2025/2026 Programs and Field Trips
Monthly meetings are open to visitors and begin with social time at 9:30 AM and the meeting starts at 10:00 AM and are typically held in the Navajo Room at Sun Lakes Country Club (SLCC).
Sun Lakes Country Club – Navajo Room
25601 S. Sun Lakes Blvd.
Sun Lakes, AZ 85248
Field Trips and Holiday Socials are only available to Weeders members.
Calendar of Meeting Programs, Field Trips and Club Projects
September 11, 2025 Monthly Meeting: Pumpkin and Succulent Centerpiece
Navajo Room, Sun Lakes Country Club, 25601 E Sun Lakes Blvd, Sun Lakes, AZ 85248 9:30 AM to 10:00 Social Time, 10:00 Program and Business Meeting
Bring a small uncut pumpkin or gourd and all other supplies will be provided to make a succulent centerpiece for the fall. Organizer: Carrie Goode
October 9, 2025 Monthly Meeting: Tomatoes and Composting, Lorry Partridge-Stringer
Navaho Room in Sun Lakes Country Club, 25601 E. Sun Lakes Blvd, Sun Lakes, AZ 85248 9:30 AM to 10:00 Social Time, 10:00 Program and Business Meeting
Lorry moved to the Valley in 2001 from California where growing seasons are very different. She prepped her yard here for a vegetable garden over the first year, and somewhere in the first two years heard and visited the Maricopa County Cooperative Extension (MCCE) and learned about the Master Gardener (MG) program. Then, having twins to raise took her focus from gardening for a while, but she was able to complete the Master Gardener for MCCE in May 2024. Coming from California where there is a very long growing season to our Sonoran Valley Desert has been quite a learning curve in how to, and timing of, growing and it is a constant learning experience. Lorry has been growing tomatoes since she was 12, a tribute to both her grandfathers in England, who sparked her interest in gardening. Lorry will share her love, experiences and knowledge from the MCCE MG about growing tomatoes here in the valley and how to save their seeds. Organizer: Desi Kovacs
October 16, 2025: Field Trip to tour Sunshine Acre Children’s Home
3405 N. Higley Road, Mesa, AZ. Meet at 9:00 AM for carpool at Sun Lakes Medical Center at the corner of Riggs and Alma School Road
Sunshine Acres provides the emotional, social, physical, educational, and spiritual support for the children in our care, so they may learn to manage their own affairs along with maximizing the development of their potential, abilities, and interests. Our goal is to facilitate a child’s ability to function within a community environment in a style that is both meaningful and purposeful to himself and the community. We will tour the facility and learn about the operations of the home. We will also have the opportunity to shop their boutique and thrift warehouse. Lunch will be at BJ’s Restaurant, 20152 S. Ellsworth Road, Queen Creek, AZ 85142. Organizers: Kathy Pless and Jamie Cloud
October 23, 2025: Flower Therapy at Archstone Care Center
Meet at 9:30 at Archstone, 1980 W. Pecos Road, Chandler, AZ 85224. We will provide residents an opportunity to make fall centerpieces to decorate their rooms by bringing flowers, floral supplies and help. Wear your Weeders’ apron, bring your clippers and filler material from your garden. Organizer: Roberta Resovsky
November 6, 2025: Garage Sale Prep 10:00AM to 3:00 PM
Drop off, prepare and price items for garage sale at 12440 E. Victoria Street, Chandler, AZ.
November 7 and 8, 2025: Garage Sale Fundraiser 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM
12440 E. Victoria Street, Chandler, AZ 85249 Organizer: Jamie Cloud
November 11, 2025: Floral Design Workshop
Renee Waite will lead the group in a floral design workshop at Oakwood Craft Center, Painting Room, 24201 S. Oakwood Blvd, Sun Lakes, AZ 85248. Instructions on what to bring will be emailed to members before the meeting.
November 13, 2025: AFGC Central and Eastern District Meeting – Everything is Coming Up Roses, Jackie Peel
Navajo Room, Sun Lakes Country Club, 25601 E. Sun Lakes Blvd, Sun Lakes, AZ 85248 Click Here for detailed schedule and registration form.
