Proceeds from the sale of our 2010 Calender help fund projects like those below.
Give back to the San Miguel de Allende Community. Order 2010 Garden Club Calenders here.

The Garden Club has enjoyed a close relationship with the botanical gardens, El Charco de Ingenio, recognizing the hard work that has been done for the last ten years in this reserve, a world-class botanical garden and treasure for the community.  It contributed to the building of three new greenhouses that will contain the collection of rare and endangered cacti and succulents that El Charco maintains in trust for the people of Mexico.  Built near the Conservatory to create a combined public display and education centers as well as a working greenhouse, this facility is used to teach people from rural communities how to propagate cactus and succulents for export and sale to public and private gardens in SMA.  It is all powered with solar energy and subsequently the Club contributed to a windmill that provides an independent source of water to the gardens and assisted in the development of a tree barrier to encroaching housing projects.

From 2002, the Club has taken on the responsibility of maintaining the Biblioteca’s many garden areas, trees and plants, tended for many years previously by Nancy Harvie using her own resources and gardener, Tomas. This community center well-used by citizens and tourists alike for cultural and educational activites is a mostly likely benefactor of the Club’s interest in plants and the desire to provide beauty for all to share.
In 2003 the Club contributed to the Campaign Por Una Ciudad Limpia (For a Clean City) which was launched in preschools and grade schools throughout the city and surrounding communities and included education on the importance of a clean community, planting of trees and neighborhood clean-up drives that involved parents, children, teachers and neighbors. The campaign was designed and initiated by faculty and students of the preparatory institute Las Casas and Instituto Allende with participation of schools, non-government and civic organizations with the hope of creating a network of activisim and education.

In 2003 the Club contributed to Salvemos Al Rio Laja (Save the Laja River) organization which is dedicated to the greening of our watershed by showing villagers how to control their floods with rock dams, tree plantings, field terracing, fences and installation of ponds. Now many rural areas bounding the river can control the floods, protecting their land and topsoil and once again being able to provide food for their children to eat.
Also in 2003 the Club was responsible for the construction and funding of a public drinking fountain in Parque Benito Juarez in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the park. The fountain which has four separate faucets was built near the children’s playground and features a mural drawn by Lavinia Ruiz, local artist and framer, of Fray Juan de San Miguel, the padre and his dog credited with finding the pure water for the early settlers. Maestro de Ceramica Octavio Corduro Luis then transfered the drawing into tile making the mural both attractive and practical.

To help with educational facilities within the community, in 2004 the Club provided funds to Bellas Artes for their scholarship fund for Mexican students who wish to study art at El Nigromante”. The contribution was made in honor and memory of Club member Sra. Rosa W. Davison, who was a long-time resident of SMA and contributor to the community, in order to allow a student the chance to study at the cultural center.

In 2005 the Club sponsored the Alma Vegetable Garden Project that provided the equipment and supplies need to establish a vegetable garden on the property. The land was first cultivated and then planted with a variety of vegetables, lovingly tended by the home’s gardener. Alma is the wonderful home for the Aged poor people of San Miguel and the garden is flourishing and sustaining Alma’s residents with fresh vegetables.

More recently a tree fund has been established whose contributions are used for the purpose of planting trees in communities to increase moisture, cut down on dust and airborne bacteria and beautify previously barren streets. The first street to be planted with Perule Chino trees, which don’t need much space or water and grow quickly, was the Calle Providencia followed by Calle de La Cruz in Colonia Santa Cruz de la Paz. Additional streets within this colonia have been planted with trees and the original trees planted are thriving.

This past year the Club has contributed significant financial support to PEASMA for environmental education programs and workshops for elementary students. Through this precedent-setting program headed by Natalia Ortega and Eugeia Velasco, more than 10,000 San Miguel elementary students participated in environmental classes, workshops and field trips in the 2006-2007 school year. The subject matter for each grade is different ecological topic so that each progressive year, a student will be educated on a different topic including wildlife and plants, birds, recycling, ecosystems, preservation of river basins, and water pollution and treatment. The Club gladly anticipates sponsoring the first grade teacher again for the school year 2007-2008.


On an ongoing bi-annual basis the Club presents a flower show to share with the public creative floral arrangements and horticultural exhibits intended to promote education about horticulture and flowers. The next flower show will be in the Spring of 2008 and will undoubtedly be greeted with the same public enthusiasm as in past years.