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There’s a Garden Club For Everyone

Gardeners are nice people and they like nothing more than to get together and share ideas, best practices, specimen plants and stories. Central Arizona is full of gardening groups. We’ve complied a list of clubs we know about. Some we are pretty familiar with, some are new to us.

We encourage you to connect with a club that meets your interests. You’re a fan of bonsai? There’s a group for you. Roses? Lots of opportunities in our desert cities. Have an interest in ponds? There is a Pond Society. Want to know more about native plants? Head out to a Native Plant Society meeting.

Don’t be shy, these groups are full of enthusiastic people, just like you. And, if you know of a group we should list, please e-mail the information to us at info@southwestgardener.com. We’d like to keep this as up-to-date as possible and we’d like to make it statewide, so if you’re in southern or northern Arizona, Yuma or the White Mountains, let us know of the clubs you like.

African Violet Society -  email anncie@cox.net<anncie@cox.net

Arizona Herb Association - http://www.azherb.org/index.php

Arizona Native Plant Society/Phoenix chapterhttp://aznps.com/chapters/phoenix.html

Deadheaders, a volunteer group at Mesa Community College Rose Garden – http://rosegarden.mesacc.edu/deadheaders.html

Desert Pointe Garden Club, Ahwatukee - http://www.desertpointegc.org/home

Desert Valley Orchid Societyhttp://www.dvos-az.net

Greater Phoenix Pond Societyhttp://www.phoenixponds.com/index.html

Mesa East Valley Rose Societyhttp://www.roses4az-mevrs.org

Orchid Society of Arizonahttp://www.orchidsocietyaz.org

Phoenix Chrysanthemum Societyhttp://www.mums.org/chapters/az.htm

Phoenix Rose Societyhttp://www.phoenixrose.org

Rose Society of Glendalehttp://www.roseglenaz.com

Scottsdale Bonsai Societyhttp://scottsdalebonsai.weebly.com

Scottsdale Garden Club -http://scottsdalegc.org/home

Scottsdale Rose Society – e-mail Mklevittmd66@gmail.com

Southwest Gourd Associationhttp://swgourdpatch.com

Sun Country Iris Societyhttp://www.suncountryiris.org

Tempe Garden Clubhttp://www.tempegardenclub.com/home

Valley Permaculture Alliancehttp://www.phoenixpermaculture.org

Washington Garden Clubhttp://www.azwgc.org/home

Weeders Garden Clubhttp://weedersgc.org/home

West Valley Rose Societyhttp://www.westvalleyrose.org

It’s Gift-Giving Season!

It’s the season for giving,  and we’re here to help you give gifts that will be enjoyed for years to come. To make your season as stress-free as possible we’ve compiled a list of favorite items for your family and friends. It’s sorted according to price range, to keep your budget stress free, too.

Thank you for shopping with us. We appreciate knowing and growing with you, and we wish you all a happy, healthy holiday season.

Gifts for $10 to $25

Soda can tab jewelry – These very popular earrings, pendants and bracelets are made from soda can tabs. Each tab is polished to ensure high luster then wrapped with colorful beads and wire. It’s all handmade here in the U.S., it’s one-of-a kind and very affordable. This jewelry takes recycling to a new level.

Soaps – Our new soaps are triple milled and made from all natural ingredients that moisturize every time you wash. And we love the fresh scents. Best of all they come in three sizes.

Herb Kits – The perfect gift for the kitchen gardener. Grow Basil, Oregano or Parsley in an attractive biodegradable pot. Everything is included – seeds, peat pellets and good instructions. All you need is a sunny windowsill.

Order the Herb Scissors on our website.

Candles – Oh we love candles and no more so than in winter, when we can enjoy their light ushers in long, cool nights. Check out the dazzlingly fresh scents from our Bluewick candles fashioned from natural ingredients, all captured in pure soy wax.

