Gardener west of ajijic

I need a gardener. Im just west of the village of Ajijic.
I hope to find someone that can manage my yard/plantings independently.

Any receommendations?

Viajero-Tiempo wrote:I need a gardener. Im just west of the village of Ajijic.
I hope to find someone that can manage my yard/plantings independently.

Any receommendations?

They call themselves gardeners here. What a joke! Most of them know how to cut grass, water and if you're lucky do a decent pruning job.

I have a gardener looking for more work. He lives in San Juan Cosala. Do you have tools? He does have a truck but no tools - I have them here for him to use. PM me if you are interested. If you speak Spanish you can call his house and ask for Juan (387) 761-0576. If you don't speak Spanish you can set up and appointment with me and I'll bring him by if you are interested.

I have an actual gardener who worked for a landscape design company in Florida. His English is excellent and he knows plants. My other gardeners used to come in and buzz saw everything and stand and water. This gentleman has transformed my garden into a paradise. We have all kinds of plants that we didn't even know we had and when something doesn't work in one area, he transplants it to another area where it thrives.
PM me if you want his contact.

johninajijic wrote:

Viajero-Tiempo wrote:I need a gardener. Im just west of the village of Ajijic.
I hope to find someone that can manage my yard/plantings independently.

Any receommendations?

They call themselves gardeners here. What a joke! Most of them know how to cut grass, water and if you're lucky do a decent pruning job.

I think you are suffering from a cultural difference, John and Viajero-Tiempo. You are asking for an employee who operates independently and does whatever you THINK they should do, as if they are from the USA.

However a "correct and proper" employee here waits until the boss INSTRUCTS them what you want them to do. To do otherwise is rude, cheeky and improper.

You see this in restaurants, where Americans expect food or services to be rendered according to what they are THINKING REALLY HARD but agonize about saying. Whereas, the waiters correctly and properly wait until you INSTRUCT them as to what you want.

You'd best hire an American, or instruct your hires in the peculiar ways that you did things back home in your strange country. Then work extra hard at sending really, really strong vibes about what you want them to do. Talk about moronic concepts.

Merry

Very well put, Merry, and quite true, as I have learned. Another cultural difference that we foreigners need to recognize, learn and accept. chico

Chico wrote:Very well put, Merry, and quite true, as I have learned. Another cultural difference that we foreigners need to recognize, learn and accept. chico

Life becomes very easy once people recognize how inefficient our old way was, i.e. "sending intense vibes because we are ready for the damn check now!" versus doing the little scribbly motion that means "we are now ready for the check!"

Sadly I've heard of people firing one employee after another because the employer did not realize their employee was behaving properly here.

Merry

Go to Tonala, they're everywhere and a heck of a lot cheaper than here.

B&T wrote:Go to Tonala, they're everywhere and a heck of a lot cheaper than here.

I think they call them "macetas" there.

Merry

johninajijic wrote:

Viajero-Tiempo wrote:I need a gardener. Im just west of the village of Ajijic.
I hope to find someone that can manage my yard/plantings independently.

Any receommendations?

They call themselves gardeners here. What a joke! Most of them know how to cut grass, water and if you're lucky do a decent pruning job.

98% of the gardeners in Bel Air,Beverly Hills,Malibu etc. are Mexican and are very good at their job.

B&T wrote:Go to Tonala, they're everywhere and a heck of a lot cheaper than here.

Gardeners, west of Ajijic? chico

I appreciate the advice about being the boss.
So, I did what I could - like....

What are those big brown spots and is the grass gonna die and what can you do about it...

"Oh I'll put some "medicine on it..."

NADA

I think I acted responsibly and properly.
I certainly don't need a gardener for whom I need to determine proper diagnosis and proper treatment....
If I could/would do it, I wouldn't need a gardener - just a kid with a lawn mower

Or do you all mean that since this is a Mexican ciulture that we should go to the Doc and tell him what's ailing us and what he should prescribe or how he should perform the surgery....

Well?

Viajero-Tiempo wrote:I appreciate the advice about being the boss.
So, I did what I could - like.... What are those big brown spots and is the grass gonna die and what can you do about it...
"Oh I'll put some "medicine on it..."
Well?

Well? You asked for "a gardener who could work independently" the way they do back home. Now what you actually want an expert in horiculture and plant diseases. There are entire TV shows dedicated to this stuff. You have some brown spots, OMG let me sympathize with you for your ruined day!

