A visual feast of cacti and succulents

(Text and photos by BECKY BUENAVENTURA)

Cactus and succulent enthusiasts and plant lovers were in for a visual feast as members of the Cactus and Succulent Society of the Philippines (CSSP) organized a grand show of their rarest and favorite plants. With the untying of the garland made from a succulent, Dischidia (Tag. Manaog ka Irog), the event was formally opened by Ambassador Marciano Paynor Jr., together with Joy Belmonte, president of the Quezon City Ladies Foundation, and Councilor Jorge “Bolet” Banal Jr., last Nov. 20. Vice Mayor Herbert Bautista later joined the program held at the Mabini Hall inside the premises of Quezon Memorial Circle, Elliptical Rd., Quezon City. In cooperation with the Quezon Memorial Circle Administration headed by Engr. Zaldy dela Rosa, the event was considered a huge success with the full support of other garden clubs, landscapers, plant specialists, hobbyists and private collectors. The various lectures and demonstrations are still ongoing for the next two days. It has already attracted many plant lovers, students, and enthusiasts. Sales of ornamental and flowering plants, cacti and succulents, fruit trees, garden materials, Suiseki or natural stones from the Tanay and Ilocos group, bonsai plants, antique furniture, Christmas decor, and more are drawing crowds every day. The exhibit and plant sale will run until Monday, Nov. 30, with a big raffle event.

Three years ago, we also organized a xerophyte (cactus and succulent) garden show, but this year can be judged the best garden show so far. Members have exhibited their best and rarest collections to compete for the top honors. We’re pretty sure the judges did not have an easy time of determining which are the best from all the entries. For the first time, and with the full support of our garden club friends, we have included landscape competitions of ornamental and flowering plants. The judges, headed by our chairman, Kevin G. Belmonte, and assisted by an avid cacti collector, Dr. Nena Evidente, eventually came out with the following winners. 

The grand top placers are the following: the Best Plant in Show and also the Best Succulent was a caudiciform plant, the Dioscorea machistachys — sometimes called the “turtle back” plant — owned by Anna Ruth Conde and Cora Purificacion of the Purificacion Garden. The Best Cactus was given to an Astrophytum ornatum, “Fukuryu,” which I entered as secretary of CSSP and a private collector.

Winners of the garden show

The following groups were adjudged winners:

Dish Garden Competition

First place – Group 5, head: Becky Buenaventura, members: Elvie Peczon, Julie Hipolito, and Reuben Almazan

Second place – Group 2, head: Aireen Bernal, members: Nolie Perez, Jeff Patiag, and Chit Rufo

Third place – Group 3, head: Tess Gomez, members: Elisa Montecastro, Vicky Valle, Siony Ng, and Charing Tiongco.

Cacti And Succulent Landscape Competition

First place – Arid and Aroids, owned by Boyet Ganigan and Dr. Jay Silvestre

Second place – DAP Garden owned by Dan Palentinos

Third place – Mett’s Plants Arts, owned by Serapion Metilla

Ornamental Plant Landscape Competition

First place – King Louis Flowers and Plants, executed by Francis Gener

Second place – Constel Nature’s Garden, owned by proprietor Tansing Bais

Third place – Purificacion Orchids by Anna Ruth Conde and Cora Purificacion

Best Ornamental Plant

Aglaonema “Dona Carmen,” owned by the Purificacion Orchids

Here are the results of the other categories for the Cacti and Succulents table exhibit :