Jackie Peel is a Certified Master Gardener with Cooperative Extension through the University of Arizona. Her intern year in Maricopa County was 2021. The Master Gardener program is the perfect outlet for Jackie’s passion to help educate gardeners and be a lifelong learner. She has enjoyed gardening and nature as long as she can remember. Jackie graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in Urban and Environmental Planning. After working for the Census Bureau in Dallas, she loved becoming a wife and mother. In 2004, a friend suggested that Jackie join the Master Gardeners, and she was active in Tarrant County until moving to Arizona. In 2012, she began teaching horticulture at the local community college until 2021. When they moved to Gilbert, Jackie knew she would need guidance with learning to garden in such a different environment. The knowledge available through Cooperative Extension is helpful in creating her home landscape, and the friends she has made are a blessing. Organizers: Pat Bunkley, Carrie Goode and Desi Kovacs
November 15, 2025: Bird Watching at Gilbert Riparian Center
Meet at 8:30 AM. This walk will coincide with an Audubon Society led walk in the park and end at 10:00 AM. Organizer: Mary McNally
November 20, 2025: Field Trip to Berridge Nursery
4647 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix, AZ 85018 Meet at 9:30 a.m at the usual Medical Center parking lot at Riggs and Alma School Roads.
Berridge has a fabulous Christmas display with at least a dozen trees decorated with adorable and beautiful unique ornaments, as well as an amazing stock of plants, bushes, trees, planters, various garden and household decor items, etc. If you haven’t been, it’s a real treat to visit. Sign-up sheet will be available at our November 13 meeting. Organizers: Sherrian Beagle and Patrice Reis
December 11, 2025: Holiday Party
Organizers: Pattie Langton and Roberta Resovsky
January 8, 2026 Monthly Meeting: Herb Mocktails, Sarah Sandhaus
Navaho Room in Sun Lakes Country Club, 25601 E. Sun Lakes Blvd, Sun Lakes, AZ 85248 9:30 AM to 10:00 Social Time, 10:00 Program and Business Meeting
Sarah is a community herbalist dedicated to making plant medicine simple, sustainable, and a little more fun. Blending traditional wisdom with a modern, down-to-earth approach, Sarah offers education, remedies, and support to help individuals reconnect with their health through the healing power of nature. Her work is all about keeping herbalism accessible, approachable, and rooted in community. Sarah has a an herbalism education from Southwest Institute of Healing Arts and is currently mentored by the brilliant Registered Herbalist, Brittney Sounart of Desert Sage Herbs, Chandler, Arizona. Organizer: Desi Kovacs
January 13, 2026: Floral Design Workshop
Renee Waite will lead the group in a floral design workshop at Oakwood Craft Center, Painting Room, 24201 S. Oakwood Blvd, Sun Lakes, AZ 85248. Instructions on what to bring will be emailed to members before the meeting.
January 22 2026: Field Trip to University of Arizona’s Demonstration Gardens
Maricopa County Extension Office, 4341 E Broadway Road, Phoenix, AZ 85040 Meet at the Sun Lakes Medical Center at Riggs and Alma School; at 9:15 AM of carpools.
The Demonstration Garden is maintained by the Maricopa County Master Gardeners and features desert adapted plants, vegetable gardens, a rose garden and herb garden. Lunch options will be announced in January. Organizers: Pat Bunkley and Virginia Murphy
February 10, 2026: Floral Design Workshop
Renee Waite will lead the group in a floral design workshop at Oakwood Craft Center, Painting Room, 24201 S. Oakwood Blvd, Sun Lakes, AZ. Instructions on what to bring will be emailed to members before the meeting.
