(Succulentophile gives way this week to this article by Joey de Castro.)
I have been going to Sagada nearly every year since the late 1980s for various reasons: to indulge my photography, clear my head and satisfy my wanderlust, mostly. However, my latest hobbies – collecting succulents and making pottery – have given me new reasons for visiting that place so far up north.
Not that there is much else to do up there other than pottery or succulents. Aside from the usual touristy things like visiting the caves and hanging coffins, there is the clean air, the cool climate, and, of course, its people. These pictures come courtesy of their openness and friendliness.
Most homes there have some kind of succulents growing at home. As you know, they grow very well up there in the Cordilleras because of the pleasant climate.
One place in particular caught my fancy because of the sheer number and variety of their succulent collection, which was visible from the outside. A leisurely walk through town brought me there, a simple little residence owned by an elderly lady named Emiliana Padua Lardizabal, who recently passed away.
Asking for permission to photograph the plants was no trouble – her granddaughter June Kimot thought that it would be a good idea to publish the photos as a sort of tribute. Striking are the plants’ lushness, perhaps because of Sagada’s cool clime. So here are some of Lola Emiliana’s efforts, which I feel I’ve brought recognition to in remembrance to her name.