Dusty, the HortiCoach, Enlightens Us About Gardeniing in Prescott

As a Prescott native, and with a 40-year background in horticulture and working with nurseries and landscaping projects, it was most interesting to hear Dusty Eiker, The HortiCoach, who describes himself as a "Garden Inspirator," talk to us last Wednesday about what grows, and what doesn't, as well as how to take care of what we have, here the Prescott area.  He said we have five main elements which determine what types of plants and trees will survive and grow here:

   1. Clay and alkaline soil

   2, Temperature extremes 

   3. Wind

   4. Low humidity

   5. Water

 

Some trees which are, by nature, water guzzlers, should not be planted here.  He said that plants generally grow best in groups.  Dusty likes to work with residents to identify what plants and trees they already have on their properties, to coach them on how and when to water, and to work with them to design a plan to possibly add some other resilient plants that grow well here.  We also discussed some of the challenges we face in learning how to coexist with some of our wildlife.

 

 

Rotary is governed by a Board of 17 Directors, serving 2-year terms, with each representing two paired zones.  Representing our Zones 26-27 is Wyn Spiller, pictured in the center on the bottom row.  Serving with these directors this year are (top left) RI President Olayinka "Yinka" Babaloa, and RI President-Elect Larry Lunsford; along with RI General Secretary John Hewko (bottom right).

 

 

 

Belinda Sunderland has been annouunced as the winner of our Sunup Raffle, with its sets of sports tickets. 

Congratulations, Belinda!

 

 

We had fun celebrating last week the birthday of our newest member, Robert Smith.  Happy Birthday Robert — looking great in the birthday hat and glasses!!

 

Co-President Christy Manning announced that John Scholl is now an Honorary Member of our Sunup Rotary Club.  We appreeciate the years of active service John has invested in our club, and all of the work he has done with our club finances.  We are happy to see him continuing with us in this new membership status.

 

 

 

                           

Interact Ambassadors fit a donated wheelchair from Arizona for a disabled young man in Kenya, identified by the Naivasha Rotary and Rotarct Club members, as being in need of this type of mobility device.  Working with our Rotary Crutches 4 Africa organization,m based in Colorado, our Interactors collect and ship each year a 40-ft. container of such mobility equipment to Kenya and Uganda.

 

 

Interact Ambassadors fitted a child-sized wheelchair for this disabled boy.  

 

Our 2026 Ambassadors to Kenya team has concluded their service mission, and they will be arriving back in Phoenix on the evening of Monday, July 13.  Art Harrington and A.J. Sheridan from our club wil be on hand at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport to help welcome them home.  We have two members of this team from our Prescott High School Interact Club.