Sol Center Arboretum

Nestled within and about the grounds of the Sol Center, a sun-kissed Arboretum is here to greet you and your senses both.  It grows as a testament to Mother Nature, and her resilience. Its genesis was a labor of love, born from a collective vision to cultivate life back into the heart of this small bit of land.

The journey began with removing 1750 square feet (40 tons) of asphalt and many more tons of overburden and buried construction rubble. This allowed for a much larger planting area and basin contouring to passively capture about a 1000 gallons of rainfall on site.  Landscaping experts, botanists and amateurs alike studied this unique project, and identified plant species capable of thriving within the sites future ecosystem. With this knowledge a diverse array of flora was carefully composed, each chosen for its ability to flourish in the desert’s unforgiving embrace.

Next came the arduous task of further preparations. Many dedicated souls toiled under the relentless sun, shaping the earth and installing efficient irrigation systems to sustain the arboretum’s future inhabitants, shifting boulders and rock, digging and planting. Every shovel of earth moved or turned was imbued with a sense of purpose, a commitment to nurture life where it had long ceased to flourish.

The true magic of our desert Arboretum lies in its ability to facilitate a deeper connection to the flora and fauna within. It’s in these moments of connection and appreciation that the true wonder and magic of such places are revealed.

Great thanks are owed to the many that assisted with this Arboretum coming to fruition: Joey Pedone, Katya Karankevich, Able Equipment, Doug Larson, Peter, Spadefoot Nursery, Leslie Aragon, Civano Growers, Laura Mielcarek, Goodwillie Earthworks Excavating, Joe Pedone, Norma’s Crane, Todd Greene, Natasha Korshak, Earth-Scrapes, and others unnamed but not forgotten.

A society grows great when trees are planted by those that know they shall never sit beneath that shade