May 2013

Contents

FEATURES

The Curator’s Corner
In Memory of Richard Lindstrom
Tillandsia pamelae
Mexican Orchid of the Month

UPCOMING EVENTS

International Festival of Altruism
Here’s to the Ladies that Lunch
International Day of the Hummingbird
Bugambilia Festival

INFORMATION

Garden Amenities and Services
Please Join Us
A Thank-You to Our Sponsors
A Request for Feedback
General Visitor Information

Dear Friends of the Gardens,

This is finally the month of the long-awaited Bugambilia Festival (May 17-25th) that we are working on along with the Puerto Vallarta Garden Club. Floral festivals are proven tourism generators that can give economic boosts while beautifying their host cities and improving their public image. We thank all who have joined us in creating Puerto Vallarta’s first-ever floral festival and are proud to present an exciting line-up of events for these festivities. We also thank Tequila Patrón, who has joined us as one of the signature sponsors of the Bugambilia Festival.

Please view the full festival agenda on the website of the Puerto Vallarta Garden Club and we hope you and your friends join us in this exciting way to promote and beautify our lovely city of Puerto Vallarta.

The Vallarta Botanical Gardens are once again honored to be included in the International Festival of Altruism which will be celebrated on May 5th at the Hotel Mariott Casa Magna’s Beach Front Garden. Tickets are still available for this fundraiser to support many worthy causes in our community.

Remember that summer hours are now in effect and the Gardens will no longer be open on Mondays until next December. We are also closed for the month of September.

The Vallarta Botanical Gardens have been declared a “TOP 10 North American Garden Worth Travelling For in 2013,” by the Garden Tourism Conference of Toronto, Ontario, Canada and consistently rank high in the TOP 10 Attractions of Puerto Vallarta on Trip Advisor. To those of you in Puerto Vallarta, please come up to the mountains and visit us soon; to those of you in other places, we’re worth the travel!

From the Gardens,
Bob Price, Curator and Founder

The Vallarta Botanical Gardens celebrate the life and memory of our friend, mentor, and benefactor Richard D. Lindstrom. A world traveler and lifelong naturalist, Mr. Lindstrom’s passions focused on butterflies and skippers. His research on these incredible creatures include some of the most thorough studies in our region specifically along the Mismaloya Canyon which he found to be some of the richest grounds in the world…

Jalisco, like Mexico as a whole, has a wonderful array of bromeliads. The region around the Vallarta Botanical Gardens in particular has some spectacular species. Some visitors and residents of the area are well familiar with the ‘gallito’ (Tillandsia jalisco-monticola) growing up in the oaks and other trees between…

The Barkeria halbingeri orchid has little spring-blooming flowers and is found in the wild only as lithophytes at around 1600 meters in the state of Oaxaca. Orchid aficionados growing these on their own are recommended to mount them to wood and give hot to cool conditions with bright light and to reduce their fertilizer and water in the winter.

(Many thanks to Vallarta Orchid Society President T. J. Hartung for permission to draw on information from his publication “Orchids Found ONLY in Mexico,” available in the Gardens‟ gift store.) We continue to seek sponsors for the Conservatory for the National Collection of Mexican Orchids; please click here to donate today!

Dine, mingle, and enjoy a sampling of cuisine from some of the finest restaurants of Vallarta while experiencing music, dance, and entertainment in this event to support important worthy causes in our Vallarta Community. We hope to see you at this year’s International Festival of Altruism —an exciting annual Vallarta tradition.

Mexico is one of the most important countries for hummingbird diversity and the western coast is especially blessed with an incredible richness of different species. Many of these fascinating birds are international travelers, some making their way here each winter from as far away as Alaska. By May of each year the long dry season drives many hummingbirds from the mountains to lower areas still rich in water and flowers—and many find their way here to the Vallarta Botanical Gardens!

Join us in a day of hummingbird identification, learn about the best plants for attracting hummingbirds, and participate in other fun filled activities.

Visit the Gardens’ Hacienda de Oro Restaurant for authentic Mexican food and brick-oven pizza. Our new menu includes delicious dishes such as fish and shrimp tacos. Hike the Gardens’ nature trails and bask in tropical mountain scenery. Experience the Orchid Conservatory, Gift Shop, plant nursery, tequila tasting and more. You can even shop the Gardens remotely through our online store. The very best of Vallarta!

