We were late for the massive flower harvest in the months of May and November but we were still hopeful to see quite a few flower stalks swaying in the cool breeze in the mountains of sitio Cantipla in barangay Tabunan. Despite the weather threats of July, we still zoomed uphill via a Mitsubishi Pajero to feed our desire for Mother Nature’s bounties! We were like bees buzzing inside our ride, hungry for nectar and the hypnotic, sweet smell of flowers.
It was Superfriends’ (the group’s name) first official out-of-town junket and we were all giddy to experience nature at its best. With one kilo of adobong baboy and puso as our baon for lunch, we hit the road at exactly 8:30am taking the Nivel Hills, Lahug route. We lowered the windows upon reaching Château de Busay, a famous special events reception, for air to get through the car, sans the aircon. It wasn’t freezing cold though but the air was enough to give a calming and therapeutic effect on our bodies as it brushed our skin…talk about detox! The countryside tour made us all remember our virtual farms at Farmtown in Facebook. Our fingers were itching to harvest the veggies — the thought gave us all a good laugh since we can’t help but talk about our virtual farms and how much we would earn by harvesting the vast expanse of green land screaming with vegetable and flower plantations, and fruit trees. Everything our eyes could see was just picture perfect and charming, and the weather that day was just right, perfect for trekking.
As we were nearing our destination, we passed by a number of fruit stands (and vegetables, of course) that made our empty stomachs send out SOS signals. We dropped by a fruit stand at Upper Busay to get some cooked Japanese sweet corn at P100 for three kilos and saging lakatan at P30 per kilo. Since Busay is an area in Cebu where fruits and vegetables are grown, it is the perfect place to purchase farm fresh ingredients at very low prices. But we were not up for marketing. We took that journey to be in the comforts of a flower plantation so we did not waste time and went on with our trip!
After more than half an hour of joyride, we finally reached our destination. Sitio Cantipla is one of the agricultural sites in Cebu City, teeming with endemic animal species, flowers and trees. This is where private companies, the academe and government agencies plant trees as part of their GREEN efforts. From the Cantipla Integrated School, we trekked for 20 minutes, enjoying the shade of the trees and the chirps of the birds, watching the breathtaking scenery of squash plantations, flower fields, among many others. Then finally, we reached a botanical garden nurtured by the Abellanas at the Cantipla II area.
Upon our entry to the watershed, the sight of two water catchments perked up our excitement. One water basin is perfect for fishing since it is home for tilapias and a carpa, which is more than 12 feet. The catchments are surrounded with trees and ornamental plants with great color combinations. What astonished us most was the Million flower plantation across the water basin, aligned at the hill elevation. Greenthumb Betty Abellana amazed us with her penchant for agronomics, landscaping and gardening and shared stories on how to properly cultivate rare flowers. “Ang sekreto kay naa lang gyud na sa pag-gam,” she answered when asked on her secret in gardening.
It took the Abellana couple, with the help of 16 farmers, one year to develop the botanical garden that occupied more than 2,000 Million flower plants (white, blue and red), Anthuriums (red and white), bamboo trees, grapes, yellow Calla lilies, orchids, roses, Malaysian guavas, chilies, bell peppers, tomatoes, Impatiens that come in pink, red, purple and orange, Chrysanthemums, small white Everlastings, Mickey Mouse flowers, and native endemic ferns such as the pako, among others. The first class flowers that we see during weddings and at the hotel lobbies were just within reach.
According to Maam Betty, she finds pleasure in growing Million flowers since these grow well in clay soil and cool temperature like that in Cantipla II, and can withstand storms and heavy rains. She refrains from regularly selling Million flowers to let it grow taller since the more it grows, the more flowers it produces. She recently shifted to organic farming, using organic pesticides from UP Los Baños as her contribution to efforts in keeping the earth alive.
Because we woke up late, we weren’t able to catch the fog early on. But after lunch, luck knocked at our doors when rain poured hard. It was sheer joy to see the entire garden covered with fog! Despite the rain, we ran towards the site where the small white everlasting thrived for photo ops. The others climbed up the hill, playing in the fields. We all wished our virtual farms in Farmtown would be as lovely as the scenery before us.
The garden is a perfect place for friends to camp or for a casual nature stroll. Trekkers are welcome to view the place for free…just ask around for directions. The Abellanas are planning to name their botanical garden as Cantipla Ridge and put up a native house for campers to stay overnight. Here are some photos of the property for you to enjoy!