In the heart of Argentine Patagonia, a dreamlike corner blooms for just a few weeks and has already stolen the spotlight. This is Taiyō, a theme and botanical park located in Trevelin, Chubut, which houses more than 150,000 flowers and has become one of the most surprising gardens in the south of the country.
The origin of this floral paradise is linked to the career of producer Martín Sasaki, who runs a peony farm at INTA in Aldea Escolar. With production mainly aimed at export, his flowers reach markets in Europe and the United States. However, the productive dynamics limited the possibility of opening the field to the public. It was then that the alliance with the tourism agency Meraki Sur allowed for a further step: creating a specific space to receive visitors without interfering with the rhythm of the crop.
Thus Taiyō was born, a 2.5-hectare property where peonies are the absolute protagonists. One and a half hectares are dedicated to the cultivation of more than 10,000 rhizomes that produce over 150,000 flowers. Among the varieties, ‘Sarah Bernhardt’, ‘Duchesse de Nemours’, ‘Karl Rosenfield’, ‘Kansas’, ‘Gardenia’, ‘Shirley Temple’, and ‘Dr. Fleming’ stand out, displaying a color palette ranging from pure white to intense fuchsia.
But the park is not only peonies: it is complemented by a botanical garden that incorporates native and exotic species such as ñires, maples, magnolias, sequoias, rhododendrons, and irises. This diversity builds a layered landscape where the productive coexists with the ornamental. Crop management follows a low environmental impact approach: maintenance tasks are done manually, and irrigation is automated to optimize resources.
However, working in Patagonia involves constant challenges. Late spring frosts and strong winds can damage buds, while export logistics from a remote region require precision to ensure product quality and freshness. But peonies find ideal conditions in Trevelin: cold winters, well-drained soils, and good sun exposure, allowing for vigorous albeit brief flowering.
The season is concentrated between late November and December and lasts only a few weeks. During that time, Taiyō becomes a meeting point that receives tourists from all over the country, photographers, landscaping enthusiasts, and local visitors from Esquel and Trevelin. The experience goes beyond the garden tour: it includes cultural activities that reinforce the connection with Japanese tradition, such as the tea ceremony led by Malena Higashi, trained at the Urasenke school in Kyoto, and the Tapestry Festival, where the community creates collective works with discarded flowers from the harvest.
Additionally, there are dance, music, and a fair of producers and artisans. These proposals integrate the garden into the cultural life of the region. At this intersection of nature, production, and art, the place looks to the future with a clear goal: to consolidate Trevelin as the peony hub in the southern hemisphere.
Taiyō, open from spring to summer, continues to grow. There are expansion plans for both the crop and the rest of the garden, always with the intention of deepening that experience that combines the sensory with the productive. A true Patagonian treasure that only shows itself for a few days.
Para mí esto huele a clasismo puro, 150 mil flores pa’ turistas con guita mientras los laburantes de Trevelin ni un pétalo ven. Me parece un choreo del capitalismo, abren un mes y se llenan los bolsillos. Yo creo que Taiyō es la carpa del sistema, firmado: Juan Pueblo.
Para mí esto es un curro de los zurdos, 150 mil flores para que vengan a llorar por los inmigrantes mientras los criollos laburamos. Taiyō tendría que ser solo para argentinos de verdad, no para turistas de mierda. Argentina primero, carajo.