Tucson, AZ — Some stories take root long before they are written. For desert gardening expert and author Marylee Pangman, the journey from gardening to fiction has been more than three decades in the making—and on October 17, she will return to the Tucson Botanical Gardens for a special presentation marking a remarkable full-circle moment.
Pangman will present “Late Bloom: What Gardening Taught Me About Writing, Patience, and Beginning Again” on Saturday, October 17, from 10 to 11 a.m. in the SAHBA Pavilion. The program is free with Gardens admission, registration is required, and seating is limited to 60.
The presentation will explore Pangman’s unexpected path from desert container gardening to becoming a novelist at age 73, with reflections on the lessons gardening has taught her about patience, change, resilience and starting anew.
Ten years ago, Pangman held her first book signing at the Tucson Botanical Gardens for her gardening book, Getting Potted in the Desert. This October, she returns to the Gardens with her first novel, Whispers of Echo Canyon.
The return is especially meaningful. Pangman began teaching at the Gardens around 2000 and estimates that over the years she has reached more than 10,000 people through classes, garden clubs and newsletters. Her career in gardening began even earlier, when she founded The Contained Gardener in 1998, creating a niche business devoted to helping Tucsonans successfully grow plants in the desert.
Her journey has unfolded in chapters. She started her gardening business at 46, sold it at 60, published her first gardening book in 2016, and continued exploring the connection between gardening and storytelling. Her book Riley’s Garden Oasis became an important bridge between her gardening expertise and her eventual move into fiction.
Now, with Whispers of Echo Canyon, Pangman has discovered that the lessons of gardening have followed her onto the page.
“Roots matter. Placement matters. Some seasons require protection. And sometimes new growth begins after we pull out what no longer belongs,” are among the gardening truths that have informed Pangman’s approach to both life and writing.
During the informal, story-driven presentation, Pangman will share highlights from her 30-year journey, read briefly from Whispers of Echo Canyon, and discuss how gardening, writing and life all require patience, curiosity and a willingness to begin again.
For Pangman, becoming a novelist was not about leaving gardening behind. Instead, the years spent working with plants, teaching others and observing the rhythms of the desert became part of the foundation for a new creative chapter.
The event offers an opportunity to hear how one passion can unexpectedly prepare us for another—and how we rarely know what one season of our lives is preparing us for next.
Following the presentation, Pangman will be available for a book signing of Whispers of Echo Canyon. Copies of her other books—Getting Potted in the Desert and Riley’s Garden Oasis will be available for purchase at the Tucson Botanical Gardens Gift Shop.
EVENT INFORMATION
Late Bloom: What Gardening Taught Me About Writing, Patience, and Beginning Again
Saturday, October 17, 2026
10–11 a.m.
SAHBA Pavilion, Tucson Botanical Gardens
Free with Gardens admission
Registration required
Capacity: 60
Book signing of Whispers of Echo Canyon immediately following the presentation
Event information and registration: https://tucsonbotanical.org/event/late-bloom/
About Marylee Pangman
Marylee Pangman founded The Contained Gardener in 1998 as a niche desert gardening business in Tucson. For more than three decades, she has shared her expertise in container gardening, drawing on years of experience navigating Tucson’s blistering summers and record-breaking winters. Her approach emphasizes creating beautiful oasis gardens while being mindful of water conservation.
Pangman is the author of Getting Potted in the Desert and Riley’s Garden Oasis, both resources for desert container gardeners featuring guidance on containers, plant selection and caring for potted gardens. With Whispers of Echo Canyon, she enters a new creative chapter as a novelist, bringing together her love of the desert, women’s stories and second chances.
###