HortiKultura Filipina 2019, the Food, Arts and Plants Festival of the Philippine Horticulture Society, opens to the public on February 1-10, 2019 with new flavors. It promises to be a visual delight for everyone from plant enthusiasts to casual admirers of plants and flowers.

The event spans the two gardens and the East Avenue Entrance Rotunda & Promenade, the Runnex Area and the two gardens – the Hardin ng mga Bulaklak (Flower Garden), and the Elevated Garden of the Quezon Memorial Circle (QMC), Quezon City.

Annually, HortiKultura offers practically everything from the traditional to contemporary garden designs using endemic and indigenous plants, new hybrids as well as newly appreciated species.

This year, HortiKultura Filipina has extended its repertoire from being Plants & Arts Festival last year into Healthy (food), Hip (arts) &Horticultural (plants) Festival this year. Horti2019 will cover almost three hectares of the twenty-six-hectare Quezon Elliptical Circle.

In the early seventies, Quezon Circle re-entered the Filipino consciousness when it was designated as a site of one of the Eucharistic Celebrations of the now beatified Pope Paul VI last November 29, 1970. Back then, aside from the Quezon Pylon, the Circle was just a big expanse of wild talahib grass.

What are the highlights of Horti 2019?

Showcase Exhibits

 

East West Seed (EWS) and Farm Ready (FR), promise to bring in a load of colorful flowers to color the existing Garden Maze of the Flower Garden. A bed of vinca flowers in imaginable colors will be East West’s and Farm Ready’s surprise offering this year together with an array of edibles introduced as part of the edible landscape designs.

 

Haverson Enterprises (HE), a pioneer member of the Asia and Pacific Seed Association (APSA) is a newbie in its participation to Hortikultura Filipina event. HE will provide flowers, forms and colors to the East Avenue Rotunda Vertical Landscape and the Trees’ Planter Boxes of the Flower Garden. They also provided seeds to De La Salle-Araneta University (DLS-AU) for the Edible Landscaping at some flower beds of the Garden Maze at the Flower Garden.

 

King Louis Flowers & Plants (KLFP), popularly known as theManila’s favorite supplier of Christmas Poinsettias and wedding flowers, is weaving together flowers of varying vintage colors that will frontline the Flower Garden of the QMC.

 

 

 

Bonsai Exhibit

TheCircle Bonsai Club will transform some Flower Beds in the Garden Maze into a Bonsai Exhibit. It will showcase a collection of about 100 bonsai plants bruited to be the best of their collections.

The power couple, Manuel and Susan Lee(MPL Bonsai and Orchids Garden)   profoundly noted in the international scenes of Bonsai, will showcase some of their best Bonsai Collection.

Exhibits in Competition

 

Horti2019 will have a number of exhibits to vie for the Best in Show title. Last year’s favorite and best in show winner, Ms.Tiffany Cham is definitely gearing up for another must-see exhibit of Terrarium and Planted Tanks (Aquascape) at the Flower Garden.

Lino Rom CNS Collection Exhibit

 

Lino Rom, the immediate Past President of the Cactus and Succulents Society of the Philippines will have an exhibit of his CNS collection and of his friends. Lino, as fondly called, is a favorite resource lecturer among provincial and metro groups for CNS seminar-workshops.

Cacti and succulents are indoor and outdoor potted plants, which are growing in popularity among those who live in small or tight spaces. These types of plants are highly portable or can be moved in or outside the house depending on light source or aesthetic whim. They are in dizzying abundance this year.

                                                           

 Urban Edibles / Urban Farming

The Farm Ready GG Urban Farming and De La Salle-Araneta University will showcase edibles through creative set-ups in small spaces or in recycled containers.

Exhibit on urban farming promotes the cultivation of different varieties of vegetable and even ornamental plants that can be grown in your own homes or available spaces in the community. The ultimate aim is to augment family income and serving cost-effective nutritious food.

