Urban Gardens

I usually schedule my "plant chases" on weekends.  Preferably on a Saturday morning after I've dropped my wife of at work.  Two Saturdays ago, though, I requested that we take separate cars in the hopes that I could fill my car up with "plant loot" from Horticulture 2011.

The show featured many Philippine plant species of flowering and shade trees, fruit bearing trees, bonsai trees, ferns, cycads, orchids, etc.  There were many interesting gardens and flowers in the exhibit.  Quite a number caught my attention.

An exhibit of the Philippine Orchid Society group done by Malvarosa Orchids and Ornamental Farm.  The farm is owned by former Justice Secretary Hernando B. Perez.  It is located in the town of Malvar and Atty. Perez' wife's name is Rosario, hence the name of the farm.  It seems Atty. Perez likes to create hybrids not just of plants but of names as well.

This is the exhibit put up by the pteridologists of the PHSI's Fern Study Group.

This landscape design was by the group of Jun Golamco, Bong Makawile and Lawrence Chan.

Featured below are the colorful blooms of King Louis Plants and Flowers, Inc. which is known for producing some of, if not the best hydrangeas in the country.  Its owner, Mr. Vicente Puyat, was once known as the country's  "King of potted plants and flowers".  The company has several nurseries but the main one is located near Baguio City which is in the Cordillera mountain range of Luzon.  The area has a subtropical highland climate leading to its being named the "Summer Capital".  Unfortunately, a recent spell of unusually cold weather made King Louis' blooms retract, forcing them to rely on their other nurseries.

Botchie Canicula's design.  Botchie is one of the more dynamic members of the Horticultural Society. I bought some of my tillandsias from him. I think he specializes in aroids.

The "Most Inovative Landscape Exhibit" was by Serapion Metilla for the exhibit of the Cactus and Succulent Society of the Philippines (CSSP).  By the upper left of the window are hanging plants, specimens of Dischidia oiantha, known locally as Manaog ka Irog (trans: "Come down, love").  The rest of the plants are crassulas, haworthia, kalanchoes and tillandsias.

A pathway through native trees.  This was designed by Norma Villanueva with the help of Ali from the Manila Seedling Bank Foundation nursery.

There was also a fernery garden by George Mendoza.

Last but not least is Vic de Rona's Japanese garden composed of Bonsai of native trees.

Other participants included the Philippine Native Plant Conservation Society,  Aroid Study Group and the Hoya Study Group of the PHSI.

There were also very interesting lectures with plant specimens (some with cash inserted between stems!!!) being raffled off to the attendees.  How can you beat that?  In one sitting, you get expert tips about plant care, a plant specimen to take home and you get extra money to buy additional plants as well.

Black anthurium with additional cash prize for the raffle of Mrs. Vangie Go's lecture.

May Pera sa Halaman courtesy of Edsyl Cayabyab. Translation: Money in the Plant.

There are some more exciting shows are lined up for the rest of the month:

Alabang Garden Show on February 15 to 23, 2011

and

Orchid Show of the The Philippine Orchid Society, Inc. on February 24 to March 07, 2011

In the meantime, please watch out for my next post which will feature a couple of individual plants that I found interesting during Horticulture 2011.

Comments

[Donna]

Great images from the show. Enjoyed.

[dona]

Wonderful exhibition! I'd also have liked to be there! :)

[p3chandan]

Wow! Such a great show...just like our Floria Festival in Putrajaya last year. I love the first photo, the various types and colours of coleus. So did you fill up your car that day with plants Bom?

[The Plant Chaser]

Thanks, Donna and Dona.

p3chandan, I filled up the car as much as my budget would allow me. :-D

[Andrea]

Wow Bom, you have lovely photos. It's good you were there at the opening, last weekend the plants are already not in their prime. Most already lost their luster and some flowers already dehisced. Besides, i only stayed for more than 1 hr last Sat. The exhibit was also very few in the enclosed area. I love the exhibit of endemic trees though. I was expecting to see Hoya flowers coz my only and first Hoya already flowered, but those collection by May Tolentino do not have flowers, the only nice one of H. imperialis was at the commercial booth of Purificacion. It's really so big and beautiful. I wish i take photos as nice as yours. Do you know that i am from QC but i only learned of this event thru Solitude Rising's blog, the funny thing is, he is living in the US!

[The Plant Chaser]

Thanks Andrea! So funny that SR was the one who told you about the show. I am a regular at the MSBF which is why I knew about the show. I did get a shot of only one Hoya. I'm not sure if this is the one you are pertaining to.

[Solitude Rising]

Those "living wall" exhibits are so cool to look at. Its one effective way to garden for those with limited space. Is that a real $100? I'd love to grow that plant if it will produce dollar bills...hehehe.

How I wish I was able to come to the exhibit. It looks like there were a lot to look at and plenty of things to learn. Great plant varieties and landscaping ideas too. Thanks for the great pictures Bom. They made me realize what I missed. Good thing this is an annual event.

I just learned about this event in early January while reading the online version of Manila Bulletin. Good thing I posted it in my blog and Andrea got to see it :)

[The Plant Chaser]

YES! It is a real $100 bill. The lecturer, Ms. Vangie Go, is known for raffling off rare plants with cash to people who attend her lectures. Let's hope she has a lecture scheduled the next time you come home.

[Barbie from office plants]

Thank yoy for posting this nice article about flowers and plants,
I don't know much about this kind of field and planning to increase my knowledge about it.
I’m so glad that I’ve stumbled upon this post really helped me a lot,
Thanks again.

[The Plant Chaser]

Hello Barbie! I take it that you are new to the plant hire business. You know, there are so many other garden blogs available, all with very helpful information and encouraging people behind them. Just jump right in.

[lanie]

I like your posts, I love taking care of plants am from region 8, please feature anthuriums, that which are fast growing & flowering for cut flowers. Our place have plenty of diff kinds of ferns & moss, we also have plants that i don't see in ur posts. Thanks a lot...wish i could visit Manila Seedling Bank soon.

[The Plant Chaser]

Hi Lanie, welcome to my blog. Did you like the black anthurium? I'll certainly do my best to feature one of your requests. I'm not too familiar with plants in Eastern Visayas. Maybe you should be my guide when I plant chase there.