]]> http://www.vbgardens.org/4034/may-2013-leaflet/feed/ 0 http://www.vbgardens.org/4007/april-2013-leaflet/ http://www.vbgardens.org/4007/april-2013-leaflet/#comments Sat, 30 Mar 2013 14:58:12 +0000 admin http://www.vbgardens.org/?p=4007

Dear Friends of the Gardens,

We were happy to receive your many congratulatory messages about our recent recognition as a “TOP 10 North American Garden Worth Travelling For in 2013.” We are very proud of this award through the Canadian Garden Tourism Council, which was announced March 19 at the Garden Tourism Conference and presented at the VBG on March 26.

From the Gardens,
Bob Price, Curator and Founder

As we shift into the summer season, please keep in mind that the Gardens will be closed on Mondays beginning April 1. We will also be closed for the entire month of September.

A special thank-you goes to all of our wonderful volunteers of the 2012–2013 season!

We would especially like to acknowledge…

• Katherine Ann Campbell
• Pamela Evans
• Anne-Marie Haynes
• Angélica Hernández Ramos
• Beverley Layton
• Jean Lindsay
• Ken Plante
• Marita Rathnow
• Ann Savio
• Walter Scott
• Lisa Wallace

On March 29 a raffle drawing was held for a prize travel-destination: “A Beach and Botanic Vacation.”

If you’ve never visited that beautiful seaside garden, here’s your chance to win a trip for two that includes round-trip airfare and three nights of luxury accommodations, a private after-hours tour of the Garden and dinner with its Executive Director.

The Vallarta Botanical Gardens have been selected as a winner of the 2013 Muhammad Ali Center Peace Garden Grant. The grant will specifically fund further educational programs at our Gardens and demonstrates yet again how our efforts toward fostering peace, beauty and education are recognized by the international community.

I have a small aloe vera plant that I’d like to use directly for cosmetic and medicinal purposes. What parts do I use, and how can I propagate more plants?

Aloe vera, sometimes called “first aid plant” or “burn aloe,” has been used for some 6,000 years to treat (topically) burns and abrasions and (internally) constipation and digestive disorders. Recent products containing the gel or the processed juice promise to treat mild burns, canker sores, psoriasis, sunburn, dandruff and countless other conditions. But despite the plant’s lengthy pedigree, science has not often verified its effectiveness—so be aware that you’re experimenting. Asking a local campesino (country person) how to use sábila will produce a shower of advice—including how to strengthen your hair by shampooing with the gel!

This hot-growing miniature epiphyte or lithophyte can be found under dry-forest scrub along our coastal region among cacti and small trees. In cultivation it grows best when mounted on small bark-covered branches and given water only during its active growth period. The long, beautiful inflorescences, which bloom in late fall and winter, should be left intact, as they might rebloom. (Many thanks to Vallarta Orchid Society President T. J. Hartung for permission to draw on information from his publication “Orchids Found ONLY in Mexico,” available in the Gardens’ gift store.)

We continue to seek sponsors for the Conservatory for the National Collection of Mexican Orchids; please click here to donate today!

An artist’s sketch of our much-anticipated Orchid Conservatory:

Mexico, one of the world’s most biodiverse countries, boasts well over 1,200 different native orchid species. More than 200 have been recorded in the state of Jalisco alone, and of those many are found in the jungles and highlands around Puerto Vallarta. Sadly, many of these natives are under near-constant attack and are being plundered—to the point of extinction—and brazenly sold in a thriving black market for illegally collected wildlife.

Fueling this totally preventable and catastrophic orchid extinction are both the native Mexican and expat communities here, who provide a customer base for unscrupulous poachers of endangered plants and wildlife.

When was the last time you took the time to celebrate the gifts of our wonderful host, planet Earth? Considering what it provides to us humans, and how our heedless activities are changing the environment, spending a little time celebrating our planet is only right. So join us in planting a tree or by learning more about the gifts and treasures of our forests on this special day.

For more information, please call the Gardens at 322-223-6182 or e-mail info@vbgardens.org.

The Garden’s vanilla vines bloom in April! Visit us to learn more about this culinarily and culturally important native orchid. Our daily 1 pm tours will focus on this plant during April. This is the best time to watch our horticultural staff performing the hand-pollination technique needed to produce vanilla pods (commonly referred to as vanilla beans). Learn with us about the unique nature of this savory Mexican plant.

Visit the Gardens’ Hacienda de Oro Restaurant for authentic Mexican food and brick-oven pizza. Our new menu includes delicious dishes such as fish and shrimp tacos. Hike the Gardens’ nature trails and bask in tropical mountain scenery. Experience the Orchid Conservatory, Gift Shop, plant nursery, tequila tasting and more. You can even shop the Gardens remotely through our online store. The very best of Vallarta!

