– By Lelia Castro –
Sasaki started with peonies in 2006 in Trevelin, through the company Patagonia Flower Group. The Campo de Peonías is located south of the Los Alerces National Park, within the 2,000-hectare property of the INTA.
The first week of December is the opening to visitors within the INTA property, but two other properties will be opened: “one producing peonies, of 3 and a half hectares; and the other tourist, of one and a half hectares. So we have been without interruptions all year,” says Martín.
As for the work, he says it isn’t much: basically it involves watering, fertilizing and definitive cleaning, because we always have to remove the weeds, given that the plants are very hardy and manage almost by themselves, there is no need to do much more.
“At a specific time, in winter, you harvest the rhizomes, which basically is: take the rhizome out of the ground, wash it, cut it and prepare it for sale, and then the rest of the year is cleaning and maintenance. And from September we begin with the previous pre-harvest work, in order to be able to arrive in the best possible conditions for the actual harvest, which we are currently finishing”.
Comment that the harvest is done by hand, each cane is cut. Eight varieties of peony are grown throughout the year, each of which has different harvest times. Many of these plants are destined for the world market.
“We are the only company in Argentina that exports flowers. This year it was exported to Uruguay, the Netherlands, the United States, we also exported to Brazil in previous years and part of the domestic market.
He takes care of the production part within the company, tourism has been outsourced for 5 years to the Meraki Sur company. And although he is not in direct contact with tourists or visitor comments, he is attentive to shortcomings or needs.
“Then of course I hear from the people of Meraki Sur what changes should be made if possible.”
Due to the limitations that are presented to them when inside the INTA space, both at the level of infrastructure and in the minimum services that can be provided to the visitor, the opening of these two new properties has been thought of.
“The truth is, in part, one of the reasons we opened a space for tourism outside this structure was to provide a better service. Here we are very limited in being able to provide a better service: the question of music is complicated, the question of being able to offer people a restaurant service is complicated. With the structures we are also limited because we cannot do what we would like”.
He affirms that the first phase of the year is the productive one, which depends on climatic factors, when working with living material one must respect the rhythms of nature, since everything takes time. It depends on the temperature, in spring it was hot and it was early and then the cold days came and it was a bit late (compared to how early it was).
“Forty years ago it couldn’t be said that we open today, for example. Precisely because of the question that whether delayed or anticipated depends on nature, it is already beyond what we can do”.
The flowers range from white to bright pink, are large and are highly prized in Asia, where they originate. The peony field can be walked in the company of a local guide.
The Festa delle Peonie has been taking place in the area of the school village for three years. On December 11, the tapestry competition will be held, which consists of creating figures on the floor made with peonies donated by the Patagonia Flower initiative.
