MANDALUYONG’S HIDDEN EDEN
Nestled within the confines of the Mandaluyong City Hall
I call this garden the “Hidden Eden” as it is totally enclosed save for its small and narrow gate. Years back I often wondered if it was an aviary that is being protected by dyna net from above but this 23rd September, Friday, 2011, in the afternoon I discovered what the net was protecting.
It was protecting what is the “crown jewel” of our very own city hall-a Mediterranean inspired tropical mini-botanical garden!! It was not the ordinary garden as the place is a sanctuary of endemic, indigenous, and even foreign species of plants that are already vulnerable to vanish in the near future.
The main park behind the new city
I was so enthralled and amazed that the trees in the main park-usually Narra (Pterocarpus indicus)-are festooned with Grammatophllym orchid species and what’s more surprising is that most of them set fruits!! This could mean that the plants have long been there to be accustomed to Mandaluyong’s environment, flowered, and bore fruit! Usually it takes an orchid two years to be acclimatized from the place where you got it to the place where you’ll finally put it. There were a lot of Grammatophyllums among the trees within the Mandaluyong City Hall Rizal Technological University
Hoyas also decorate the trunks of some two or three Pterocarpus indicus (Narra) trees. Although they weren’t on flower yet when I went there (September 23 and November 5, 2011), I postulate that they are Hoya obscura, Hoya carnosa, and Hoya pubicalyx. I’ll await their flowering to properly identify them. It is the dawn of the Hoya craze these past 3 or so years and continues up this present time. The Philippines
One tree in the main park even got a tangle of orchids-Papilionanthe, Renantheras, Dendrobiums, and Vandas together with some Philodendrons of the Araceae family and Hoyas again!
The floweing Achmea warusii was equally stunning with its gold and orange tall flower branches giving vividness around the main park and to corners where it is planted. However, the gardeners should get ready as they will soon die once they pup (send out offsprings) sufficiently. This is a common Bromeliaceae family characteristic-once they flower, the mother plant will pup to capacity then slowly die. But not all Bromeliads die after flowering like Guzmanias and Vrieseas and also some Tillandsias.
Another plant that caught my attention is the Buddha’s-belly or Buddha-belly bamboo, Bambusa ventricosa, from South China (I can’t take care of it here in our Mandaluyong house because of space constraint lachrymose…). It’s got a peculiar culm shape, about 4 feet, and the colour is a lovely dark violet to black and brownish. I highly suggest it as a garden centerpiece or even a table centerpiece if small as it has an over empowering beauty that manifests itself.
I’ve noticed that the trees of Mandaluyong City Hall
A corner of the main park is used as ‘plant stockroom’; where plants are placed prior to their movement to designated places . Next to this ‘stockroom’ is the Hidden Eden semi-botanical garden itself!
Entering this place fills you with something magical, mysterious, and wonderful. The word Serendipity is the fittest description of the Hidden Eden. By the way, the people working in the city hall offices call this place Orchidarium. But I better use the more apt name Hidden Eden
The area of the Hidden Eden is around 300-400 sq.m. and semi-circular in configuration. It is inspired by Mediterranean architecture around but the landscaping bespeaks Philippine tropical arrangement. It showcases endangered, vulnerable, exotic, rare, and beautiful species of plants among which are Lecanopteris luzonensis (ant fern), Hoyas, Oberonias, Phalaenopsis (moth orchids), Aerides quinquevulnera, Renanthera (fire orchid), Dendrobiums (‘sangumay’ and cane type; also of the Orchidaceae family), and Vanda orchids that even not in flower foretells of their native origin. I was awe-struck to see ant ferns, Oberonias, and the Aerides as they are plants for the seasoned and advanced plant lovers, hobbyists, and specialists! This is quite an achievement for Mandaluyong City
Non-native plants include Oncidium or the ‘dancing lady’ orchids, Anthurium andreanum and Anthurium hortulanum hybrids, the cute dishgardens (there are around 3 of them if I’m not wrong) made up of the tropical American Tillandsias (Till. ionantha and its myriad of hybirs and cultivars; Tillandsia funckiana, Tillandsia striata, etc.), Sansevieria hahnii ‘Bird’s Nest’, Sansevieria hahnii, Sansevieria trifasciata var. laurentii, et al.; Dendrobium Naporn series-these orchids have large Cattleya-like flowers far from their humble beginnings (they were first bred in Thailand and seems to have started with the Dendrobium ‘King Dragon’ hybrid which as an elementary during the 90’s I couldn’t afford to buy, lachrymose). Hybrid Vandas, Calatheas, Philodendrons, and many more!