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Contents

FEATURES:

—The Curator’s Corner
—Tropical Gardening Q & A
—Return of the Military Macaws
—Mexican Orchid of the Month
—Pan-Tropical Treasures, by David Tarrant

UPCOMING EVENTS:

 —Vallarta Flower and Garden Show
 —Vallarta Bird Festival
 —Salsa y Salsa
 —Spring Equinox
 —Let It Ride
 —Yoga Retreat at the VBG

INFORMATION:

—Garden Amenities and Services
—Please Join Us
—A Thank-You to Our Sponsors
—A Request for Feedback
—General Visitor Information
 
 
 

Dear Friends of the Gardens,

This past month has been one of the most inspirational ever for the Vallarta Botanical Gardens; I hardly know where to start with our string of excellent news.

First of all, the Vallarta Botanical Gardens have been unanimously elected as a “TOP 10 North American Garden Worth Travelling For in 2013″ by an international jury made up of garden tourism leaders from Canada, the United States and Europe. The destinations will be officially announced March 19 at the Garden Tourism Conference in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. We are the first Mexican garden to receive this recognition.

From the Gardens,
Bob Price, Curator and Founder

My large plumbago in a very deep pot just wilted and browned despite heavy, regular watering. When I pulled it out, I found the soil was dry below the top 8 inches. What happened?

The soil’s the thing! If your plumbago was planted in potting soil from a vivero or other store, that mixture should have been combined with a heavier, more moisture-retentive soil. Basic potting soil—what you buy in local nurseries as tierra, “earth”—is light and actually somewhat moisture-repellent; that’s why it’s so important to wet it well when planting.

An old hollow pine in the mountains between the Vallarta Botanical Gardens and the town of El Tuito was home to two families of Military Macaws until poachers cut it down in early January. The chicks that survived the fall were most likely sold as pets on the black market. Sad story—but through the community effort of volunteers coordinated by Neil Gerlowski, our Executive Director, the adult birds, who have returned to the area, once again can hope to breed.

This epiphyte occurs at elevations of 600 to 1,000 meters, growing on coastal trees and shrubs in Nayarit and Jalisco. Its slender, swollen, spindle-shaped pseudobulbs put out thin, apical, deciduous leaves that fall before the blooms appear on 9-inch-long racemes of up to ten flowers. It blooms in late summer and fall.

Last October I led a garden/cruise tour to Tahiti and the islands of Raiatea, Bora Bora and Moorea aboard the Paul Gauguin. Our small group of garden enthusiasts included a former VBG board member, Ralph Osborne. Ralph was interested to see several plants there that he knew from the environs of Puerto Vallarta—but it’s not all that surprising.

What we think of loosely as “tropical” plants were freely transported among warm-weather countries by early explorers and colonists—long before anyone worried about the transmission of plant diseases and invasive species.

Through furious and inspired work over the last few weeks, the Gardens’ Hall of Flowers has been transformed into a floral paradise like none before.
 

The Puerto Vallarta region is home to more than 300 species of birds; including those in the nearby mountains brings the count to nearly 400. Discover and learn about this rich biodiversity with us during our next annual Vallarta Bird Festival, held in conjunction with International Migratory Bird Day.

Learn some professional dance steps with local salsa instructors—and also enjoy a variety of tasty salsas! Our guest chef will be demonstrating how to prepare salsas in three half-hour workshops starting at 12:45, 1:45 and 2:45 pm. The cost for this event is $250 pesos (members receive a 10 percent discount). Roll up your own handmade tortilla and then dance away to the music! Instructors will be provided by Latin Motion, P.V. For more information please call the Gardens at 322-223-6182 and ask to speak with Steve, or e-mail him at stephenclay@vbgardens.org.

Can you really balance a raw egg on the Equinox? Come and see! We will also host local psychics (from 11 am to 5 pm) to enlighten or bedazzle you via such arcane arts as numerology, tarot and energy cleansing. At noon we will hold a special ceremony to welcome in another Spring and its Rebirth Energy. The entrance fee to the Gardens is $60 pesos (free to members); psychic session fees will vary.

For more information please call the Gardens at 322-223-6182 and ask to speak with Steve, or e-mail him at stephenclay@vbgardens.org.

