Los Baños beckons to garden lovers

THIS is the best time of the year to take a holiday trip to the

gardens of Los Baños. The Saracca, king of Philippine flowering

trees, are in bloom. Bougainvilleas are a riot of flowers and

flowers. Leafy plants are lush and colorful. And, there are no

rains to spoil the leisurely walk through the garden centers.

But the more compelling reason is to see the much-awaited

garden show of Los Baños Orchid Society in UPLB.

Although two garden shows are held every year, we cannot

seem to get enough of each.

We have other reasons for touring this weekend despite the

expected ordeals of driving through the messy traffic and very

bad roads of the South Expressway.

One is to see new plants and to meet UPLB's plant propagators,

professors, and scientists who organize the shows.

It is also an opportunity to make side trips to the numerous

garden centers around Los Baños.

Guide to garden centers

It is amazing to see the development of the plant industry in the

area. In the 1970s, the main plant selling centers were in Bayog

and Mayondon villages in Los Baños. Local households had a

thriving business propagating and selling ornamental plants

right in their backyard.

Today, hundreds of nurseries have mushroomed all over

Laguna. The more popular ones are found in Calamba, Los

Baños, and Bay.

The recommended route to the commercial gardens is to drive

straight from South Expressway to Los Baños. Save the

backroad drive for the return trip to Makati so as not to miss the

interesting nurseries along the route.

Our usual first stop is the Ding-Hao Chinese restaurant on the

right side of Calamba national highway. Behind the restaurant is

the cleanest, most interesting greenhouse in the country that

also houses the widest assortment of ornamental and flowering

plants.

Owner Vic Chin has seed-grown petunias, gerberas, marigolds,

and carnations. Prices range from P20 to P150. He also raises

and sells healthy orchids, liliums, lipstick vine, hibiscus,

bromeliads, and herbs.

Currently available are Aglaonema with prices ranging from

P1,500 to P3,500 per pot. We recommend Vic's specially

formulated garden soil. Price is about P300 a bag. Look for

manager Alex Uy as Vic Chin is abroad.

From Vic Chin gardens, we proceed to Green Grow on the left

side of the road. Orchids and ornamentals are available. Look for

owner Dr. Vic Saplala for an intelligent discussion on

horticulture.

To the right of the road is Robelle garden market, a must-stop.

Drop in at Valeson for orchids and ornamentals. Visit

world-renowned botanist--author Dr. Juan V. Pancho. Plants on

sale speak for the expertise of the veteran scientist.

Proceed to the Eli Bardenas garden, famous for propagations of

assorted landscaping plants and trees from all over the world. It

is the best place to buy ground covers, wholesale or retail. Also

available are traviezas (old railroad trucks), huge kawa for water

gardens, batang or weathered wood, and stonecraft from Bali

(P35,000 and up).

While in the vicinity of Bukal and Pansol, look up Josie Vergel.

She has three nurseries and several growers that can

mass-produce any quantity of landscaping materials. Lake

Gardens on the left side of the road offers all kinds of

landscaping materials. Drive past the Jolibee restaurant to get to

the bargain area in barrio Bangkal. Private houses sell all kinds

of indoor plants. Specialties include Aglaonema and

Philodendron seloum.

Don't miss Mayondon for the hanging plants and Bayog for

inexpensive gladiolus and asters.

For those looking for plants that practically bloom throughout

the year, drive all the way to Bay where the streets are lined with

the cheapest selling bougainvilleas thereabouts.

Garden show

Make a turn to Agapita road from Bangkal and hit the road to

UPLB campus where the Los Baños Orchid Society garden

show is ongoing until April 16 at the senior social garden.

Main features in the show are San Franciscos and blooming

bougainvilleas, including varieties produced by UPLB

horticulturists. Look for "Blackie" the publicized black kamote

at the exhibit area. If you are interested to own one, go to the

upper level commercial area where it is currently on sale.

Upper level market is where the established names in the plant

business sell their goods. Lower level market or "gubatum"

(from the word gubat) is where plant gatherers from the

province hawk native plants along with fruit trees and

ornamentals propagated in their backyard.

A garden tour of Los Baños will not be complete without

passing the backroad leading to the Boy Scout jamboree site.

Along the way are residents selling cutflowers from homegrown

torch gingers and heliconias at the cheapest price in town. One

of them, Abner Argosina of Batong Malake, sells torch ginger

flowers at P15 each and odd assortment of heliconias from P25

to P50.