Saturday, October 16, 2010

University of the Philippines Los Baños Garden Show@101010

The University of the Philippines Los Baños Flower and Garden Show is celebrated twice a year. The show lasts for 1 week and always coincide with two major celebrations of the university, in April for the university graduation and in October simultaneously with the Loyalty Day Celebration. This year it coincided with Oct 10, 2010 or 10-10-10. We love to say we sent and received 101,010 blessings! Professional societies, college batchmates, and other organizations had reunions and those who have not seen each other for decades finally met.

The garden show serves also as meeting place for friends. There are 4 main sections: the center for lectures, areas around it for landscape designs, the commercial booths for ornamental plants and another commercial area for native plants, fruits and vegetables planting materials. Another area functioned as the restaurant. The show now, however coincided with rainy season and somehow it is not enjoyable to be walking on wet grounds and sometimes carrying an open umbrella.

But rain or shine, we showed up to watch whatever is in store.

The back of the center stage, wasn't able to get photo of front because of a lecture going on there. The design is Nativity with lifesize figures of the manger setting, with lots of sheeps and shepherds. Lights are provided by the Filipino traditional Christmas lanterns.


These booths expressed the Christmas spirit with their designs
It rained so hard that we just took shelter under the center roof. It was more difficult later to walk on wet grounds with open umbrellas in tow.
This is judged as the best variegated  plant


Two more designs showing Christmas scenes. Left is the nipa hut porch, while right displayed a red Christmas lantern on the back left corner. The focus here is the bird's nest fern to provide contrast with the colorful species of orchids.

Marigold was exhibited as a hedge, lovely isn't it. It gives repellant properties with some insects


At the left is a blue salvia, while at the right is a blooming  Hoya spp.

                                 Two native orchid species from the wild and domesticated at the owner's garden, the colors are very unique.

Phalaenopsis hybrids with lovely colors

Terete Vanda being sold as cuttings. Shoots which already have viable 2-3 shoots can be cut and be grown on its own, separated from the old plant. Those standing below the inverted cuttings are planted in driftwoods. For beginners not very familiar yet with growing Vanda it is easier to buy these already stable and flowering stands.

Note: I enlisted this post to GBBD for October, thanks to May Dreams Gardens

25 comments:

  1. That looks like a wonderful flower show Andrea - if I ever get the chance to visit the Philippines again I'll try to make it coincide with the show...

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  2. Andrea, I am having this impression that Philippines is a flowerful country. I like many of your photos. Great shots!

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  3. Gorgeous photos, Andrea. I really enjoyed this post. Thank you for sharing your visit at the flower show. I hope you have a nice weekend! :-)

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  4. What an amazing Garden show! I am so impressed. And I agree with the comment above that the Philippines must be a gardener's Paradise. I have seen a few other blogs from your homeland and the food and flowers featured are ALWAYS amazing. tnhanks for sharing.

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  5. Andrea you're on a roll with the posts this week girl! I have to say that I am so impressed with those vandas hanging there.

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  6. Once again, I am jealous of your always attending the garden shows. I seem to never get such opportunities. We live so far out in the boonies, that we have to drive great distances to get to them, and it becomes an all-day affair, not just a jaunt. Anyway, it looks like a wonderful show, though the rain seems to have put a damper on it. Those orchids are just beautiful!

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  7. So tropical and gorgeous. Just beautiful. Those orchids are lovely. Wonderful photos

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  8. Andrea,

    Wow those orchids are really something. The Terete Vanda is totally new to me, very cool!

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  9. Wonderful photos! The colours are gorgeous and I love all the lush foliage. I don't normally like variegated plants, but the one that won its section is spectacular.

    p.s. Andrea, I have an award for you at my blog.

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  10. I am enjoying myself here Andrea. You have managed to capture the beauty and excitement of this show. Thank you for showcasing this event!

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  11. That's a great way to celebrate 101010! I'm so glad that you could still capture many beautiful shots despite the rainy and hence low light conditions. Andrea is "walking in the rain" and flowers are blooming in the rain.