The Vallarta Motorcycle Club, 69 Ovejas Negras, will visit the Gardens to showcase their custom and classic motorcycles. Enjoy photo ops on the bikes, a stroll through the Gardens and perhaps a lunch at the Hacienda de Oro Restaurant. Bring your trunks for swimming at the river. The show is included with your Garden entry fee of $60 pesos per person (free to members). If you have a bike, ride it up! These guys and gals aren’t in a mean and scary club; they just like to get together and ride to fun destinations!

This weekend event will feature yoga classes held in the Hall of Flowers as well as in actual garden settings, between 11 am and 5 pm. Intersperse your classes with meditative strolls through the gardens or forest and a dip in the rejuvenescent Río Los Horcones! Classes will be taught by top instructors from the area, giving you a chance to compare styles. They will be suitable for practitioners from beginning to advanced levels—even for children! Package prices will be advertised at the end of February.

Many more exciting events are scheduled at the Vallarta Botanical Gardens, including the 2013 Vallarta Bugambilias Festival; please click here to view them all.

Visit the Gardens’ Hacienda de Oro Restaurant for authentic Mexican food and brick-oven pizza. Our new menu includes delicious dishes such as fish and shrimp tacos. Hike the Gardens’ nature trails and bask in tropical mountain scenery. Experience the Orchid Conservatory, Gift Shop, plant nursery, tequila tasting and more. You can even shop the Gardens remotely through our online store. The very best of Vallarta!

]]> http://www.vbgardens.org/3985/march-2013-leaflet/feed/ 0 http://www.vbgardens.org/3965/romance-in-the-gardens/ http://www.vbgardens.org/3965/romance-in-the-gardens/#comments Tue, 05 Feb 2013 16:05:38 +0000 admin http://www.vbgardens.org/?p=3965

Valentines Day Special Menu

Thursday February 14th
11 am to 4 pm
Info 322-223-6182 (Steve)

Choose one from each category
—$250 pesos per person

STARTERS
Gazpacho, Tortilla Soup, Hearts of Romaine

ENTRÉS
Crepe stuffed with shrimp, spinach and ricotta w/vegetables, rice and Flora de Jamaica Cream
or
BBQ Pork Ribs with Roasted Garlic and butter Mashed Potatoes, Vegetable Medley

DESSERT
Chocolate Mousse
or
Chocolate Strawberries

INCLUDES
Mimosa, Glass of wine, Beer, Margarita or Soft drink

Contents

FEATURES:

—The Curator’s Corner
—Plant Piracy
—Canadian Donor News
—Tropical Gardening Q & A
—Mexican Orchid of the Month
—Orchid Photos at Airport
—Cries of Nature

UPCOMING EVENTS:

 —“Salute to Vallarta!” Member Appreciation Day
 —Curator’s Candlelight Dinner
 —Sierra Madre Excursion and Lunch
 —Vallarta Flower and Garden Show
 —Vallarta Bird Festival

INFORMATION:

—Garden Amenities and Services
—Please Join Us
—A Thank-You to Our Sponsors
—A Request for Feedback
—General Visitor Information
 
 
 

Dear Friends of the Gardens,

It pains me greatly to share some very sad news with you. Sometime in late December, an ancient pine tree supporting the nests of two families of endangered guacamayas, or Military Macaws, was cut down in order to sell any surviving babies in the black market, most likely right here in Puerto Vallarta. Please read the interview in this issue with the local birding guide who discovered this reckless destruction and reported it to the authorities.

From the Gardens,
Bob Price, Curator and Founder

Although the loss of an emblematic species such as the Military Macaw touches our hearts profoundly, we mourn the destruction of our native habitat in all its forms. While most of our Leaflet audience aren’t poachers and wouldn’t consider purchasing baby guacamayas or jaguars, some of your other purchases can adversely affect our forests, so we encourage you to please buy plants responsibly. Specifically, we ask you to not throw away your money while supporting the destruction of native orchids, by buying illegally harvested specimens that are doomed to die.

The Vallarta Botanical Gardens is happy to announce that it can now accept tax-deductible donations from our friends in Canada.

I’m finding white, fluffy stuff on my plants lately, especially on new growth. I’ve tried soapy water to little avail. Do I need a fungicide instead?

Judging from your photo, what looks like a fuzzy fungus is actually a feeding nest of the tiny white, multi-legged insects called mealybugs (cochinillos in Spanish). They are difficult to distinguish without a magnifying glass, but they distort tender new growth by sucking plant juices. They thrive in hot, tropical climates; infestations can arrive as a white cloud blown by wind through our gardens.