There was also a fishpond about a yard or so in length with Nishikigoi that adds aesthetics to the Hidden Eden. Beyond the fishpond is a bird house (as it is not of cage size but is bigger and better!) where lovebirds of various breeds happily and raucously chirp, sing, preen, and court each other-a very touching sight!
Exiting, there was a patio-like area between the new city
When I entered, there was a plant exhibit and from the way it was set up, it was Balinese inspired-a fusion of Hindu and Buddhist culture. This exhibit consisted of the large-flowered hybrid offspring of Phalaenopsis aphrodite and Phalaenopsis amabilis, the hybrid Dendrobiums, Asplenium ferns, a simple but elegant potted Cycas revoluta or ‘oliba’ (this plant evolved and lived together with the dinosaurs million of years ago!) and another surprise-Doritis pulcherrima, not a usual plant in cultivation! Plants could even be raised inside the new building because of its transparent glass roofing that allows in light, the coolness of the centralized airconditioning that thwarts heat, and the proper maintenance of the gardening force.
Decorating the left and right sides of the new building are plant topiaries, some large Agaves, Cannas (bandera española) with their vivid blooms, and foliage plants that makes a wonderful kaleidoscope to the eyes.
Just in front of the new building is a planted island where Hibiscus (gumamela) hybrids dominate. Most of them were of the Centennial hybrids developed by the University of the Philippines-Los Baños scientists for the celebration of the Republic of the Philippines
The cost of greening not only the confines of the city hall but Mandaluyong City as a whole is nothing compared to the benefits it will bring us-more tourists, cleaner air, medicinal plants cultivated just in our very own backyards, and a populace aware in respecting Mother Nature and ready to defend her cause, as this is also our commitment to our Liege who made us in charge of the earth’s riches and wealth.
As a nature lover, It was a satisfying feeling that nature is taken seriously by our own city officials spearheaded by Mayor Benhur Abalos and executed by the city government gardeners. Good thing this City also has prominent people in the horto-botanical world such as Sifu Danilo A. Tiu, co-author of the Philippine orchid bible “Orchidiana Philippiniana”, a brilliant scientist who have contributed much to our knowledge on Philippine Orchids and their cultivation; Mr. Raymond Sioson who made the website on Philippine Endemic and Indigenous Trees; Mr. Joey Castro, Ugo Bigyan-trained exotic terra cotta basin maker, photographer, and this blogger’s co-member in the Cactus & Succulent Society of the Philippines to mention a few.
This blogger (not a prominent savant!) who in his own capacity studies, researches, and applies in his cultivation of plants what he has learned from the great yet down-to-earth masters in the botanical field, I’ll always remember lesson 101, “be humble.”
May 06, 2012 I visited the Mandaluyong Municipal Hall to see if the Grammatophyllums are in flower. I also wanted to know how the plants have fared during the intense summer heat.
May 06, 2012 I visited the Mandaluyong Municipal Hall to see if the Grammatophyllums are in flower. I also wanted to know how the plants have fared during the intense summer heat.
In the
Park-Halamanan where almost all Grammatophyllums in the City Hall are growing,
there was not even one plant in bloom.
What I saw was that all the Grammatophyllums were having keikis and
denser root systems. Even though they
did not flowered this year, their healthy vegetative growths are an indication
that the orchids are adapting well to their new environment. Perhaps next year they’ll bloom and later on
set fruit so that they could be conserved through embryo culture.
It was also
a good move to have tarpaulins of reminders and warnings against littering and
destroying the plants. Mandaluyong City
Many of the
ferns were having a hard time recovering from the intense summer heat that
almost reached the high 40’s thanks to the influence of the La Niña phenomenon
and we have a long wet season with occasional rains in between the hot few
weeks of April 2012. Sooner or later the
ferns shall claim back their niches once the rainy season sets in.
