L-R: Lobo Lui's BBQ Shack owners, Doug and Ruth Roche; Nora Ocegueda, PV Tourism Bureau Public Relations; Bob Price, Puerto Vallarta Garden Club; Paco Ojeda, Restaurant Week Coordinator, Vallarta Lifestyles Publishing Group

45 restaurants are participating in this year’s event, with an unprecedented 13 restaurants participating for the first time. Among them, Lobo Lui’s BBQ Shack, who graciously hosted the press conference, offering attendees a taste of their unique and affordable Texas-style offerings. “We’ve been open for less than a year, but are very excited to participate in an event that will undoubtedly get many visitors and locals to sample our menu,” commented owner Doug Roche, who along with his wife, Ruth, oversees the eatery.

Also present at the press conference were representatives of the Puerto Vallarta Garden Club. The recently formed non-profit has been pivotal in the city-wide transformation of planters located in public places, primarily along Basilio Badillo, Insurgentes, and Avenida México. Next year, the organization will hold the first-ever Bougainvillea Festival in Puerto Vallarta, to take place alongside Restaurant Week 2013. “Cities like Washington, DC have thrived thanks to cultural festivals such as the annual National Cherry Blossom Festival,” commented PVGC President, Suzanne Kirkpatrick, who along with Vice-President Bob Price and Treasurer Carlos Mendoza attended the press conference. “By partnering with Restaurant Week and creating a brand-new cultural event for Puerto Vallarta that focuses on a beautiful, native flower, we hope to turn the month of May into an increasingly appealing month for tourists and locals to visit and enjoy Puerto Vallarta.”

Restaurant Week is proudly sponsored by Puerto Vallarta’s Tourism Bureau (FIDETUR), Riviera Nayarit and local newspaper, Vallarta Opina.

Reasons for supporting public gardens in a community:

• Gardens and parks are a Civilizing Force that instill pride in their citizenry.
• Cities with beautiful gardens are perceived as orderly and Places of Culture.
• Embracing the “green movement” as a city´s guiding principal improves a community’s image & health and wellbeing.
• Gardens & floral festivals are proven Tourism Generators!

Gardens are a Civilizing Force!

• The media often focuses on the negative aspects of our community, whereas gardens and nature could help highlight the positive.
• Communities that boast lush, beautiful, and diverse gardens are perceived as safe, secure, and civilized.

Going Green

• “Going Green” is a top priority of many countries, communities, and corporations.
• Communities that optimize their public green spaces are perceived as part of this movement, and are emerging as leaders.

What is a Tourism Generator?

• Tourism Generators are the attractions, historical and natural features (mountains, ocean), events and historic native culture that produce new and repeat tourism- and make people want to visit an area.
• A destination’s reputation for cleanliness, safety and quality of service are major tourism generators.
• All new tourists are “Cultural Explorers” looking for an authentic experience of the country they are visiting.
• Lodging, food & other services are the beneficiaries of tourism generators.

What are some of the Tourism Generators of Puerto Vallarta?

• Lonely Planet, one of the world’s most famous travel guides, lists the following as some of the not to be missed attractions and activities for “cultural explorers” coming to PV Beaches, Museo del Cuale, Isla Rio Cuale River Walk, Whale Watching, Malecon, Public Sculptures, Outdoor Adventures, & The Vallarta Botanical Garden. (time-share sales and beach vendors for example, are not tourism generators- but set up shop in areas where they can take advantage of tourism being generated by tourism generators.

Gardens & Floral Festivals are Proven Tourism Generators!

• Gardens & Floral Festivals draw new tourist business that in turn supports the amenities & retail markets.
• By creating and supporting new dynamic tourism generators, Puerto Vallarta will excel and support its citizens
  through the creation of new tourism sector jobs, not handouts.
• All major tourist destinations understand the importance of investing in their parks and public green spaces. Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fl, famous for their gardens and public flower gardens has an annual landscaping and beautification budget of over 15 million dollars. Why would Walt Disney World spend 15 million dollars a year keeping their gardens beautiful? Because they know it creates new tourism and repeat tourism!
• Well known floral festivals include: Portland Rose Festival,

The Cherry Blossom Festival, Washington D. C. – 100 Years of Tourism. 1912-2012

• The Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington D.C. brings in over 1 million visitors each year who pump in over 125 million dollars into the local Washington DC economy through lodging, dining, and other tourist spending each year. The Cherry Blossom Festival started in 1912 with 100 Cherry Flowering Trees donated by the Empress of Japan as a gesture of friendship to the US.
• The Cherry Blossom Festival is 2 weeks in April every year and is an annual financial windfall for Washington.

