Plant Collections Manager.

FRANK GONZALES

Frank has three children and enjoys time spent outdoors. Some of his favorite activities are drawing, painting and building things with his hands. Frank has joined BTA in the Maintenance Department as a Maintenance Assistant. He loves working in such a beautiful place with really great people.

TAYLOR KRASSA

Taylor brings over 10 years of experience in Marketing, Events and Graphic Design. She spent a year working and traveling in Australia, making the Eucalyptus Forest one of her favorite exhibits at the Arboretum. She joins us in the Marketing Department as a Marketing Coordinator

MATTHEW LUCAS

Matthew has prior knowledge and experience in the nursery and landscape industry. He has a fairly large plant collection at home. Matthew joins us in the Horticulture Department as a Horticulturist.

BOYCE T H O M PSO N A R BO R E T U M

BTA ANNOUNCES ITS FIRST DOCENT PROGRAM

BY ABBIE SMITH  DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION & INTERPRETATION

In the last year Boyce Thompson Arboretum saw a 35% increase in visitors! We love to be a place people come to explore, reflect, learn, disconnect from life’s demands and reconnect to nature. As we continue to welcome more and more visitors, we see an exciting opportunity to capture their hearts and minds with transformational learning experiences. To help us accomplish this monumental task, Boyce Thompson Arboretum is welcoming our first cohort of docents this fall!

WHAT IS A DOCENT? Docents play an integral role at BTA bringing its mission— to inspire appreciation and stewardship of desert plants, wildlife and ecosystems—to life. Docents help visitors see more than what they are physically seeing, expand their understanding and deepen their connection to this place we all love. While leading tours and interpreting BTA plant collections a docent’s primary responsibility is to facilitate enjoyment, discovery and connection. Docents at Boyce Thompson Arboretum are active community members who volunteer their time, training, interpersonal skills, and expertise to ensure the best possible experience for children and adults. In the course of teaching others, they consistently expand their own learning. Docents are adults of all ages, walks of life and educational backgrounds.

Docents will take part in a 10-week training program where they will expand their own knowledge in botany, ecology, and natural and cultural history. They will also develop new skills in the art of interpretation, learn tools of engagement, and implement tour leading best practices. To become a docent, all you need is enthusiasm, time, energy, a good speaking voice, and a love of people. If you are interested in joining the next cohort, please sign up for our email list! Read more about the docent program at https://www.btarboretum.org/docent-program

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DESERT GARDENING: YOUR MONTH BY MONTH GUIDE BY JASON WILEY  DIRECTOR OF HORTICULTURE

JANUARY Prune trees

Cut back roses

MARCH

LAST FROST COME TO BTA’S PLANT SALE!

Prune and propagate fruit trees

Time for rejuvenation pruning on leggy, old, or woody shrubs

Watch for freeze warnings and cover frost sensitive plants if needed

Prune red bird of paradise to the ground

Plant trees and shrubs

Fertilize trees, shrubs, and perennials Plant trees, shrubs, and perennials

APRIL

Plant trees, shrubs, perennials, and succulents

FEBRUARY

WILDFLOWER SEASON STARTS Prune trees Cut back herbaceous perennials and ornamental grasses Watch for freeze warnings and cover frost sensitive plants if needed Check irrigation system and increase irrigation frequency for spring Plant trees and shrubs

BOYCE T H O M PSO N A R BO R E T U M

Move desert roses and plumerias outdoors, fertilize, and lightly water once per week when nighttime temperatures are above 50 degrees. Add organic or rock mulch to beds to keep soil temperatures cool and to retain moisture

MAY

Watch for sunburn on cacti and other succulents and use shadecloth on plants if needed

JUNE

PROTECT YOUR PLANTS!