How can I be sure I’m buying true Mexican vanilla extract? —Allyson from Jaltemba

At the Gardens we’re pretty interested in the quality of this product, due to the many vanilla orchids we grow; we even teach folks to pollinate and harvest their own beans! But if you’re not a do-it-yourselfer, here are some tips.

Found as an epiphyte in evergreen cloud forests among the high peaks of Oaxaca and Guerrero, the Artorima erubescens produces showy, fragrant flowers in the winter and early spring. Continued logging in those regions has caused this orchid to become a rare find. It is reported to require freezing nocturnal temperatures to bloom, making it a tricky plant for amateur gardeners to care for. The stigma’s T-shaped slits, which catch the feet of bees, make it unusual within the orchid family. (Many thanks to Vallarta Orchid Society President T. J. Hartung for permission to draw on information from his publication “Orchids Found ONLY in Mexico,” available in the Gardens’ gift store.)

We continue to seek sponsors for the Conservatory for the National Collection of Mexican Orchids; please click here to donate today!

An artist’s sketch of our much-anticipated Orchid Conservatory:

Many thanks to Laura Palomera, of Puerto Vallarta’s Gustavo Díaz Ordaz International Airport, who has helped beautify that facility while promoting the Vallarta Botanical Gardens and our conservation efforts in this region. On your next incoming trip, look for some of the following posters (between Immigration and the baggage claim area).

Click any photo for a slideshow:

If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?

I contend that the tree does make a sound—many, in fact—and is joined by all the voices of nature. We can respond to those voices by defending nature, or we can close our ears to them.

In late December, a majestic pine tree in the forests of the Ejido La Puerta (roughly halfway between the Vallarta Botanical Gardens and the town of El Tuito) must have given cries of agony heard over the screech of a greedy poacher’s chainsaw. Before he revved up, the poacher surely heard the chirping of baby guacamayas from two separate nests that called this tree home.

Our “Salute to Vallarta!” is the Vallarta Botanical Gardens’ new member-appreciation event that is complimentary to all of our members. This event replaces our former member-appreciation event, La Noche de las Luminarias. This event is exclusive to members, so nonmembers will not have access to the Gardens on that day. Not a member yet? Please take the opportunity to join us now or to purchase a membership at the Gardens when you next visit us, or even on the day of the event.

This exclusive after-hours event is available to Copa de Oro and Trustee Level members. Experience a unique opportunity to socialize and dine with other upper-level donors and the Garden’s executive staff and officers. Bob Price, the Gardens’ Founder and Curator, will present a brief summary of the Gardens’ accomplishments in 2012 and his vision for our organization’s future. Both our dining room and the Orchid Conservatory will be festively decorated in a magical display of flowers and light.

The Vallarta Botanical Gardens’ Sierra Madre excursion and lunch is a special thank-you to our highest level of financial supporters, our Trustee Level Members. The Gardens’ Curator and Executive Director will be your guides in a driving safari up through the mountains from the tropical dry forest to the oaks-and-pines level, pointing out some of the fascinating treasures of our region’s biodiversity.

Many of the Gardens’ celebrated native and exotic flower collections will be in peak bloom from February to early March. Celebrate this unique moment of time with us in a week of expositions and special displays. In addition to our 1 pm daily tour, we are offering special tours of the Holstein Vanilla and Orchid Conservatory each day of the Flower and Garden Show at noon. The Mike Laking Floral Photo Exhibit will also be on view during this event.

The Vallarta Botanical Gardens are proud to again host the Vallarta Bird Festival. The full description of this event—including tours, speakers and other activities—is now posted at www.vallartabirdfestival.org. Please purchase your reservations today!

“The free bird leaps on the back of the wind
and floats downstream
till the current ends
and dips his wings
in the orange sun rays
and dares to claim the sky.”
—Maya Angelou
 
Many more exciting events are in the works at the Vallarta Botanical Gardens and elsewhere in our community, including the including the 2013 Bougainvillea Festival. Please click here to view them all.

Visit the Gardens’ Hacienda de Oro Restaurant for authentic Mexican food and brick-oven pizza. Our new menu includes delicious dishes such as fish and shrimp tacos. Hike the Gardens’ nature trails and bask in tropical mountain scenery. Experience the Orchid Conservatory, Gift Shop, plant nursery, tequila tasting and more. You can even shop the Gardens remotely through our online store. The very best of Vallarta!