I was very
lucky as the Hidden Eden (Orchidarium) was open on that very early Sunday morn. Normally you have to ask permission from the
City Hall maintenance staff to enter.
The Hidden
Eden just had its general watering when I visited and the whole place was so wet
so better watch your steps when you visit in times like this. I was happy to see that the Hoya inside was
already in flower and it is Hoya carnosa.
Fiery red Dendrobiums were also abloom as well as the samurai-type
Dendrobiums. Some other orchids just
finished flowering as evidenced by the wilted blooms still dangling from the
plants. The ant fern sadly didn’t
survived. I also had a hard time looking
for the Obregonia (I think I just missed it under the competing leaves of the
neighbouring epiphytes). A
Grammatophyllum multiflorum var. tigrinum with a flower stalk festooned with
its big fruits is an exotic sight!
Perhaps it flowered around February or March so now it is in fruit. A lone Cattleya hybrid was in flower and the
fragrance could melt any man’s heart! It
was as big as a small plate in diametre.
The Dendrobium ‘Naporn’ series has an inflorescence that slowly unfurls
one by one. The hybrid violet
Phalaenopsis also got developing flower stalks.
One must have sharp eyes to see the hidden splendour of the plants. Detective Conan would have loved the place
trying to search for hidden blooms and unusual plants in every nook and cranny
in this Hidden Eden.
For me, the
best plant during my visit was the blooming Phalaenopsis aphrodite which was
immaculate in its pure white colour. As
its specific name suggests, it is worthy to be named after the goddess of
love. I once thought that the
Phalaenopsis inside the Hidden Eden would soon die since they receive heavy watering
that could remain stagnant in the growing point of the plant. Yet I saw them alive, flowering, and having a
lot of keikis! An indication it has
adapted to its environment.
There was
fewer love birds (Agapornis spp.) now compared to my last visits. Have they also fared less because of the heat
then sudden rains? I’ll go check that
next time I go there…
The newest member of the Hidden
Eden family is a Crested Serpent Eagle (Spilornis cheela). The Philippine race holospilus of this widespread Asian
raptor is commonly known as the Philippine Serpent Eagle, and indeed it eats
mainly snakes and other reptiles. It
readily raises its crest when you go near its area even though it is kept in a
large cage some 15 or 20 feet from the ground.
All things point to the positive
direction achieved through sound management.
Albeit the Hidden Eden is just a small component of the Mandaluyong City Hall
Once again I visited the place last
November 20, 2012 and this time I was lucky to have met the new resident
gardener Mr. Maynard Perante, who was a writer by profession. He hails from Leyte
and he was very accommodating and keen on learning the names and properties of the
plants he is tending in the Hidden Eden.
The Habagat Phenomenon of 2012 which
devastated most of the NCR like Typhoon Ondoy two years earlier was not also
merciful with the botanic garden-cum-orchidarium. “Kuya Maynard” told me the place was in total
wreckage during that period sometime between August to October. Even the serpent eagle died. He was still fixing parts of the Hidden Eden
when I visited.
On 10 January, 2013, I met Ms.
Precy Perez Gabriel, whom Kuya Maynard told me was his successor as the new
resident gardener and caretaker of the Hidden Eden.
She was keener and more interested in learning about plants. “Ate Precy” even requested me to make a plant
mnemonics so that she will learn more about the characteristics and names of
the plants and so I told her I’ll go from time to time to lecture about plants
to her and Kuya Maynard. I taught them
impromptu what should be done to some plants, particularly orchids, and to what
area inside the Hidden Eden they should be situated to maximise their growth
and trigger their flowering.
I told them that Hoya carnosa is a
beneficial plant as several American scientists and universities have
experimented on this species and found out that it is among the top 10 leading
indoor pollution absorbers and the best thing about it is that it is native
here in the Philippines ! Hoyas are the latest plant collectors’ craze
too.
Just beside where the Hoya carnosa
grows is a neem tree or scientifically known as Azadirachta indica, a native of
India , Pakistan , and Bangladesh . It has a lot of uses being anthelmintic, antifungal, antidiabetic, antibacterial, antiviral, contraceptive and
sedative.