Astrophytum

First place – Astrophytum ornatun “Fukuryo” owned by Becky Buenaventura

Second place – Astrophytum ornatum owned by Botchie Canicula

Third place – Astrophytum myriostigma Hakuun hybrid owned by Becky Buenaventura

Other Globular Cacti

First place – Frailea cataphracta, owned by Nolie Perez

Second place – Echinocereus grusonii owned by Eliane Daclis

Third place – Ferocactus latispinus owned by Sally Obien

Mammillarias

First place – Mammillaria sp. owned by Lily Ann Tan

Second place – Mammillaria sp. owned by Anna Ruth Conde

Third place – Mammillaria plumose owned by Lily Ann Tan

Clumping Cacti And Succulents

First place – Monadenium reflexum owned by Purificacion Orchids

Second place – Mammillaria elongate rubra owned by Purificacion Orchids

Third place – Mammillaria sp. owned by Botchie Canicula

Columnar Cacti

First place – Cepahlocereus owned by Botchie Canicula

Second place – Cereus sp. owned by Botchie Canicula

Third place – Notocactus leninghausii owned by Becky Buenaventura

Monstrous And Crested Forms

First place – Sansevieria “crested Hanii,” owned by Dan Palentinos

Second place – Euphorbia crested owned by Bimbo Vergara

Third place – Euphorbia ingense monstrous owned by Becky Buenaventura

Variegated Cacti And Succulents

First place – Aloe nubilis, variegated, owned by Becky Buenaventura

Second place – Agave potatorum “Kishokan” var. owned by Becky Buenaventura

Third place – Furcraea Variegated owned by Dan Palentinos

Haworthias

First place – Haworthia cv. tortousa owned by Elaine Daclis

Second place – Haworthia limifolia variegated owned by Elaine Daclis

Third place – Haworthia truncate owned by Aireen Bernal

Aloes/ Gasterias/ Astrolobas

First place – Aloe Nubilis variegated owned by Becky Buenaventura

Second place – Aloe sp. owned by Botchie Canicula

Third place – Gasteria hybrid owned by Becky Buenaventura

Agaves/ Fucreas And Yuccas

First place – Agave potatorum “Kishokan” variegated owned by Becky Buenaventura

Second place – Agave hybrid owned by Bimbo Vergara

Third place – Agave Victoria reginae, variegated owned by Becky Buenaventura

Sansevierias

First place – Sansevieria masoniana owned by Dan Palentinos

Second place – Sansevieria specks owned by Arid and Aroids

Third place – Sansevieria layranos owned by Arid and Aroids

Pachypodium

First place – Pachypodium lamerei owned by Mely Sibayan

Second place – Pachypodium lamerei owned by Purificacion Orchids

Other Caudiciforms And Pachycauls

First place – Dioscorea machystachys owned by Anna Ruth Conde

Second place – Fockea edulis owned by Purificacion Orchids

Epiphytic And Climbing Succulents

First place – Dischidia owned by Tess Baldonado

Second place – Epiphyllum, owned by PHSI

Third place – Hoya Buotii owned by Wendy Regalado

Xerophytic Bromeliads

First place – Tillandsia andreana owned by Aireen Bernal

Second place – Tillandsia ampla owned by Purificacion Orchids

Third place – Tillandsia xerographica owned by Botchie Canicual

For the Ornamental Plant category, first place went to the following categories and owners:

BROMELIAD – Alcantarea Imperialis owned by Botchie Canicula

AROIDS A – Aglaonema “Dona Carmen” owned by Purificacion Orchids

FERNS & FERN ALLIES – Asplenium serratum owned by Nonie Dolera

ORCHIDS – Vanda Charles Goodfellow x Vanda Udom godl by the Phil. Orchid Society

Annual Flowering Plants

Euphorbia pulchemma “Strawberry & Cream” owned by Francis Gener

Special Awards: Bonsai

First place – Pemphis acidula (Bantigue) owned by Vic and Analyn de Rona

Second place – Pemphis acidula (Bantigue) owned by John Mateo

Third place – Malabayabas – owned by Lincon Yu

SUISEKI

First place – Water Falls owned by Jerome Bulos

Second place – El Nido owned by Erwin Paolos

Third place – Matang Baka owned by Jerome Bulos

We sincerely thank everybody for their support and cooperation! Until the next garden show!