Photo by Sharon Pulcinella
Jane Gold
On April 5 members of The Women Of Quail Creek (TWOQC) Garden Group went on a special excursion to Mission Gardens. Mission Gardens is a living agricultural museum of Sonoran Desert-adapted heritage fruit trees, traditional local heirloom crops, and edible native plants. The garden is managed by Friends of Tucson’s Birthplace, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with no religious affiliation.
Mission Gardens is located at the foot of Sentinel Peak at the site of the Native American village of S-cuk Son (pronounced Chuk Shon), a place sacred to the Tohono O’odham. Current garden plots include Native Plants, Early Agriculture, Hohokam, O’odham Before European Contact, O’odham After European Contact, Spanish, Mexican, Chinese, Yoeme, Africa in the Americas, Medicinal, and Youth. Garden plots in development include Territorial, Statehood, and Tomorrow’s Gardens.
As a bonus, the group made a stop at nearby Desert Survivors, Inc., which is dedicated to providing quality employment to adults with developmental disabilities, advocacy to families and individuals, desert-friendly products at their native plant nursery, and services to our community.