Neem leaves are dried in India , Pakistan and placed in cupboards to
prevent insects eating the clothes and also while storing rice in tins (natural
pesticide). The leaves are dried and burnt in the tropical regions of Pakistan to
keep away mosquitoes. Here in the Philippines
the leaves are boiled and the brew is taken to cure ailments but the taste is
very bitter so kalamansi or honey is used to make the taste more pleasant.
Another useful
plant inside the Hidden Eden is Chamaedorea seifrizii from South
America . It was hailed by
NASA (National Aeronautics Space Administration) of the USA as the top
pollution absorber after astronauts brought specimens of this species and other
plants to outer space to rid their ship of the carbon dioxide exhaled by man
and other pollutants. They then
discovered it absorbs more pollutants than the other plants.
Schefflera
elliptica or more known by its local name of five-fingers is a plant that is only
found in the Philippines and the specimens inside the Hidden Eden are
variegated meaning they have leaves with two colours being white and green. Filipinos believe that if this plant bears
six leaves or more you’ll get lucky.
Canna or
bandera española is a plant that is commonly seen in gardens and landscapes
that many believe it to be native but it originated in tropical America . This plant might be overlooked but unknown to
most of us it has a lot of beneficial uses: the seeds are hard and used by native
Americans to kill small animals and birds; the rhizomes are harvested for the
flour and thus its root crop could be eaten raw or cooked; seeds are fermented
in India to produce alcohol; immature seeds are used as extenders for
tortillas; the rhizome is used as a diuretic when boiled; it is also used to
absorb many undesirable chemicals in wetland environments and could be used to
absorb and break down organic pollutants.
The starch is made into glass noodles more popularly known as
“sotanghon”. Canna x Generalis is the best species serving all these purposes.
I
celebrated my birthday this 28th of January, 2013 in the Hidden Eden;
being with the gardeners of this heavenly place. I donated seedlings of Capparis micrantha
ssp. micrantha locally known as halubagat-kahoy or napier tree in English. It is native from southern China to Southeast Asia including the Philippines .
The fruits
are edible with the pulp surrounding the seeds slightly sweet; it is also used
as firewood. I also donated a Mandarin orange
seedling as well as seedlings of Hylocereus undatus or dragon fruit which is a
new fruit gaining popularity in the Philippines
It was heartening to see that Kuya Maynard and Ate Precy put to practice what I taught them: simple stem propagation of orchids. Just after a week when the duo had their botanical and horticultural lessons with me, I saw they readily took cuttings from Dendrobiums, Cattleyas, and Phalaenopsis; wrapped them in coconut fibre or coconut husk and clasped to cut branches of trees then hung these in areas where they could grow and reach their fullest potential. The first two genera in bright light and the latter genus in shady or semi-shady corners of the Hidden Eden.
I also encouraged the caretakers/gardeners to replant the non-native plants in other areas of the city hall and slowly convert the Hidden Eden into a paradise-cum-sanctuary for endemic and indigenous plants instead. However, I also encouraged them to let medicinal/herbal plants to proliferate in the area. Among the wonder herbs inside is Centella asiatica or locally known as takip-kuhol.
Centella asiatica has been used in China, India, and Indonesia as medicinal herb for thousand of years. The brahmic acid of this plant strengthens the immune system, Asiaticosides help in the formation of new blood cells; takip-kuhol also boosts mental activities and relieves high blood pressure, rheumatism, fever, and nervous disorder. It is also used in cleaning the liver and the kidney. In order to be effective, Centella asiatica must not be boiled or exposed to the air. It is best consumed raw either as raw leaves or as fresh juice. Boiling destroys the medicinal properties of the plant.
Another wonder plant in the Hidden Eden is Garcinia mangostana locally called mangosteen; the fruit of this plant is considered the Queen of All Fruits. It fights against fatigue, allergies, atherosclerosis, cholesterol, high blood pressure, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, nerve damage. diarrhoea, gastroesophageal reflux disease, ulcers, Crohn's disease, colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, arthritis, migraine, and so much more. I hope the lone survivor seedling of this wonder plant grow into a majestic fruiting tree for the benefit of everyone especially the people of our beloved Mandaluyong City.
