The Garden Club has always enjoyed a close relationship with the botanical gardens, El Charco de Ingenio, recognizing the hard work that has been done in this reserve, a world-class botanical garden and treasure for the community.  The Club contributed to the building of shade houses that 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 center, 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.

Recently, the Club funded new signage for the plants in El Charco, enabling the garden to replace barely legible hand-written signs.  These new signs will not be as vulnerable to the weather, and are also more informative, telling the Mexican origin of the plants.

The Campaign Por Una Cuidad Limpia

The Club has long been active in educational efforts on the importance of a clean community.  It began in 2003 with its contribution to the Campaign Por Una Cuidad Limpia (For a Clean City), and continues up to its funding for instructors and the purchasing of recycling containers for the school programs run by PEASMA.  PEASMA runs environmental education programs and workshops for elementary students.  The programs extend beyond the schools, with students bringing in recyclable materials from home.

100th Anniversary of Parque Benito Juarez

In celebration of the 100th anniversary of Parque Benito Juarez, the Club was responsible for the construction and funding of a public drinking fountain.  The fountain which has four separate faucets was built near the children’s playground and features a mural drawn by a local artist Lavinia Ruiz.  The mural is 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 transferred the drawing into tile making the mural both attractive and practical.  More recently, the Club contributed to the effort led by the Amigos del Parque to refurbish the children’s playground at the park.

Alma, Home for the Elderly

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

The Tree Fund

The Garden Club of San Miguel plants trees in San Miguel communities via our TREE FUND.  An individual or group may make a donation of 100 pesos or more in honor of a birthday, anniversary, death, wedding — or just to celebrate a life.  Upon that donation, a personalized note is sent to those being honored, or their families, to let them know that a tree or trees are being planted in their honor.  Asked to assist with the landscaping of a new community center, the Club recently donated the trees for the Centro Comunitario Roza Kent.  The people of the Colonia demonstrated the availability of water and their commitment to maintain the trees, which was the requirement for our participation.

The Flower Show

Every two years, the Club presents a flower show that is free and open to the public.  Through this show, the Club hopes to share its love of creative floral arrangements and nature with the community.

The Mexican Federation of Gardening was founded in 1974 by the presidents at the time of a dozen gardening clubs within the D.F. The goal was to encourage gardening groups, all with common interests, to join efforts and this way acquire better knowledge which would enable them to spread the word and share the understanding of gardening, the care of the environment and the love of nature.
The Federation frequently meets with the majority of the existing clubs in the D.F. and in the Mexican Republic and in this way they manage to consolidate their educational and ecological intentions as well as social work throughout the region.
A wide variety of gardening workshops, floral exhibitions and educational trips are held throughout the year. Please visit the website for more information: http://www.fmjaf.com.mx/

Just in time for those holiday guests, this 240-page cookbook—five years in the making, featuring over 200 recipes—promises to spice up your vocabulary, and your dinner offerings, as well.

If your last dinner guest asked “Was that a soufflé or a pancake?” this is the guide you need. With nine sections, this cookbook’s Introduction addresses features like high altitude cooking, to boost your status as the Julia Child—or Diana Kennedy—of your Mah Jongg group (you do serve your ladies lunch, yes?). The Introduction also contains conversion charts, a bilingual list of ingredients, and a list of useful kitchen vocabulary in Spanish & English.

But we’re sure when your guests say “Delicioso!” after these recipes, you won’t need a translation.

Other sections in the cookbook cover Appetizers, Drinks, Brunch Dishes, Hot & Cold Soups, and Salads. The Main Dish section, with recipes for salsas, beef, pork, chicken, and fish dishes, also includes lists that match U.S. cuts of meat with their Mexican equivalent, which you will find invaluable! The final two sections of the cookbook cover Side Dishes and Desserts.

The cookbook is published by The San Miguel Garden Club, which wanted to share the magic of our very special town with those who live here and visit here – a kind of magic that so easily translates into good times and great parties! Proceeds from sales of this cookbook go towards beautifying the city of San Miguel.

The book is available for a $250 Peso Donation And here’s where you can find these wonderful cookbooks: La Cava, Casa Katalina, La Conexión (Aldama, Longhorn & Plaza Real del Conde branches), Cafe Monet, Xochi Flores, San Miguel Management Company, and Solutions (Recreo & Mesones branches). They are also available at the El Charco del Ingenio bookstore at the Botanical Gardens, and at Libreria La Deriva, the Fabrica Aurora bookstore.