Herb Scissors – These have become the must-have gift of the year. Multi-blade kitchen scissors make cutting chives, basil and other herbs a snap. A bonus: there’s a pack of seeds tucked in with each pair.

Mini Stakes – Great for indoor plants or hanging baskets, you’ll find birds, cats, dogs, “woof” and “meow.” They’re all cheerful.

Gifts $25 to $50

New Firepots – These updated firepots set the perfect mood for any occasion. The clean burning gel fuel means they can be used safely indoors our outside. We love the new ceramic material, size and the fire rocks; they’ll tuck into lots of spaces.

Solar Light Stakes – Swirls of glass stand on top of solar stakes that add panache to your garden day and night. Your friends will think you’ve become pals with Dale Chihuly.

Pinwheel flower spinner

Order the Dragonfly Tippy Stake on our website.

Things That Move In The Wind – Motion is this year’s hot garden trend, so if it spins, tips or whirls it’s guaranteed to please. “Tippy” stakes that balance and sway are adorned with birds, dragonflies, butterflies and frogs.

Great Stakes – Garden art is a “no-fail” gift and stakes are hugely popular. They fit so well into any landscape, pot or indoor plant because they come in so many designs and sizes. Look for glass butterflies, mosaic dragonflies, metal bees and birds, beads, flowers, even glass  snails.

Chimes & Bells – We love a garden chorus so we’ve stocked deep-throated chimes, ceramic bells, glass chimes, you name it. There are lots of choices for many budgets and tastes.

Gifts for the over $50 budget

Giant Tin Can Flowers – Cynthia Patterson has taken “can art” to a new level. She cuts, shreds, paints and forms large cans into eye-popping flowers that are mounted on a wall. Plus she puts them on copper stakes. Every garden needs at least one.

Found-Art Flowers – Tracey Saliba’s big, bold found-object flowers come as a set of three in a tall vase that will make a beautiful statement in your landscape. Singles are available, too.

Birdbaths Galore – NJ Searcy marries ceramics and iron in her hand-crafted birdbaths. There’s sunflower design is extremely striking. Or if you prefer something glass, we’ve got designs with birds and sunflowers.

Order Jim Sudal's platters on our website.

Desert Plant Platters & Tiles – Jim Sudal takes his inspiration from desert plant life and platters and tiles continue to be popular gifts, especially for people with “everything.”  Choose platter with agave, alooe and prickly pear designs. Tiles are available in several patterns including, lupine, lemons, pomegranate, and figs.

Order the Pinwheel Spinner on our website

Critters – You can count on us for an array of critters in iron, concrete and ceramic. Look for cats, bunnies, quail, turtles, frogs, even javelina – in an array of sizes and price points.

Wind Spinners – Our tall Pinwheel Spinners now come in two designs one is a traditional pinwheel, the other looks more like a flower. Check out the flower stakes that spin, too.

Gifts for Garden and Flower Lovers

Order the Gardener's Hollow Leg on our website.

Gardener’s Hollow Leg – Oh this is cool. It’s a fabric sack that you wear on your waist while you prune, dead-head and weed. Just toss your mess in the bag. No hauling a can or bending over to pick up leaves. There’s even a pocket for a cell phone or iPod.

Posey Pot – This sweet handmade clay pot is glazed on the bottom third to hold water but it has holes in the top to hold fresh-cut flowers. It’s perfect for any flowers, but works especially well with delicate stems.

Herb Drying Rack – This is the perfect item for your favorite cook/herb gardener to dry and preserve tasty herbs. The rack includes six hooks for hanging bundles or herbs or flowers.

Garden Tote Goody Bag – Pick up one of our super garden totes or aprons and fill it with seeds, gloves and tool for your favorite gardener. You could even add a bottle of organic fertilizer and a hat. It would be so appreciated.

Tomato Spirals & A Class – If your favorite gardener grows tomatoes, consider a gift certificate for our expert “Crazy About Tomatoes” class and a couple of plant spirals to support the plants.

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