Desert Garden Club hosts Happy Camp in Sun City West

The Sun City West Desert Garden Club hosted 14 children and several adults during the recent 2024 Happy Camp.

A tour of the botanical garden was led by Pat Wanta, the club’s landscape designer. She showed dried plant parts of different cacti to the learners. Several information sheets were given out and a guided wildflower hunt also took place.

After the tour and hunt, Jim Consolloy, the club’s botanist, shared many unique qualities of the collection of cacti and succulents. Campers were able to use a high-powered microscope to see parts of plants and even a cochineal bug used in red dyes.

Camp time wound down with every child choosing a flowerpot and planting elephant food to take home. Each of the pots sported a miniature Arizona state flag.

Finally, the children were treated to bread shaped like saguaro cactus with prickly pear jelly for a topping.

The planning team included Jeanette Johnson, Jackie Jabens and Mary Beth Kunze. Bob Buerrosse took photos and Jim Vanderpoel also volunteered.