On this day we especially welcome our gay community and their friends to celebrate the joys of the Gardens together in a full day of fun. Many cities throughout the world host publicly-held Gay Pride events that are not only popular but also healthy economic blessings for those communities. At the Gardens we invite you to come together to celebrate our diverse natures—in nature! This event open to everyone 18 years old and older.

Kick up those heals!

Admission for Diversity Day is $250 pesos per person if purchased before January 10 and $300 pesos per person on or after that day. Vallarta Botanical Gardens Members do not receive complimentary entry on this day, but may purchase tickets at a 10% discount.

All proceeds beyond event costs are a direct contribution to the Vallarta Botanical Gardens to help promote beauty, culture, conservation and diversity in our beloved Bay of Banderas region. You may purchase tickets in person by cash or check at No Way José! Restaurant, Mailboxes, Etc., the Gardens themselves or through PayPal here:

 

After paying on PayPal,
please print out your receipt and bring it to the Gardens on Diversity Day.
You will be asked for it at the entrance to the Gardens.

 
Please contact Steven Clay at 322-223-6182 or by e-mail at stephenclay@vbgardens.org for more information or assistance. Thank you for celebrating Diversity with us!

Visit our Facebook page, Diversity Day 2013.

Who: Mike Laking, International Award Winning Digital Photo Artisan
Where: Vallarta Botanical Gardens, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
When: Friday, December 28th – 11:30 –1:00 p.m.
Cost: Workshop FREE with $60 peso admission to the Gardens (no admission cost for members)

Pink Beauty – 2010 Grand Prize Winner
Vallarta Botanical Gardens Photography Contest

Mike will talk about how to use Photoshop filters and actions, printers, paper and inks, how to find free Photoshop video lessons and then take you on a guided photography tour of the pond area and orchid house. One lucky person from the workshop will be chosen to have a photograph of their choice turned into a work of art by Mike. Following the workshop, participants can join Mike in the Hacienda de Oro Restaurant for informal discussions and lunch as well as order from a great menu – at great prices.

Mike Laking is a digital photo artisan who specializes in flowers. Using computer graphic techniques, and his original photographs, he creates unique digital giclée photo art. Mike is the Grand Prize Winner of the 2010 and Third Prize Winner of the 2011 Vallarta Botanical Gardens Photography Contest, and winner of Best Digital Photograph, at the 2010, 2011 and 2012 Ottawa (Canada) Orchid Society Annual Show.

Mike’s art has been featured in numerous exhibits, galleries, articles and on TV, has won several national and international awards and is included in collections across Canada, United States, Europe and Mexico. His fine art giclées are printed using museum quality archival inks, on fine art paper, gloss photographic paper, or premium gloss canvas, in limited editions. Each limited edition print is signed and numbered, and includes a certificate of authenticity. You can purchase his individually crafted and signed greeting cards locally at the Vallarta Botanical Gardens and also at Flowers to Go, 126 Rodolfo Gomez 126, Emiliano Zapata, Puerto Vallarta. All cards are of local flowers taken in and around Puerto Vallarta.

Check out his YouTube videos and preview his art at www.mikelaking.com. Mike is happy to meet to discuss his photo art, commissions and photo restoration projects which are now being accepted. He can be reached in PV on his cell at 322-194-1795 until January 12th.

“I am a digital photo artisan who uses a camera to paint and my passion is flowers. The delicate, fleeting bursts of colours, shapes and sizes are what I strive to catch, so that when the flower is gone, the art remains.” — Mike Laking

The Vallarta Bugambilia Festival

May 17–24, 2013

Bugambilias at the Gardens

While the stunning bracts of Bugambilias are in full color most of the year, they are especially flushed and full in May; hence the stage will already be set for a festival. Just add a 300-person-strong candlelight procession and a “Salute to Mexico” street party, and you’ll have a premonition of an instant hit! Other activities during the festival will be a children’s day of fun and learning, a guided bus tour to the Vallarta Botanical Gardens, daily guided walking tours of downtown, a traditional British high tea party and Mexican folkloric dancing.

There is still plenty of time for volunteers and sponsors to jump in and get involved in these exciting preparations. Please contact PVGC President Suzanne Kirkpatrick (suzkirk66@gmail.com) to become a member of the PV Garden Club or to volunteer.

To read more about the power of gardens and floral festivals to improve a community’s economy and aesthetics, please click HERE.

2013 Vallarta Bird Festival

March 7–10

Black-Throated Magpie Jay
Photo by Greg Homel

Book your reservations today on the Vallarta Bird Festival Website …oh, and don’t forget your binoculars!