The Puerto Vallarta Bougainvillea Festival

• Bougainvilleas planted now will be fully naturalized and established after about 2 years, will be about 10 feet tall, and will require only occasional watering.
• The Bougainvillea is very resistant to pests and drought and will increase in splendor with the passing of time.
• They bloom almost continuously throughout the year, with the heaviest bloom in spring.
• Basilio Badillo, Olas Altas, Mercado Cuale, Ave Mexico and Insurgentes have all been planted with native trees and bougainvilleas. The bougainvilleas and native trees we plant today will be a legacy for generations to come and provide years of beauty. Hundreds of others are still to be planted.
• Tourist destinations such as PV must constantly strive to improve visitor experience and periodically re invent themselves in order to complete with every other destination for the same tourists!!
• The initial financial investment in creating the festival is minute compared to the years of tourism it will generate.
• Bougainvilleas will add YEAR ROUND beauty to our streets and parks.

Goals and Projects of the PV Garden Club

• To beautify public areas of PV to INCREASE local jobs and more TOURISM!
• To create a more beautiful city for the enjoyment of PV residents and our visitors (Malecon, Zona Romantica…)
• Cooperation with the municipality of Puerto Vallarta to create an annual Bougainvillea Festival during its peak bloom (May) to encourage new visitors./li>
• To raise money to support ongoing beautification initiatives and their maintenance to help our city prosper.
• Encourage all business and property owners to “Give Something Back to Vallarta” and invest in the future of PV- by sponsoring a tree or planter.
• The PV Garden Club is currently seeing new members and volunteers to help PV create and benefit from the Bougainvillea Festival.
  The Cost of Participating in the Project
• The cost of sponsoring a tree or planter box is between $2200 pesos and 5200 pesos. All Fees go towards watering and buying new plants.
• The costs associated with urban blight: include less tourism, reduced property values, more graffiti, increased crime, & a less prosperous city. We cannot allow this to happen in our beloved PV!
• Considering this, the cost of planters or sponsoring a tree is amazingly inexpensive and made possible by community volunteerism (The PV Garden Club members and its supporters)
  A City’s Reputation for Cleanliness is a powerful tourism generator.
• Please help the PV Garden Club reverse urban blight before it can spread throughout PV and hurt our tourist based economy!

Cuando alguien comparte algo valioso que le beneficiará, tiene la obligación moral de compartirlo con los demás.
“When someone shares something valuable that benefits you, you have a obligation of sharing it with others.”

Dear Garden Club Members and Friends,

For those of you who missed our meeting yesterday – our final one until October, let me summarize some of the ideas that were discussed. We are excited about the future we are part of creating here in Puerto Vallarta.

Our mission:
To beautify and protect the environment through civic planting projects, educational and horticultural programs, for the enjoyment of Puerto Vallarta’s residents and our visitors.
Our members were asked what topics they would like to hear about from our guest speakers at garden club meetings next season: The following were mentioned:

1. Balcony Plantings
2. Care and Feeding of Tropical Plants
3. Different Types of Bougainvilleas
4. Medicinal Plants – by Dr. Leslie Korn again

If you have a topic you’d particularly like to learn about, please reply to this email and we will try to accommodate your wishes.

The bougainvillea festival will begin next year. As part of the buzz for this festival, we hope to offer a cash prize for the most beautiful balcony in Puerto Vallarta. A committee was formed to look into the possibility of tours of private gardens next season. If you would like to offer ideas or offer your own garden as a venue, please let me know.

We are also considering partnering with other establishments in Puerto Vallarta to distribute cards to departing visitors, thanking them for their visit and encouraging them to write letters to the editors of their local newspaper spreading the word that Puerto Vallarta is a beautiful and SAFE destination for vacationers from the U.S.

We encourage you to volunteer for any of the activities above that appeal to you.

Officers were elected for the 2012-2013 year. The following were elected:

Suzanne Kirkpatrick President
Bob Price Vice President
Bonnie Mott Secretary
Carlos Mendoza Treasurer

TJ Hartung, Gerry Jacobs and David Rohde have all stepped down as officers. We thank them for their service to the PVGC. They provided a critical start for this club and their work is appreciated. We also thank Rick Hepting of Xlibre.com for continuing to serve as our “webmaster”.

