There are plenty of benefits to your physical and mental health to getting out in nature. Exposure to nature can reduce stress and contribute to your physical wellbeing. Nature is just plainly fun! You never know what you’ll encounter.
This year, there are plenty of ways to immerse yourself in nature at the Garden. Whether it’s catching an orangey-red sunset or participating in an adult education class, here are some nature-minded suggestions enjoy at the Garden this year.
1. Bird Watching at the Garden
There are countless bird species you’ll find throughout the Garden’s trails. Cactus wren might be chilling at the top of the cardon cactus by Webster Center. Quails will definitely be running across the trails. An Anna’s hummingbird might make an appearance. Or a flock of rosy-faced love birds (a non-native species) might come out and greet you. The Garden is a haven for birds — all you have to do is look up. You never know what you’ll encounter. Plan your visit to the Garden today here.
2. Chihuly in the Desert
What better way to experience nature than with a blockbuster exhibition. Check out Chihuly in the Desert at the Garden and Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West now through June 19. Pay close attention to Chihuly’s artwork nestled among the Garden’s collection of desert plants. Notice any resemblance between some installations and cactus, yucca and agave? What colors do you see in Chihuly’s art pieces that you see in the Garden’s plant collection? See each installation at different angles. You’ll soon find how nature and art collide — spears, rods and cones turn into pads, spines and agave leaves. Experience Chihuly in the Desert today. Get your tickets here.
Dale Chihuly, Blue Birch Reeds and Scorpion Tails, 2021, Desert Botanical Garden, Phoenix, installed 2021 © 2022 Chihuly Studio. All rights reserved.
3. Adult Education Classes
Take a Garden Go: Learn Now class this winter. Sign up for guided herb garden walk at Escalante Community Garden on Jan. 29. The Garden-sponsored class is led by Jesús Cuauhtémoc Villa, a curandero, who will introduce his family’s ancestral herbalism and healing traditions through an engaging herb walk through the garden. Learn basics of how to identify and gather herbs and how varieties can be used to prepare herbal remedies such as teas, infusions and tinctures. Walk away with a better understanding of how to utilize the earth’s natural resources for at-home herbal remedies for common and minor ailments. Purchase tickets here.
4. Desert Landscape School
Dig into a new skill this year with Desert Landscape School. DLS is a signature credentialing program at Desert Botanical Garden, offering professionals, homeowners and gardeners an opportunity to learn from experts about all aspects of desert landscaping. Sign up for one of the exciting horticulture and desert gardening classes today! The Garden offers classes online so you can now learn from almost anywhere.
5. Nature Programs and Activities for Kids and Families
Make it a family affair to visit the Garden. The Garden has exclusive programming at Cactus Clubhouse every Friday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Can’t make it to the Garden? Don’t worry we have you covered. Pick up a Cactus Kids Activity Kit, which includes six different experiences with instructions in English and Spanish to some of the Garden’s most popular activities, like nature walks and hands-on explorations. The kit is for children ages 7-12. You can purchase one here.
