Desert Primrose Gardens

GET TO KNOW US

Kathleen at home with her kids making homemade pesto together. For the recipe and full video, click here.

Meet The Owner

Kathleen Opeka

Gardening has always been a core part of my life. My grandpa had a huge vegetable garden off the banks of the Mississippi River in Minnesota and my Mom always had container gardens and annual flowers growing at home. She would let me pick the flowers and help plant them as a kid. Which is why it brings me so much joy to share similar memories with my children today.

As a homeowner in Tucson, I am constantly adding plants to restore the native habitat, establish low-water native plants for water conservation, and tend a vegetable garden with my family.

I’m a plant nerd and I’m not ashamed to admit it.

Prior to Tucson
I have a Bachelors Degree in Environmental Studies and a career in Wilderness Education. I’ve studied plants in a myriad of ecoregions from the Alaskan tundra, to the Rocky Mountains, to the rivers and canyons of Utah, and most significantly, the Sonoran Desert in Arizona where I have called Tucson home since 2013.

I’ve grown food for many years in the high desert of the Colorado Plateau and the low desert of the Sonoran.

I have a deep love for this region and its biodiversity.

After having kids and prioritizing my family, I founded Desert Primrose Gardens for the age-old adage, I wanted to spend my time doing what I love.

When At Home

When I’m not working I enjoy spending time with my family. We visit the park, go hiking, or explore the many museums in Tucson, the Sonoran Desert Museum being my personal favorite. We also have two rescue dogs that we adore, Annie the Red Heeler, and Kallea the “Desert” Husky.

Why Desert Primrose?

I’ve always loved the primroses of the desert; Their night-blooming flower speaks to me as relief from the heat. They are soft and beautiful, and yet tough enough to endure this harsh, dry Tucson climate. For me, a primrose bloom brings hope as a desert gardener. Showing potential for prolific blooms in a land of spines.

Desert Primrose Gardens was founded to bring hope and show potential, for garden owners across the area.