Part of this year’s Gila River Festival. Register now; space is limited.

Participant Limit: 12, Fee: $30
Difficulty: Easy; The terrain is flat, mostly not wheelchair accessible.
Meet at the Gila Valley Library Garden at 411 Highway 211 Gila NM.

The Gila Valley Library has created a demonstration garden that is a center for educational programs for young people and the general public, helping to foster an understanding of the numerous benefits of community forests, pollinator habitats, and application of conservation principles. Various techniques have been employed to conserve water, enhance soil microbes, and help plants thrive in the harsh desert climate. This garden is the first demonstration site for the application of New Earth Compost, a biologically diverse and fungal dominant compost that works in partnership with plants to capture carbon in soils, increase soil water holding capacity, fix nitrogen, and improve plant and soil health.

This walk around the garden with Monica Rude will include discussion of native and climate-adapted plants to attract pollinators and other beneficial insects, how homeowners can turn their yards into wildlife habitats, desert gardening techniques, composting, weed management, water conservation techniques, mulching, the importance of saving seeds from and growing natives instead of cultivars. Please bring a hat, sunscreen, and plenty of drinking water.