The October meeting of the Cactus and Succulent Society of the Philippines held at the rest house of vice president Dory Bernabe in Los Baños, Laguna, was one of the most productive and interesting meetings of the society for the year. It was hosted by Dory Bernabe, Dr. Nena Evidente, Elvie Pecson and Beth Mariano.
The meeting had a large attendance with about 70 people. Many guests were from other plant clubs such as the Fern Society, Philippine Bonsai Society, Los Baños Orchid Society, Philippine Orchid Society and Philippine Horticultural Society owing to Dory being a member or officer in most of these clubs. Our club president Kevin Belmonte also invited Menardo Jimenez of GMA-7 and his lovely wife Carolina Jimenez, who also happens to be a member of the Fern Society. Also present were Linda Bolido and Ester Dipasupil of Inquirer, Mila Alora of DWBR FM 104.3, Los Baños Garden Club president Jean Lasap and orchid expert Dr. Valmayor.
Many club members and visitors arrived early and started with a tour of Dory’s large garden with its extensive collection of cacti and succulent plants, ferns, bonsai and other ornamentals. The garden is divided into several areas featuring cacti and succulents in one area, nice old bonsai trees in another area, and ferns and ornamentals in the more shady parts under the trees.
Interesting succulent plants in her collection include variegated Agaves, a large variegated Gymnocalycium saglione, Lophophoras and several Ariocarpus plants. There are also quite a number of Sansevierias, from the more common Sansevieria cylindrica to the rare variegated forms of Sansevieria masoniana and Sansevieria senegambica. After a tour of the gardens, club members and guests had a sumptuous lunch catered by Baby de Leon courtesy of the hosts. Then guests who wanted to join the club were — 20 of them — sworn in by our club president. Among the new members are Menardo Jimenez and his wife Caroline Jimenez; Fern Society president Nonito Dolera; Carlos Lazaro; Los Baños Orchid Society VP Godofredo Salud; Daniel Palentinos of the Philippine Horticultural Society and Philippine Orchid Society; Joey Casador, a collector of cacti and succulents, ferns and aglonemas; Dickson and Julie Laoque, the husband and wife owners of Victory Gardens in Silang, who very generously brought 20 kilos of tilapia and ceramic giveaways for everyone. Also inducted as new members were Leticia Ligon, Aurora Guevara and Rosita Jose of the Philippine Bonsai Society, Elizabeth Heitzmann, owner of the Butterfly Farm, Atty. Cipriani Mercado, Dr. Fernando Silvestre and Neil Ganigan of Philippine Tropicals and Philippines Dan Hollanda of Adenium, Wilson Dee Edward Agdeppa and John Agbigay.
Serapion Metilla, one of the founders of CSSP and president of the Ikenobo Ikebana Philippines, gave an interesting lecture-demonstration on using cacti and succulents for “flower” arrangements. Zac Sarian — editor of Agriculture magazine, founder of AANI, a Ramon Magsaysay awardee and proprietor of Teresa Orchard and Nursery — followed with his lecture on growing fruit trees in containers and growing dragon fruit or hylocereus plant, which is actually an epiphytic cactus.
The meeting was adjourned late in the afternoon, after which many guests and members went to the Los Baños Garden Show to buy plants for their collections. All in all, the meeting was a very productive one with 20 new members and very educational lectures by two plant experts.