Flowers That Speak: The Agaves of Acre Resort

Leleu Landscape shares with us the development of a new event area at Acre Resort, highlighting the use of flowers in an arid zone.

Acre Resort is renowned for its characteristic oasis of lush palm trees and treehouses amidst dense foliage; however, in its past, these lands were dedicated to agriculture, hence the noticeable absence of trees and other types of vegetation.

The only thing standing out was a small oasis of native palms that was reinforced with the dedication of owners Stuart McPherson and Cameron Watt.

Over 12 years since its inception, the space has transformed into the beautiful representation of the San José estuary that exists today. However, there was still much land to cultivate and ideas to express. Thus arose an opportunity to create a new event area for Acre’s renowned weddings, hence “The Agaves.”

The landscape design and gardening execution were the brainchild of Leleu Landscape led by Landscape Architect Celine Leleu, who was convinced that the iconic vegetation of Baja California Sur would perfectly complement the meticulous architecture of Demataller by Architect Piero Demichellis.

Etapas de vegetación / Stages of vegetation
Ilustración / Illustration: Celine Leleu

The most important aspect of the landscape was to ensure that this space seamlessly blended with the natural context, not just aesthetically but also ecologically.

An intervention that follows the guidelines of the seasons will mark the colors of spring and the emerging greens of the rainy season in tune with the desert.

This could only be achieved primarily through observation, glimpsing the most prominent elements of the immediate surroundings, the arboreal characters that would form the main character, and the cacti that would define the temperament of the night as they cast long, ethereal shadows.

Luna llena en Los Agaves /Full moon in Los Agaves
Fotografía / Photography: Frida Rivera

“Flowers are the seductive verb of plants, and we are fortunate enough to comprehend it.”

For the landscape projection, the spirit of the desert had to be clearly manifested. The intention was to create the garden in stages of vegetation, starting with the first level, the most exposed and arid, belonging to the xerophilous scrub ecosystem.

In the first phase, most of the trees are Copal accompanied by islands of vegetation of Nopales and the Encelia (Encelia californica), a native shrub of the region that serves as an element spreading throughout the project with striking golden and bright flowers. Subsequently, in the corridors and lounge areas, we can find a palette of desert trees such as Ciruelos (Cyrtocarpa edulis), Palo Blanco (Lysiloma candida), and Torotes (Bursera microphylla) accompanied by a variety of different agaves from other areas of the country, especially the Agave americana, which, being a powerful element in colossal sizes, adorns the ceremonial area.

In the second zone of the project, the intention is to densify the vegetation, giving it a dry forest atmosphere and introducing species that, despite not being native, have characteristics and needs similar to those adapted to Baja (colloquial abbreviation for Baja California Sur).

There are abundant other plants with seasonal flowers or that appear several times a year, such as the Kalanchoe (Kalanchoe thyrsiflora) with elongated ash-colored flowers, the Coral Aloe (Aloe striata) with its intense coral-colored flowers, the Aloe vera with its yellow tubular flowers, the Ruellia (Ruellia simplex) with soft violet petals, the Orange Trumpetvine (Pyrostegia venusta) with striking orange cascades, the Yellow Bells (Tecoma stans) with cheerful yellow bell-shaped flowers, among others.

Flowers are not just ornaments in gardens; they also provide food and shelter to thousands of insects, birds, and some mammals.”

Escaleras al cuarto de novia / Stairs to the bride´s bedroom
Fotografía / Photography: Celine Leleu

Los Agaves became the exception to the resort landscape, nestled amidst hills, it is hidden in a niche consisting of a stage, a dance floor, a bar, a ceremony area, lounge spaces, bathrooms, and a building with a fully equipped kitchen for banquets.