The art of gardening in Trinidad

Being a gardener is a gift that has filled with colors the life of Antonio López Figueroa and also every space of Carlos Manuel de Céspedes Park, formerly Carrillo Square, a privileged place in the memory of the city of Trinidad.

“Here there is a lot of variety, and I like the real hyponia that was here, which was the original hyponia that was here, that was extinguished over the years, the park was since 1909, and what is the garden is maintained, there are many varieties that I myself am looking for and I am creating them, because unfortunately we have neither nursery nor garden.”

Tony, as everyone knows him, has worked for more than 42 years in communal services. In 2005 he started gardening in the public space, and since then he has put down roots there.

The flowers thank him for such dedication. “I passed the course and it gave me the idea to create something to make the park look nicer.”

The central park is a meeting place for Trinitarians and travelers who come together in this public square, rectangular in shape and crossed by beautiful gardens that give life to its gazebo. From the center stands a cast iron pergola that has always been adorned with vines and flowers.

Tony, the guardian of the flowers, suffers because not everyone takes care of the public space and damages the gardens, lights and benches with the authority he has earned as protector of the plants.

There is not as much difference, as one might think, between the work of an artist and that of a gardener as a gardener.