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  12. Hi Phil - actually they are more elegant in the past shows. If you can come again i can be your guide, if you will allow me. thank you.

    One - It is not only an impression, it is true. Thanks for appreciating my photos.

    Daisy - i am trying to share with you the nicer ones, and i am very glad most of you appreciated them. I had a nice and joyous weekend, thank you.

    Sallie - Hi Sallie, i think this is your first visit here. I have been posting lots of garden shows here in the past, and most of them are orchid shows. I hope you will drop by again. BTW, most are in the archives.

    Rosie - i am diligent this week in posting because many of you visit and comment here, or else i will stop again, haha! Joke, take care!

    Floridagirl - i am sorry to let you realize you are so busy with work, which deprive you of going to garden shows! I have a cousin and a friend living there in Miami, and both of them also envy my garden show visits, as they also miss them here. Don't worry i will always share with you my finds.

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  13. poetic shutterbug - am glad you appreciate my photos, but they still far from the quality of your photos. thanks for your visit here.

    Randy - I will give you the orchid photos here, as you are giving us the butterfly and the dragonflies. hehehe

    Lesley - thank you for visiting, thanks also for the award but i dont seem to have lots of new bloggers here to pass them on.

    Helen - I don't have the time and wide space for gardening like you do, so i just show garden shows and other people's gardens. That way i can always choose the best to show you.

    Autumn Belle - maybe that goes to show i am improving in my photography, and that is already a big consolation. Thank you. Walking in the rain once-in-a while is a very great de-stressing strategy! Try it, it will do you good!

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  14. Thanks Andrea for sharing these gorgeous pictures from the show. Enjoyed going through the pictures and information. You are lucky living at a beautiful place with a lot of photography opportunities. By the way I'm watching this post for the second time, first time I was not able to open it completely, because of my slow internet connection.

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  15. What spectacular gardens here. Sorry about the rain, can only imagine holding and umbrella and a camera. Thanks for your delightful visit.

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  16. Wow, a lot of work by lots of people must have been spent to put on a show like that! How impressive!

    I love those blooms in the last photo.

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  17. A stunning/unique show! Thank you for taking us with you, Andrea. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

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  18. Hi Andrea. Thank you for visiting my blog and for your lovely comments. I've really enjoyed reading your posts - and visiting those glorious beaches!

    I have to confess that I know very little about the Philippines, but your blog has piqued my interest as it looks so colourful and wonderful....I'll be back :)

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  19. Hi, Andrea ~ what a wonderful garden show. I love all the lush and beautiful colors.
    In adddition, I really like that last photo!

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  20. Birdy - you are so kind. I hope your comp is faster now, as mine in my new address is getting slower and slower!

    EG Wow - haha, thanks for the wow!

    Darla - yes it actually is so difficult holding the umbrella with your neck and shoulders while trying to get a good photo, and hoping the camera will not get wet also.

    Sue - actually the show today is an understatement of what had been in the past years. Usually the show in April is larger and more exhibitors join.

    Joey - i hope you come again, as i will try to make my posts more inviting.

    Nutty Gnome - i am glad i am presenting a little bit of beauty for my country, and i assure you it is just a bit, just a bit. hehe.

    Amy - that last photo can be unusual for other countries, but it is practical here in the tropics, to limit transpiration and delay wilting.

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  21. Hi Andrea! Your blog is certainly a wonderful find for me. I was also at the Garden Show with my children but we only went around the exhibit and did not make it to the commercial section because of the strong rains.

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  22. The displays with the Christmas theme were beautifully designed. Those orchids are amazing!

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  23. Bom - we are living in the same earth patch, and we share many resources, so thanks for your visit. So you were there too, tell me about my photos, have i done justice to them?

    Sweetbay - i hope you come over again. Yes Christmas is celebrated early in this part of the world, we even have countdown when -ber months begin!

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  24. hi! i am working in a theme park. I want to invite the organizers pls. email me for contacts. edralevnoel@yahoo.com

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