I decided to go and see this year's Hortikultura plants fair in Quezon city. The event is organized by the Philippine Horticultural Society at the Quezon City Memorial Circle(QCMC). For a non-Manila resident like me, I had to ride the bus from Pampanga and reach Manila the other night. To help you know how to get to Quezon City Memorial Circle...here's the way i did to get there. First, from Sta.Cruz Manila, walk to Quiapo Church and pass through the underground junction leading to the other side of the road facing Quiapo Church head-on. From the roadside, ride a jeep with the Philcoa route. As of this writing, jeepney fare is 17.00 pesos to QCMC.
If its your very first time to go to the park, you may ask the tsuper(jeepney driver) to tell you if you have reached QCMC. The jeepney driver will let you alight at the roadside just opposite of the park. Look for the Underpass sign and follow the steps leading to the underground passage. Upon exiting the passage, you will find yourself at the QCMC. It is as if you are in a distant island at the center of the sea, facing the main island. Ask the roving guards for directions leading to the event.
The Hortikultura event area consists of several plant booth sellers and a few food stalls. On the side, you will find the seminar area where speakers are invited to give a talk on popular and interesting topics in Horticulture and plant care. Some of the topics are "Staghorn Propagation" and "Landscaping with Native Philippine Trees". I forgot the original and complete list of seminar titles since I did not attend any, given that I have to go back in Pampanga in the evening.
Most of the stalls sell cacti & succulents. And these items are the cheapest plants sold at the fair. Other sell Bougainvilleas and flowering ornamentals, while some stalls have native Philippine Tree seedlings. I was able to buy one Crab Cactus plant or Schlumbergera species. You will also find famous Plant Traders like Purificacion, Wilson's and King Louis Garden. In my opinion, prices of plants are above average compared to other plant fairs and plants traders. It is a good event for plant enthusiasts like me. However there are some points for improvement that I would like to share. First, the stalls are arrange in a one-row format. I believe that having two rows or more is more enticing for the buyers and this will project more traffic in the selling area. Second, the provided streamers & banners are insufficient in my opinion. More presence and more visibility will attract more visitors. Lastly, there is no music being played in the event. Music in events give life to the shopping experience. It will brigten up the mood and the surrounding area.
Unsatisfied with my loot, only one Schlumbergera seedling, I went around asking people how to ride a jeep back to Centris or Edsa corner Quezon Ave. From that journey, I stumbled on the permanent plant traders in the park. There, I was able to get a Passion Flower Vine. It was a good find given that its the purple species with fragrant blooms.
Riding a jeep back, I stopped and looked around in Centris Market, yet another Plant fair that happens weekly at Centris Sunday Market. I ate Baked Macaroni, Takoyaki and drank a papercup of Lemon Cucumber drink. My loot at Centris is far more than what i got in Hortikultura. I got a Coelygene orchid, a Sanggumay, yellow sanggumay and native Cymbidium.
Got home in Pampanga at around 6:00 in the evening. It was a nice and fulfilling plant shopping experience. I'll definitely go back to Centris for a Paphiopedilum orchid and others.
I am inviting you guys & girls to visit Hortikultura at the Quezon Memorial Circle on or before February 10, 2019. Then fill in the gaps by passing-by on to Centris Sunday Market. Remember, the Hortikultura is only until February 10 while Centris Sunday Market is a weekly event.
Please Follow me too on my Instagram account:
www.instagram.com/jamosthexplorer
Like my Facebook page at www.facebook.com/JamostheExplorer
Posts