Fertilize cacti and other succulents

Watch for sunburn on cacti and other succulents and use shadecloth on plants if needed

Check irrigation system and increase irrigation frequency for summer

Check plants daily for water stress and give supplemental water as needed

Plant trees, shrubs, and succulents Move desert roses (adeniums) and plumerias outdoors, fertilize, and lightly water once per week when nighttime temperatures are above 50 degrees. Water deeply every few days once they are fully leafed-out. Remove spent wildflowers

JULY

MONSOON SEASON STARTS! RAINFALL AND HUMIDITY WILL INCREASE PLANT GROWTH SIGNIFICANTLY Watch for sunburn on cacti and other succulents and use shadecloth on plants if needed Fertilize cacti and other succulents

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DESERT GARDENING AUGUST Watch for sunburn on cacti and other succulents and use shadecloth on plants if needed

SEPTEMBER

MONSOON SEASON ENDS Fertilize cacti and other succulents Fertilize trees, shrubs, and perennials

OCTOBER

COME TO BTA’S PLANT SALE! Plant trees, shrubs, perennials, and succulents Divide overgrown perennials and ornamental grasses Check irrigation system and decrease irrigation frequency for fall Sow winter wildflowers and water on a weekly basis through April for good gemination and flowering

NOVEMBER

Move desert roses (adeniums) and plumerias indoors and stop watering when nighttime temperatures are below 50 degrees.

WATCH FOR THE FIRST FROST! Watch for freeze warnings and cover frost sensitive plants if needed Check irrigation system and decrease irrigation frequency for winter Plant trees, shrubs, and perennials

BOYCE T H O M PSO N A R BO R E T U M

DECEMBER

Watch for freeze warnings and cover frost sensitive plants if needed Plant trees and shrubs

fall plant sale October 9th - 24th Member preview Sale : October 8th

Experts on site to Make sure you take home the perfect plants

Members Save 20%

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BOYCE T H O M PSO N A R BO R E T U M | BTA R BO R E T U M .O RG

HARVESTING

DESERT CACTI BY JASON WILEY  DIRECTOR OF HORTICULTURE

As much of the country celebrates fall harvest time with a cornucopia of gourds, fruits, and nuts, we do it a little differently here in the Sonoran Desert! Our time of abundance is around monsoon season as the fruits of cacti are harvested. The ripening of the saguaro fruit is so important to the Tohono O’odham people that the harvest time in July marks the beginning of their New Year. August in Southern Arizona is time to gather prickly pear fruit to eat raw or turn into syrup or candy. Remember, too, the importance of these fruits to wildlife in the desert, many of whom rely on them for moisture. Saguaro and prickly pear fruits are favorites of jackrabbits, woodpeckers, doves, bats, javelina and coyote. If you have an abundance of prickly pear or saguaro fruit in your yard, try harvesting them. Remember to use tongs on prickly pear fruit! Both fruits can be eaten raw but prickly pear fruit is usually processed into syrup. There are many different recipes to turn the fruits into syrup. Simply put the fruits into a clean pillow bag, freeze them, unthaw them, crush the fruit, and let it drip into a pan or bowl. Once all the juice is gathered, bring the juice to a simmer, and add agave nectar to sweeten and lemon juice for tartness. The syrup can be then used to flavor drinks, added to the top of ice-cream, turned into candy, used as a salad dressing, or incorporated into any other dish that you want to try. When all is done, add some syrup to a margarita, sit back, relax, and enjoy the abundance of the Sonoran Desert. And use any leftover pulp in your compost pile!

Photos by Taylor Krassa

For more information, read Saguaro Fruit: A Traditional Harvest at https://www.nps.gov/sagu/ learn/historyculture/upload/Saguaro-Fruit-ATraditional-Harvest-Brief.pdf

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FALL EVENTS AT BTA

MEMBERS ONLY TWILIGHT NIGHT

NOVEMBER 13 FROM 4-6PM Wishes of walking the Arboretum at “golden hour” will be granted this fall with Members Only Twilight Nights—exclusive and free for all members! The Arboretum grounds will be open for members to enjoy a beautiful stroll at dusk on Saturday, November 13 from 4pm- 6pm. We will close to the public at 3pm.

Photo by Preston Cox

BOYCE T H O M PSO N A R BO R E T U M | BTA R BO R E T U M .O RG

SANTA GOES TO THE DOGS DECEMBER 4 AND 5

Santa goes to the Dogs the first weekend of December with scenic professional pet photos with Santa. Well-behaved dogs are welcome at the Arboretum year-round, and during the season of giving, we aim to provide our furry friends (and their owners) an extra memorable experience. Of course, human children are welcome alongside fur babies, so bring the whole family. Printed photos and digital copies will be available for purchase and ready within minutes. These photos will make a great addition to any holiday card!

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BOYCE THOMPSON ARBORETUM

FALL CALENDAR Please visit our website at www.btarboretum.org to confirm times and to register for tours and events.

OCTOBER October 2