Recently, the founder and first president of The Vallarta Garden Club, Señor Bob Price, AND our current president, Señora Sunny Rossi, met for a collaborative, productive chat at The Vallarta Botanical Gardens (also founded by Sr. Price). A perfect setting for two talented landscape designers to talk about the ongoing work required to maintain the existing and create new green and colorful spaces in our adopted hometown of Puerto Vallarta.
Our earliest projects included beautification as a community service in the historic area. In 2011, a small group of civic-minded residents led by Bob Price began by planting bougainvilleas in city-provided boxes on Calle Basilio Badillo, and soon after, the Club was incorporated.
This ongoing effort, entailing thousands of plants, millions of pesos, and countless volunteer hours, has kept the major streets of the historic area in bloom.
Currently, the boxes need repair plus certain large trees and plants need removing which requires permits and CFE assistance, which we are striving to obtain.
We also installed new landscaping in the Plaza in front of Our Lady of Guadalupe church for Vallarta’s 100th Anniversary and totally transformed the street leading to Los Muertos Pier. Today, the Club cares for over 500 planters and green spots from the Pier to the Sheraton Hotel.
As of January 1, 2023, the Club began using our Spanish name: Club Jardines Vallarta with a new logo and incorporated our motto Creciendo Juntos ~ Growing Together encapsulates and expands the range of our objectives, such as becoming closer culturally, learning together, and creating beautiful green spaces while caring for Puerto Vallarta and one another.
We have also expanded our mission to become more collaborative with other important community organizations, including working with the committed neighborhood group on one block of Basilio Badillo, helping with trimming, replanting and repainting the planter boxes between Calle Ignacio L. Vallarta and Constitution.
We initiated a program for new landscaping and painting of the children’s playground at Los Mangoes Biblioteca Centro Culturales. We helped teach and replant the courtyard gardens of OPC Officina De Proyectos Culturales. To help Vallarta Cares, we built a shower and kitchen garden for their guests. And our ongoing landscaping and infrastructure revitalization project on La Isla Cuale, a spectacular green oasis in the middle of the city, is focused on gardening and social activities in the lush garden sphere that was reborn after Hurricane Nora’s August 28, 2021 devastating floods, plus tidying up again after hurricane Lidia in October of 2023.
Sunny and Bob talked about the importance of inclusion, welcoming and engaging our Méxican neighbors to join us as we proudly work together to maintain and enhance the beauty of our city. Our past president, Señor John McKinney, recognized the need for more community involvement, and we thank him for his dedication and effort in leading the Club through some challenging stormy weather and the pandemic (no fund-raisers, no volunteers!).
We are a registered Méxican AC non-profit, and like so many other worthwhile organizations in our community, we are always looking for ways to encourage membership and donations. We primarily raise funds with our fabulous Party of The Yearly Gala in January.
Looking ahead, we plan to initiate smaller social events to help raise the necessary funds to keep us in dirt and plants. You’ll see our one full-time employee, Señor Adann, around town, hauling water in his red wheelbarrow to replenish the planters all winter. Our enthusiastic volunteers perform all other work. Look for the Pink Shirt Brigade!
Bob and Sunny also discussed many refreshing new ideas for our ongoing efforts. We look forward to sharing them as they’re implemented. Sunny plans to reach out to our key donors and contributors on a one-to-one basis to discuss more ideas for maintaining and advancing our Club’s goals.
When you wander around beautiful Puerto Vallarta, think of Club Jardines Vallarta and smile. Then, think about becoming a member. We have many levels of entry, and whether you love to dig and plant or enjoy our social events, consider joining us and becoming part of why our city is a showcase for residents and a coveted award-winning destination for visitors.
Thank you to Bob for his expertise and insights and Sunny for the considerable effort required to keep an organization like ours running smoothly.
To join or donate to Vallarta Garden Club
¡Muchísmas gracias!