Vertical Herbal Gardens

 

Herbal vertical gardens will be set up by De La Salle Araneta University together with EDSA Garden House. A team of agriculture students will execute the Vertical Herbal Garden. The vertical gardens will be left on permanent display at the Flower Garden after the show. The primary and creative challenge to the exhibit is to fashion out available herbs and medicinal plants that could be done at the confines our homes. It will also serve as a source of ingredient for Garden to Table Movement Concept.

 

Harbest Agribusiness Corporation (HAC) will be on hand to provide on irrigation systems for flower beds for edible landscaping and vertical gardens.

 

Terrariums

 

Horti2019willpresentone of the newer elements, the Terrarium and Planted Tanks (Aquascape) Exhibits.

Just like potted plants, terrariums and planted tanks are mobile or portable. They bring a piece of nature inside your homes. Terrariums and Planted Tanks are supposed to be complete ecosystems that could be almost maintenance free.

Tiffany Cham, wildlife breeder and creator-partner of the World of Creepy Crawlies at the Manila Ocean Park, is also exhibiting a number of her terrariums. She will also set up Geo Dome Gardens styled with plants and garden furniture. She is likewise scheduled to conduct a lecture on terraria materials and supplies.

 

Arts In The Park

 

The Street Artists of Secret Fresh, some known for their hip artworks at BGC and other public spaces, will transform the benches of the Flower Garden into a picture-worthy work of art and a playful accessory in a public park. Street art is known to increase tourist attraction because it will tell a story without saying a word.

The Walls Gallery Community of Artists with their themed-Philippine Flowers on Pergola Posts adds a new flavor to Horti2019. This structure,to be transfigured with colors of our very own Philippine native flowers, creates a distinct and lovely spot for a picture-taking.

These works of art will be used to raise awareness that a park is the best canvass of a city and will surely bring smiles to picnics, playful photographs and videos.

 

Seminars and Lectures

 

Horti2019is open to the public from February 2 up to 10, 2019. It will be highlighted by the Daily Seminars and Lectures. There will also be Food Demos and Workshops by a Celebrity Chef, Chefs from Culinary Arts Schools and Hands-On Workshops. .While there are show exhibits all over the place, refreshments from a number of Food Trucks, arts and crafts, and of course, plants can also be found on sale at the HortiKultura Trade Fair. More than 100 booths will be offering different array of plants for sale wherein hobbyists, enthusiasts, and plant admirers could buy and bring home.

 

SPONSORS

• Office of QC Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte
• The Quezon City Local Government
• Quezon Memorial Circle Admin.
• Del Monte
• Nutri-Asia

CO-SPONSOR

• Quezon City Tourism Council with their QCNa! Event on 9-10 February 2019 at the

Quezon Memorial Circle Fountain Area

PARTNERS

Academe:

• De LaSalle – College of Saint Benilde
•  De La Salle-Araneta University
•  Manila Tytana Colleges

Seed Corporate Companies:

• East West Seed Company & Foundation
• Harbest Agribusiness Corp.
• Haverson Enterprises
• Ramgo International Corp.

Garden, Flower & Plant Suppliers:

• King Louis Flowers & Plants
• Farm Ready GG Seedling Corporation
• Insular Botanicals International
• EDSA Garden House
• Bougies by VS
• Manuel & Susan Lee
• Lino Rom CNS Collection
• Ana Sheina’s Garden
• RomJen Garden
• Tansing Garden
• Unigreen

Terrarium:   TEP Wildlife Conservatory

Organizations:

• Circle Bonsai Club
• Bonsai & Suiseki Alliance of the Philippines
• Philippine Native Tree Enthusiasts
• Ikenobo-Ikabana Society of Manila No. 67
• Floral Designers Circle of the Philippines

Art Gallery:

• Secret Fresh Gallery and Street Artists
• Walls Gallery and its Community of Artists

Furniture:

• Six Inch
• Uratex

PHSI

The Philippine Horticultural Society, Inc. is a non-profit organization established in 1976 to promote the local horticulture industry.