Sponsorship of planters continues unabated. Basillio Badillo is sold out, Olas Altas is sold out. The Mercado area is still available and as more trees and bougainvillea are planted on Insurgentes, Avenida Mexico and elsewhere, more sponsorships will be available. Memorialize a loved one, or your own personal love of Mexico by sponsoring a planter. Through these sales, the mission of our club is being realized. THNAK YOU to those of you have sponsored a planter! Please encourage others.

Redesign of our PVGC logo is being finalized. We know you’ll want to purchase a t-shirt with this classy new logo!

Thank you all for your support this year. Membership dues are 200 pesos per year. If you paid last season, your dues should be renewed. Please contact our treasurer, Carlos Mendoza at carlos.vbgardens@gmail.com to do so. Membership cards with the new logo will be ready at our first meeting in the Fall, October 18th, 2012. All who joined from the inception of the club to the end of this calendar year are Founding Members and your membership card will so state.

Sincerely,
Suzanne Kirkpatrick
President
Puerto Vallarta Garden Club

1. Fred and Gerry Jacobs
2. Faye Cardenas and Keith Cowan
3. Joe Jacks
4. John Gillespie/ Robert Rusie
5. David Morck/Hildegard Willkomm
6. Rivera Cuale
7. R. Osborne
8. Cassandra Shaw. Anne Reisman, Mykonia
9. Kirkpatricks/L Peterson
10. Timothy Fuller
11. Caroline Bartlett, Patricia Lestz, Mary Francis Compton, Lee Moriarty
12. Platzer, Wilson, Bugbee, Copabiz
13. Silverstein
14. Rich Kaufman
15. Franz Weinhandl
16. David Morck/Hildegard Willkomm
17. Ron Morgan
18. Puerto Vallarta Villas
19. M M M M
20. Wally DeMary
21. Rhoden Family
22. Robert LPierre
23. Norma Furlong
24. Dee Daneri
25. BJ Etchepare
26. Susan Wiseman/ David Lord
27. June Rosen
28. David Frank
29. Jay and Vicky Powell
30. Jeri Somers
31. Fred and Gerry Jacobs
32. Dee Daneri
33. Maria O’Connor
34. Ralph Osborne
35. Peter Rex
36. Vel Anderson
37. Anonymous
38. Anonymous
39. Tony Burkhardt/ Liam Anthony Kirkpatrick
40. Theresa and Ken Rowley
41. Char Crowe
42. Polly Vicars
43. Silverstein
44. Orenstein
45. Ruben Cota
46. Maynard and Cathy Torchiana

Puerto Vallarta Garden Club is proud to announce the planting of 45 Primavera trees, 45 Amapas trees and 148 Bougainvilleas on Insurgentes, Avenida Mexico and Olas Altas this week. This augments the dozens of planters already adorned with trees and Bougainvilleas on Basilio Badillo, Encino and Augustine Rodriguez.

The club has raised the money for these plantings through annual membership dues and sales of planter sponsorships. Sponsors can choose the wording on a tile affixed to a planter-box. Many residents and visitors have chosen to memorialize a loved one or to dedicate a planter to their personal love of Puerto Vallarta.

Puerto Vallarta Garden Club will host the first annual Puerto Vallarta Bougainvillea Festival in 2013. Floral festivals are well known tourist magnets. Washington D.C.’s Cherry Blossom Festival is the single biggest draw for tourism in the U.S. capital. Tourism is Puerto Vallarta’s biggest industry and this festival can draw many more visitors to our part of Mexico; enhancing local businesses and its resident’s livelihoods.

If you are interested in making Puerto Vallarta more beautiful, tourist friendly and increasingly prosperous through planter sponsorship, or PVGC membership, please contact Carlos Mendoza at carlos.vbgardens@gmail.com or call 223-6182.

Included on the agenda will be election of officers and planning for the 2013 Bougainvillea Festival. 2012-2013 will be a big year for the club.

We invite you to come out to the gardens, have lunch in the world class restaurant overlooking the river and valley, tour the gardens, and attend the meeting. The entrance fee to the gardens is 60 pesos. Free refreshments will be provided at the meeting. Carpooling and public transportation are encouraged.

The meeting was opened by president, Suzanne kirkpatrick. The board and officers were introduced.