February 12, 2026 Monthly Meeting: Garden Design – Katie Coates
Navaho Room in Sun Lakes Country Club, 25601 E. Sun Lakes Blvd, Sun Lakes, AZ 85248 9:30 AM to 10:00 Social Time, 10:00 Program and Business Meeting
Katie is a landscape designer and has her designation through Desert Botanical Gardens as a Certified Desert Landscaper. She is also a Maricopa County Master Gardener. She brings a deep understanding of desert plants and the specific needs for a healthy and thriving landscape in the Sonoran Desert. She specializes in xeric planning but also knows color is available and abundant in the desert! Many people desire wildlife, butterflies and hummingbirds in their space. A mix of true desert plants with desert-adapted plants can result in a landscape design that ranges from Mediterranean to Modern and from Oasis to Southwest. Katie loves working with homeowners to help them bring their vision to life and educate them about how to care for their new landscape. After all, we live in a place we can truly enjoy the outdoors most months of the year. Love where you live! Organizer: Desi Kovacs
February 24, 2026: Field Trip to Sahuaro Ranch
Organizer: Pat Murrish
March 7, 2026: Bird Watching – Veteran’s Oasis Park
Meet at 8:30 AM. This walk will coincide with an Audubon Society led walk in the park and will end at 10:00AM. Organizer: Mary McNally
March 12, 2026 Monthly Meeting: Cleistocactus – Tristan Davis
Navaho Room in Sun Lakes Country Club, 25601 E. Sun Lakes Blvd, Sun Lakes, AZ 85248 9:30 AM to 10:00 Social Time, 10:00 Program and Business Meeting
Born into a very “outdoorsy” family, Tristan was introduced to the natural world at a very young age. His initial interest was specific to South American birds, and subsequent education at Louisiana State University and the University of Kansas allowed him to accompany scientific expeditions to most South American countries, as well as China, the Philippines, and Equatorial Guinea. It was obvious early on in his travels that Tristan much preferred those locations with less humidity (western Peru, the pampas of Argentina, etc.), and this was a significant reason he moved to Arizona in 2001. Once arriving in Arizona, Tristan readily transitioned his scientific passions to cacti and succulents, and although Tristan has authored numerous scientific publications related to ornithology, he published his first paper on desert succulents in 2011 in the Cactus & Succulent Journal. Tristan’s botanical passions are primarily centered around South American columnar cacti and the species of ocotillo (Fouquieria). Additionally, he continues to accompany scientific expeditions to locations around the World hoping to again get to some desert-like locations! Tristan currently resides in Chandler, AZ and is a member of the Central Arizona Cactus and Succulent Society; he served on the Board of Directors for the society, and currently administers the Propagation Education Group (PEG) and the Seed Depot for the society. Tristan also volunteers in the Horticulture, Research, and Education departments at the Desert Botanical Garden. Organizer: Desi Kovacs
March 19, 2026: Flower Therapy at Archstone Care Center
Meet at 9:30 at Archstone, 1980 W. Pecos Road, Chandler, AZ 85224. We will provide residents an opportunity to make fall centerpieces to decorate their rooms by bringing flowers, floral supplies and help. Wear your Weeders’ apron, bring your clippers and filler material from your garden. Organizer: Roberta Resovsky
March 26, 2026: Garden Tour of Member’s Gardens
We will tour selected member gardens and then have refreshments and social time at the last garden on the tour. More details and gardens will be announced in the spring. Organizer: Pat Murrish
April 9 , 2026 Monthly Meeting: Vegetable Gardening and Composting – Jamie McBride
Navaho Room in Sun Lakes Country Club, 25601 E. Sun Lakes Blvd, Sun Lakes, AZ 85248 9:30 AM to 10:00 Social Time, 10:00 Program and Business Meeting
Jamie McBride has been gardening in the desert for over 50 years. She had the privilege of being surrounded by nature as a child, and often worked alongside her father, grandfather, and aunts who were masters at producing abundant gardens for food and beauty. Jamie spent 25 professional years as a public-school teacher and administrator and is now happily retired, giving her more time for gardening in Chandler as well as her second home in Heber-Overgaard. She has passed along her knowledge and love for growing food for fuel to her three grown children and four grandchildren. She completed her Master Gardener certification in 2022 and continues to remain active within the Valley gardening community. She is a member of the Desert Botanical Garden and the Phoenix Zoo, and her yard has been designated a Certified Wildlife Habitat by the National and Arizona Wildlife Federation. Jamie volunteers with the Blue Watermelon Project, helping to educate and inspire children to grow, eat, and enjoy a garden harvest! Organizer: Desi Kovacs
April TBD: End of Year Celebration
Details will be added later in the year.
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