The Leaflet

Vallarta Botanical Gardens AC

January 2012

Content:

Curator’s Corner

Dear Friends of the Gardens,

A new year is once again upon us—and not just any year, but finally the long anticipated 2012 itself! This year is believed to be the end-date of a 5,125-year-long countdown of the Mesoamerican Calendar shared by the Ancient Aztecs and Mayans of Mexico. While some associate year this with fear of a cataclysmic doomsday, we at the Gardens are always ready to celebrate any kind of new beginning and the joy of life that we associate with such an interesting occur-rence.

We feel this energy of new begin-

nings with the scores of daily visi-

tors from around the planet who

marvel at the botanical wonders

growing throughout our magnifi-

cent grounds. We are also encour-

aged by the partnerships we are

forging with schools, local businesses, community organizations and the project

we are now working on with SEMARNAT, Mexico’s Secretariat of Environment

and Natural Resources.

Last but certainly not least, we continually delight in the selfless labor of our

volunteers and those who support our mission by becoming members and do-

nors, thank you!

This February 7th we will again show our appreciation to our members with our

6th annual Noche de Las Luminarias Gala. Please read our write-up on this year’s

Noche De Las Luminarias and mark this date on your calendar!

Another much anticipated event that will be cause for great celebration are the

highway repairs along the Carretera 200 leading to the Gardens. Please don’t

let this ongoing project deter you from a trip here! There are still delays just

south of downtown PV and unless you are lucky enough to get the pass right

away, you may be delayed 10-20 minutes until traffic is waved through. The

good news is that once you clear this section most of the remaining roadway is

passable and you should have smooth sailing for the rest of this highly scenic

drive.

Despite sensationalist media reports to the contrary, Mexico remains a safe and beautiful country to visit. To those of you in Puerto Vallarta, please come up and visit us soon; to those of you in other places,please keep Mexico in your hearts.

Bob Price Curator & Founder

February 7th, 2012 – 5 pm to 10 pm

Be part of Vallarta’s most dazzling evening…

You wont want to miss this special night! The Garden’s grounds will be deco-

rated with over a thousand candles, torches, and Christmas lights for a magical

night filled food, drink, live entertainment and dancing.

Your valid 2012 Garden membership admits you to this exclusive event. Those

who need to renew their membership or are joining us for the first time are en-

couraged to do so online as soon as possible. Click here for full details on re-

newing or purchasing a membership for the first time. Your PayPal receipt or

current membership card will admit you to the event. Those paying by PayPal

can pick up their new membership cards inside the party. Only $1000 pesos

per couple, $800 pesos per senior couple, or $500 pesos per individual.

Deluxe motor coach transportation is included from Lazaro Cárdenas Park in

Old Town PV at 3:45 and 5:00 pm. Don’t Drink and Drive! Parking is limited at

the Gardens.

We are continuously updating specific information about this year’s gala on our

Noche De Las Luminarias Event Page on Facebook. The “Noche Committee” is

also looking for volunteers to help make this year’s event the most memorable

ever. Please contact the office at 223 6182 if you would like to be part of this

special team.

Most of the year, this small, sturdy tree with its smooth and pale grey trunk and branches plays and anonymous role in the landscape, but in the spring, Pseudo-bombax ellipticum takes a centre stage and explodes in full color and shapes. Their rose-pink flowers with long and narrow curling petals cupping a brush-

like mass of silky, crimsom stamens. Each day individual flowers fall to carpet the ground, but the tree con-tinues to bloom for many weeks. Just as this comes to an end, the red foliage bursts from its buds and unfolds as waxy, new-born palmate

leaves that cover the stubby tips of the stems. As the sun sinks in the sky and shines through the translucent new growth, it seems that the tree is on fire. Finally the Shaving Brush Tree settles down into the summer heat, cooling its roots with its sumptuous canopy of opulent, dull green, slightly folded palmate leaves. The Gardens have over 50 new specimens of these magnificent native trees planted throughout the grounds and many others inside our forest re-serve.

Edited by Chef Seth J. Cloutman The 2012 Children of the Refugio Cookbook First Edition has been published. Please support this project and purchase a copy and show your continued support for the Gardens and the Refugio Infantil Santa Esperanza. Copies are available for sale in the Gardens gift shop. A por-tion of sales from the cookbook will be donated to the Gardens.

I just returned for the season and found that my patio garden needed an over-

haul;

where should I begin?