Secretary David rohde read the mission and vision statements of the club.

Jack kirkpatrick gave an overview of the role of the board members.

Bob Price described the founding of the club and long term plans.

Suzanne kirkpatrick reviewed the short term plans.

Vice-president T.J. hartung gave a roster of upcoming speakers.

The meeting was then adjourned to allow for the month’s presentation.

Submitted by Secretary, David Rohde

Everyone is welcome. Dan is a well-known local lecturer and educator with a vast knowledge of Mexico and its culture.

The Paradise Community Center is at 127 Pulpito, across from Coco’s Kitchen. Coffee and snacks are available for purchase.

Map to Meeting: http://paradisecommunitycenter.com/Map___Directions.html

The next meeting of the PV Garden club will be on February 16th at 2 PM at the International Friendship Club (upstairs at the corner of Libertad and Miramar, behind the HSBC Bank). The meeting is open to the public, free admission.

The PV Garden Club meets the third Thursday of each month at different locations. Guest speakers present topics pertinent to gardening in the tropics. The mission of the PV Garden Club is to stimulate the knowledge and love of gardening, and beautifying and protecting our local environment through civic planting projects and educational and horticultural programs.

In partnership with the city, the PV Garden Club is filling and maintaining planters around town as one of its many projects. The club sells sponsorship of these planters, which are filled with a single primavera tree surrounded by colorful bougainvillea plants with Corona de Cristo (Crown of Thorns) and other flowering plants. Custom designed tiles, painted at Mundo de Azuelos “World of Tiles”, featuring the sponsor’s names and often a philosophy or memorial, are affixed to each planter. Many of these can be seen along Basillio Badillo and several other streets in town. Most tiles are in English but if you look closely there are some in Spanish, French and German, reflecting the truly international flavor that is Puerto Vallarta. Eventually the foliage and yellow blooms of the primavera trees will provide shade, and the brilliant bougainvillea blossoms will cascade over the streets.

Membership to the PV Garden Club is available at the meeting, and soon the club will announce a number of benefits associated with membership.

Purpose: To assure that the Garden Club sponsored planters are maintained, watered, free of garbage and weeds. Periodically the bougainvillea vines will be pruned and trained to the metal pole.

• A professional gardener will be paid by the garden club. His duties will be overseen by this committee.
• Painting of the planters will be done as needed under the supervision of a club officer.
• Club members will be provided an identity card on a lanyard to display for anyone questioning the work being done.
• Work on this committee can be accomplished at the time of a committee member’s own choosing. It is recommended that an email be sent to the President to report any deficiencies in the planter maintenance.

Publicity, Website and Communication Committee

Purpose: To keep the club and its mission and purpose in the public eye. To heighten awareness of the club for both residents and visitors. To provide updated and timely information for members and interested potential members on the website and in other venues.

• This committee will assemble news articles, photographs and updates to send to the club webmaster.
• Contact will be made with PV Mirror and Tribune editors, to request periodic articles featuring the club, and the committee will provide relevant material for the papers.
• The club brochure will be updated and distributed in relevant forums.
• A table and materials will be set up at the Saturday Farmer’s market with small plants for sale to benefit the club. Membership will be actively solicited and sponsorship of planters will be sold at these events. It is important that those representing the garden club be fully informed regarding the club’s mission, short and long term objectives and be comfortable in presenting the club in an enthusiastic, positive and inclusive manner.

Fundraising Committee

Purpose: To raise funds to support the mission of the club and its short and long term goals. To sell sponsorship of planters throughout Puerto Vallarta. To assure the success of the bougainvillea festival.

• The committee will actively visit local businesses to seek sponsorship.
• Committee members are encouraged to talk to their neighbors, friends and condo boards and neighborhood associations to promote the merit of sponsorship.

Informational Brochure Committee

Purpose: To gather information and research topics of interest to club members on the growing conditions for various plants in the tropics. To address personal questions about successful gardening for balconies and local gardens.

• Committee members will meet periodically to discuss gardening issues of general interest to local residents. Questions that occur to passionate gardeners in residence will be explored. Assignments will be taken by committee members to research a particular topic and produce comprehensive information on that topic. Example might be “shade plants,” “planting for fragrance,” “how to deal with salt spray,” etc.
• Brochures or one page sheets will be produced by the committee in both English and Spanish.
• Distribution will be made at monthly meetings to encourage attendance and heighten interest in membership.