The Arid Garden

I never knew this existed until I had some dealings with the people that live right next door to this garden. If you live in Green Valley or Sahuarita, I recommend checking this small botanical garden out. It is small, but very comfortable. It is lovingly cared for every week by volunteers who are there for four hours. It features desert vegetation, some of which I now know of their names, thanks to the labelling of the plants. There is a couple of "snake cacti" that are named as such because they are growing and winding their way up tree trunks and branches. (See photos)There are nice paved paths throughout the garden. There are several nice benches in which to sit and enjoy the view. There are brochures that list all the plants in the garden. Pick one up from the dispenser just after the entrance. (See photo)It is a peaceful garden and a nice one in which to relax and chill. There is a parking lot across from the gate, which is open 24/7.5* = A top favorite. Mind-blowing good. I will definitely return and I will go out of my way to go here. Worth every dime of my money.4* = Outstanding. Tucson-top-tier. Some elements not quite as good as it gets, but it still is worthy of my regular business.3* = Good experience. I might do repeat business if it is convenient, the only option, the only one in its category, or on a whim, but would not be among the first thing to come to mind. Would definitely recommend you trying it to get your own take on it.2* = Not so good. Would not recommend at all. Waste of money.1* = How are they still in business? Stay away at all costs!

While this garden was nice, I want to suggest a better alternative, Desert Meadows Park. That's why I rated Arid Gardens 5 stars. Both are maintained by volunteers and both are free. The Arid Garden sits among homes and is smallish but well maintained. We had friends who knew about but without help, it could be hard to locate. It's 3 star worthy.The Desert Meadows Park, while not reviewable on Yelp, is much larger and easier to locate. It's well worth a visit. It's well planned, with tons of areas to sit. There are areas with drawers of board games to play, while other seating areas have tables for picnics and for Zen reflection.Residents can rent raised planting beds for veggies and some planting beds are used to raise veggies for donations to food banks. All in all, it's a fantastic idea and we highly recommend a visit.