Yuma gardening: April

With the arrival of spring comes the arrival of colorful flowers and vegetable transplants at local nurseries and garden centers.

As mild weather draws people outdoors, some may get a hankering to take some of those plants home and start a garden.

Yet people new to the Yuma area, or those who have been here awhile but are new to gardening, can experience disappointment when planting certain things here. If the plants are not native or acclimated to this region, they may die soon after they’re planted, say local gardeners.

That’s where garden clubs can come in handy.

The Yuma Orchid Society, for example, is comprised of a group of people interested in growing or furthering the love of orchids, said Judy Vine, president. Though orchids are tropical plants that require more humidity than is naturally available in Yuma, garden club members have brought ideas from different areas that enable local gardeners to grow orchids here, she said.

Someone came up with the idea to place potted orchids in pans with pebbles and water, she said. As the water evaporates, it provides humidity for the plants. “You can also use misters or humidifiers, or just spray them with water.”

Yuma’s extreme temperatures pose another challenge for orchid gardeners. “Some orchids grow indoors, some you can keep outside until it’s too hot or too cold, then you have to bring them in,” Vine said.

Cal Kelly, University of Arizona master gardener and president of the Yuma Garden Club, joined a garden club when he first moved to Yuma from another area years ago.

“I joined because I moved from another completely different climate .... It’s quite a shock to try to grow something in Yuma in the summer. Our climate is a dry desert so you learn to grow the right plants for this region.”

Not all plants that are available for purchase locally are appropriate for planting in the Yuma area, so gardeners must learn what will and will not grow here, he said. Cactus is one example. “Of all the cactus in the world, only 20 percent grows in the dry desert. If you buy cactus ... that came from Africa, or from China, or from other areas and plant them here, they will eventually die.”

Through the garden club, he has learned to protect plants with shade cloth, something that was not necessary when he gardened in another climate.

Another thing he’s learned is the difference between clay soil in the lower lying Yuma areas and sandy soil in the Foothills. Water will run right through sandy soil whereas clay soil tends to hold it, he said. Different gardening techniques are required for each situation, he said.

Such information is available to garden club members (and visitors) at educational presentations during meetings, he said. “We have guest speakers come to each meeting and speak on different subjects.”

“Garden clubs are supposed to provide education,” said Val Colvin, member of the Pecan Grove Garden Club and Moody Garden Makers (MGM) Club. “It’s our job. The IRS considers us an educational organization.”

There are four garden clubs in Yuma, which operate under the umbrella of the Federated Garden Clubs of Yuma, she said. Each garden club provides a place to meet and talk to people with similar interests, every meeting provides an educational program that relates to gardening, and each club is involved with community projects, she said.

“Oftentimes when you have something that just won’t grow - maybe it’s something in the shade and it needs sunlight - a seasoned member may be able to help you find the answer to your problem.” Some members have been gardening for 30 or 40 years and many members are UA master gardeners, she said. “They are willing to share knowledge and to help.”

Individual clubs meet mostly during the summer months, except for MGM Club, which meets year-round, she said.

“The MGM Club was formed primarily to help the Robert J. Moody Demonstration Club,” said Ellen Gardner, co-president and UA master gardener. With nearly two acres at the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension office in Yuma, the demonstration garden was designed to give people a place to go to see what grows well in this area, she said.

It is comprised of eight small gardens, including a healing garden, a Xeriscape garden and a vegetable garden, she said. People can visit the garden to learn what a certain plant looks like, how big it gets and what its special needs are, if any, she said.

Primary reasons for joining a garden club are networking and resources, said Angela Adams, UA master gardener and president of the Pecan Grove Garden Club. “You’re hooking into a group of people you can contact for valuable gardening advice and possibly obtain plants and do seed trading.”

If there are plants or seeds you want but can’t find them in the stores, maybe a garden club member has them to share, she explained.

Pecan Grove Garden Club and Yuma Garden Club provide general gardening education, the Yuma Orchid Society focuses on orchids, and MGM maintains the demonstration garden, she said. But there is no organic garden club and people who don’t want gardening chemicals in their backyards around their pets and children need a source of information, she said.

Fortunately, most of the garden club members use organic practices and can provide organic gardening tips, she said.

Colvin said membership fees for local garden clubs range from $15 to about $25 annually. Members can also help with fundraisers and community projects, she said.

Community projects include a plant sale and gardening seminars at the Yuma Home & Garden Show, sponsorship of the Horticulture & Floral Design Division at the Yuma County Fair, development of the educational Children’s Tree Trail at West Wetlands Park and more.

Visitors are welcome to attend garden club meetings, each of the clubs’ presidents said. Colvin recommends visiting more than one club, more than one time, to determine which may best fit a person’s needs and interests.

Kelly said the Federated Garden Clubs of Yuma will host the 2008 Arizona Federation of Garden Clubs State Convention at the Shilo Inn on April 18 and 19. Planned events include a floral design program, dinner at the Quarter Master Depot, Yuma Crossing State Historic Park, tours of West Wetlands Park and the Robert J. Moody Demonstration Garden and more.

Those interested in attending need not be garden club members, but they must register to attend. Call Kelly at 581-3981 for more information.

Want to join a garden club?

•Pecan Grove Garden Club - Angela Adams, president, 503-5708

•Moody Garden Makers - Ellen Gardner, co-president, 343-4020 or Peggy Taylor, co-president, 908-612-3439

•Yuma Garden Club - Cal Kelly, president, 581-3981

•Yuma Orchid Society - Judy Vine, president, 305-2213