Did you ask him what kind of "medicine" he put on the big brown spots? There is a lot of superstition in this culture. Sometimes it works, sometimes it does not. Sometimes the plant has to believe in the cure for it to work.

Rather than fire someone for doing what is reasonable and normal in their culture, and destroying their life because of your outsized expectations of what a gardener does here, and perhaps some unstated expectations ("I am beaming my expectations to you of NO BROWN SPOTS ON THE LAWN! NO BROWN SPOTS EVER!) I personally would hire a horticulture expert when needed, and use a gardener the way gardeners are expected to be used here. Being an employer here means stepping up to the plate a little more than we do "back home."

Merry

Agree, again Merry, for 40-60 pesos an hour we are now expecting someone with a degree in horticulture? Way way funny. chico

It's amazing how a simple post looking for a "gardener" can turn into a philosophical treatise on the culture of Mexico vs. somewhere else...AND the self styled experts that come forth as though their understanding of the issue is the final word, as if it was written on granite slabs somewhere.

Four posts and no "real" answer to the OP's question.

jaja.....too funny. I think post #3 and #4 offered some info about a couple of gardeners.

slainte39 wrote:It's amazing how a simple post looking for a "gardener" can turn into a philosophical treatise on the culture of Mexico vs. somewhere else...AND the self styled experts that come forth as though their understanding of the issue is the final word, as if it was written on granite slabs somewhere.

Four posts and no "real" answer to the OP's question.

With your post, we are now at five. With Bob's post, we are now at six with no help to the OP. chico

slainte39 wrote:It's amazing how a simple post looking for a "gardener" can turn into a philosophical treatise on the culture of Mexico vs. somewhere else...AND the self styled experts that come forth as though their understanding of the issue is the final word, as if it was written on granite slabs somewhere.

Four posts and no "real" answer to the OP's question.

This is not a "right to work" state where you can hire and fire at will. This is Mexico, a foreign country where there is an expectation that you will work things out, you will try like hell to make things right, because they have an expectation of "lifetime employment." This is why you have to pay an astronomical sum to try to make it up to someone when your lifetime employment situation fails. It is misusing and abusing the culture from every perspective, and the locals who work with us get hurt.

"First try to fix what you have" is the easiest solution to the gardener problem and it ain't all that philosophical. I'd guess about half of "employee problems" here are misunderstanding the culture - that figure is pulled directly from my ass, but I've been an employer in Mexico since the 1980's when I owned a maquiladora. I learned all these lessons the hard way.

Transmission of knowledge is one of the more unique things about human beings; each person, each generation does not have to make the same mistakes, we can learn from each other. That is, if we are willing to share our knowledge. Apparently you see that as some sort of flaw. Take what works for you and leave the rest.

Merry

merry wrote: I've been an employer in Mexico since the 1980's when I owned a maquiladora. I learned all these lessons the hard way.

I've heard about those maquiladoras.

Merry,

If you ever need a "gardener", I'll be happy to give you a phone number.

If you have a gardener to recommend then please let me know.

As to your advice about culture and so forth,thank you, but
You don't know any more about this place than I do. I have had successful business dealings with many Mexicans here.

"this is Mexico, a foreign country"....Not for me
Don't hold it against me because I speak english (mas or menos)

Viajero-Tiempo wrote:Merry,

If you ever need a "gardener", I'll be happy to give you a phone number.

If you have a gardener to recommend then please let me know.

As to your advice about culture and so forth,thank you, but
You don't know any more about this place than I do. I have had successful business dealings with many Mexicans here.

That what I was trying to say...but you said it a lot better. ¡Mil gracias!

And now we are at eleven, with no help in sight for the OP. chico

merry wrote:

viajero wrote:

merry wrote:Right-O, Mr. thirty-one posts!

Thirty-one posts,that's nothin,merry had more posts than that before she had two days on this forum.

Hmm, I can't remember back that far, but I guess I really wowed you if you remember that!

Merry

Al contrario,but yes I have a good memory,sorry to hear about yours,could be "old timers".
Can you remember how much the average wage was at your maquiladora?

viajero wrote:Hmm, I can't remember back that far, but I guess I really wowed you if you remember that! Merry

Al contrario,but yes I have a good memory,sorry to hear about yours,could be "old timers". Can you remember how much the average wage was at your maquiladora?[/quote]

Can you remember your own hourly wage in the 1980's?

Merry