Tips for Snowbird Container Gardens (Part 1):

• If possible, exchange mul-

tiple small pots for the larg-

est macetas you have space

for. Plants in two large con-

tainers will survive your ab-

sence better than those in

ten small ones, no matter

how appealing those looked

when you bought them!

• Inspect all your pots for

adequate drainage, making

sure their holes aren’t clogged. Many plants die over the summer from water-

logged conditions, due to our heavy rains.

• When replanting pots, loosen the soil well as far down as possible and deeply

dig in a granular slow-release fertilizer to replace the soil’s exhausted nutrients.

Focus on nourishing the root zone rather than the surface.

• Always replant in well-moistened, not dry, soil. Watering after planting is not

nearly as effective an irrigation.

The Gardens, are joining in cooperation with residents of Puerto Vallarta, El No-galito Preserve & Restaurant and the community of El Nogalito to improve the condition of a school in need, El Nogalito Primary School. The school’s teacher, the school board, parents, and students themselves are all part of the efforts. In the past month the school grounds have been cleaned, gravel spread, the in-terior of the school has been painted, new shelves have been installed, electric-ity was connected, new books and other supplies have been donated, bulletin and white boards have been installed, new classroom furniture has been or-dered, some fencing and a flag pole have been donated. The entire school was fumigated. The school is still in need of textbooks, more gravel for the yard, exterior stucco and painting, repair of septic and bathrooms, a cooking and eating area, roof repair, landscaping, more fencing, and other improvements. Donations are be-ing coordinated by Charlotte Main, 322-228-0164. Please let her know how you can help with time, labor, materials or supplies.

To create Mexico´s foremost botanical garden for the propagation, study, dis-covery, conservation and display of Mexican native plants for enjoyment of Puerto Vallarta’s residents and our visitors.

Click here to make a donation to our important mission. Vallarta Botanical Gar-dens are a 501c3 not for profit organization. Donations are tax deductible in the US. Our current campaign the construction of a new orchid conservatory.

We would like to thank our Copa de Oro Sponsors for their ongoing support to Vallarta Botanical Gardens.

McCall Family - Villa Los Arcos Michael Ricks - Windermere Real Estate

Xocodiva Artisan Chocolates Carl Timothy Real Estate Group

Marcelo Mico Pilates Galeana Family Ralph Osborne

No Way Jose! Restaurant - Bar Archie’s Wok Restaurant - Bar

Ron Morgan Real Estate Adelaide Blomfield

Hotelito Jardín del Tuito Pam Grisom Dee Daneri

Paul Harrington - Harrington Land-scapes

Mexico PV Fun.biz Vallarta LifeStyles

Food by Seth Villa Balboa

Roger & Joana Smith Ron Gauny

Richard Lindstrom AJ Van Horn

Gary & Suzanne Adamson Alan & Patricia Brickell Bob & Barbara Sypult

McBride Family Ken Plant

Andrew Brisken Holstein Family Darrell Rumsey Buri Gray Charles & Judith Silberstein Justin Williams Richard & Char Main

www.vbgardens.org

Volumen 2, No. 1

6th Annual Gala

Noche de las Luminarias

The Children of The Refugio Cook Book 2012

El Nogalito School Sponsorship

The Shaving Brush Tree

(Pseudobombax ellipticum)

Tropical Gardening Q & A

Curator’s Corner 1

6th Anual Gala Noche

de las Luminarias 2

The Shaving Brush Tree

3

Children of The Refugio Cook Book

2012 4

Tropical Gardening Q & A

5

El Nogalito School Sponsorship

6

Diversity Day 2012 7

Mission Statement 8

Mission Statement

Listed in “Lonely Planet 2009 Guide to Mexico”

as a must-see destination on your trip to Vallarta. Also listed in “Foder’s” and “National Geographic” 2010

Travel Guides. Visit the world-famous Hacienda de Oro Restaurant

for authentic Mexican food, handmade tortillas, and brick-oven pizza.

Hike nature trails, bask in tropical mountain scenery, swim in a crystalline spring-fed river.

See tropical collections of palms, pineapples, cacti, native trees, carnivorous plants, coffee and vanilla or-

chids

grown in their natural setting.

Bird-watching, Orchid Conservatory,

Gift Shop, Plant Nursery, tequila-tasting and more. The very best of Vallarta!!

Member of Botanic Gardens Conservation International. Located on the scenic Palms to Pines Highway

30 minutes south of Old Town on Carretera a Barra de Navidad at Km 24,

Just past Las Juntas y Los Veranos telephone (322) 223-6182