Mr. Maynard Perante and Ms. Precy Perez Gabriel were very diligent "students" in the cultivation of plants. They succeeded in encouraging the Dendrobium anosmum "sanggumay" orchid to flower which Administrator Victorino told them was not flowering for a very long time. The Hoya carnosa have a feast for the eyes of would-be visitors this April of 2013 to the Mandaluyong Hidden Eden since it is almost entirely covered with flowers! The Nepenthes alata pitcher plants were also at the peak of their health: producing larger and more colourful pitchers just two months after the author, Rajah Rahakut, brought them to MHE. Proudly, only the Mandaluyong Hidden Eden in the whole of the National Capital Region has a botanic garden with these highly exotic pitcher plants! Nepenthes alata is only found in the Philippines with more than 20 forms-almost every region and province do have their own forms and many more await discovery! But the real ecological use we have of pitcher plants is their ability to "eat" insects and small animals that might pose harm and threat to us humans. The larger the pitchers of these plants are, the larger their prey becomes which may include lizards, frogs, small birds, and even bats. Don't fear they can't eat humans and they don't like eating human flesh at all!
It was heartening to see that Kuya Maynard and Ate Precy put to practice what I taught them: simple stem propagation of orchids. Just after a week when the duo had their botanical and horticultural lessons with me, I saw they readily took cuttings from Dendrobiums, Cattleyas, and Phalaenopsis; wrapped them in coconut fibre or coconut husk and clasped to cut branches of trees then hung these in areas where they could grow and reach their fullest potential. The first two genera in bright light and the latter genus in shady or semi-shady corners of the Hidden Eden.
I also encouraged the caretakers/gardeners to replant the non-native plants in other areas of the city hall and slowly convert the Hidden Eden into a paradise-cum-sanctuary for endemic and indigenous plants instead. However, I also encouraged them to let medicinal/herbal plants to proliferate in the area. Among the wonder herbs inside is Centella asiatica or locally known as takip-kuhol.
Centella asiatica has been used in China, India, and Indonesia as medicinal herb for thousand of years. The brahmic acid of this plant strengthens the immune system, Asiaticosides help in the formation of new blood cells; takip-kuhol also boosts mental activities and relieves high blood pressure, rheumatism, fever, and nervous disorder. It is also used in cleaning the liver and the kidney. In order to be effective, Centella asiatica must not be boiled or exposed to the air. It is best consumed raw either as raw leaves or as fresh juice. Boiling destroys the medicinal properties of the plant.
Another wonder plant in the Hidden Eden is Garcinia mangostana locally called mangosteen; the fruit of this plant is considered the Queen of All Fruits. It fights against fatigue, allergies, atherosclerosis, cholesterol, high blood pressure, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, nerve damage. diarrhoea, gastroesophageal reflux disease, ulcers, Crohn's disease, colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, arthritis, migraine, and so much more. I hope the lone survivor seedling of this wonder plant grow into a majestic fruiting tree for the benefit of everyone especially the people of our beloved Mandaluyong City.
Mr. Maynard Perante and Ms. Precy Perez Gabriel were very diligent "students" in the cultivation of plants. They succeeded in encouraging the Dendrobium anosmum "sanggumay" orchid to flower which Administrator Victorino told them was not flowering for a very long time. The Hoya carnosa have a feast for the eyes of would-be visitors this April of 2013 to the Mandaluyong Hidden Eden since it is almost entirely covered with flowers! The Nepenthes alata pitcher plants were also at the peak of their health: producing larger and more colourful pitchers just two months after the author, Rajah Rahakut, brought them to MHE. Proudly, only the Mandaluyong Hidden Eden in the whole of the National Capital Region has a botanic garden with these highly exotic pitcher plants! Nepenthes alata is only found in the Philippines with more than 20 forms-almost every region and province do have their own forms and many more await discovery! But the real ecological use we have of pitcher plants is their ability to "eat" insects and small animals that might pose harm and threat to us humans. The larger the pitchers of these plants are, the larger their prey becomes which may include lizards, frogs, small birds, and even bats. Don't fear they can't eat humans and they don't like eating human flesh at all!
