Tucson gardens showcase desert landscapes

Pima County demonstration garden at Tucson

Visitors to Tucson who have green thumbs may want to check out the Pima County Cooperative extension demonstration gardens for ideas to incorporate into their gardens at home. A myriad of ideas for all garden settings can be gleaned in just a few minutes’ walk.

Cooperative extension offers two demonstration gardens in Pima County. One is located at 4210 N. Campbell Avenue, Tucson, which is the one we visited. The other can be found at 1100 Whitehorse Canyon Road in Green Valley, south of Tucson on Interstate 19. The Green Valley garden is open from 8 a.m. to noon Monday through Friday, while the Tucson garden is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. There is no admission charge to wander through the gardens.

The Tucson garden is the biggest, showcasing 11 garden settings while Green Valley has only four types of gardens. The Tucson garden has been named an All American Selections Display Garden since it shows how plans from all over North America can be adapted to grow in the desert southwest.

Other gardens in Tucson are:

·       Basin edible garden, which grows fruits, veggies and herbs in basin, with most of the produce donated to local food banks.



Pima County demonstration garden
 at Tucson



·       Cactus and succulent garden that shows the use of cactus and succulents in patios or as accent decorations.

·       Color garden that showcases flowering plants and decorative ground covers.

·       Container garden, which shows how to use a variety of containers, either singly or in groups, as decorative accents.

·       Grass garden, which concentrates on Arizona’s native grasses.

·       Habitat garden, which uses logs, rocks and plants to provide food and shelter for wildlife. The National Wildlife Federation has certified this garden for wildlife habitat.

·       Pollinator garden.

·       Raised edible garden

·       Rose garden showcases roses that grow well in Arizona.

·       Small space garden, which uses dwarf plants appropriate to the climate.

·       Xeriscape garden that uses plants native to the Sonoran Desert that grow well in dry climates.

 Green Valley features vegetable, xeriscape, ornamental and cactus gardens.