It takes talent, passion, and care to run a successful garden, especially one as big as the Garza Blanca Gardens which stretch over 88 acres of lush, mountainous landscapes. These ground work perfectly with the grandeur of this luxury eco-friendly resort, but they’re no picnic when it comes to upkeep. The day’s work taken on by Head Gardener Gregorio Vargas Muñiz consists of hard work and dirty hands as he puts his artistic nature and green thumb to good use creating stunning sites for guests to the resort to enjoy. A walk through these gardens is like walking through an art gallery.
Who is the talent behind your backyard in Mexico at Garza Blanca?
Gregorio Muñiz is a native of Cuba, but he was raised in Guanajuato; a place of great beauty set amongst rolling hills and lush green landscapes, and as a result Muñiz spent his early years surrounded by and engrossed in nature as well as his family’s passion for agriculture. More than 22 years ago, however, Muñiz moved to Puerto Vallarta where he was able to put his love of the environment to use as a gardener at the Villa del Palmar resort in Puerto Vallarta (the first property the Villa del Palmar opened in the area). In the gardens of Puerto Vallarta Muñiz learned more than a few tricks of the gardening trade which earned him many a promotion as well as a wealth of knowledge.
A Balance of Nature
As the head gardener of the Garza Blanca preserve Muñiz leads a team of passionate gardeners who take care of your backyard in Mexico and ensures that the preserves grounds stay trimmed, polished, and well-loved. Muñiz and his crew work all year to ensure that this resort looks as good outside as it does inside. Not only do they take care of the gardens, but they work to replant trees in areas which were affected by construction as well as cultivating seeds from the trees and planting species which have been in decline in the region. They have also introduced a number of different fruit trees which draw in animals.
Plant a Tree
Muñiz and his team are dedicated to maintaining the natural beauty and vitality of the Garza Blanca Preserve, but it’s not just them who can contribute to the natural beauty of the preserve. Muñiz encourages guests to get involved with the maintenance and improvement of the Garza Blanca Preserve with the Plant a Tree activity. When you participate in this activity you will directly change the landscape here, but there are other activities too. You can help to separate the organic waste which is used to fertilize the gardens, if you wish, or help around the orchid gardens.
Muñiz is a truly remarkable man who, though he is very busy tending to his many environmental projects, still makes time to create works of art that can be seen at various points along the Garza Blanca Hiking Trails. By taking his inspiration from the picturesque landscapes that are all around the resort he builds sculptures from stones, and broken branches as well as a wealth of other materials.
The gardening work which Muñiz has undertaken here has been a dream come for the Garza Blanca Preserve as he has never failed to wow guests and staff alike. We imagine that Gregorio Muñiz, too, has fulfilled a dream of his own while working here as he gets to spend his days doing what he loves.