Some people just have a green thumb. Unfortunately, that is not me, though. When I plant a flower or plant of some kind, it invariably dies. And usually it dies sooner, rather than later! No matter how I try, this happens! I do enjoy seeing beautiful landscaping with gorgeous flowers and plants of all kinds kind of sprucing up a yard, though. Fortunately for me, Feyma is pretty good with plants. The best, though, is my Mother-in-law, she is an expert! Honestly, I think that Mama can’t kill a plant, even if she tries to do so!
Since we do really enjoy having a nice looking yard with many kinds of plants growing, we do spend a fair amount on plants. But, we have found a way that we can have even a greater variety of plants in our yard, and still spend only a very small amount! Living in Davao, we are only about 90 minutes drive from Bukidnon Province, which is up in the Mountains (Bukid means “mountain” after all!), and up in Bukidnon you can find a multitude of different kinds of plants, and all at bargain prices!
For example, a plant that might cost P200 here in Davao can often be found in Bukidnon for P20 to P30 or so! That’s right, you can get 10 plants for the price that you’d pay for a single plant in Davao City!
As you drive through the Bukidnon area, you will see roadside stands all along the highway selling all kinds of different plants. Almost any time that we pass through Bukidnon, we usually stop and buy some flowers of one kind or another! Usually, that means that we end up with a full load in the back of our truck by the time we are back in Davao City!
There is one thing that is important to remember when buying plants like this, though. You really have to ask – “will this grow OK down in the City?” If you don’t ask, you may be buying something that will die in the heat of the City!
About MindanaoBob
Have you tried buying strawberry plants up there?
Coz the ones I bought died anyway even if I put them in the kennel which has a/c sob sob.
(been there 2x when I went to CDO for dog showl, now I am no longer allowed to go, lol)
They have a lot of hydrangeas too, they call it million flowers I think…
Hi Cheryll Ann – I think that strawberry plants just won’t live down here in the city – aircon or not! It’s too hot, and the strawberries want sunshine too, I think.
Hey, I’ve got you beat if you’ve only been up there twice! I bet I’ve been up in that area 100 times or more! I love it up there!
Hi Bob,
I think you might know from some of the links I’ve sent through that I’m a nature/green person. I love gardening and find it really relaxing. So are gardening centres the” norm” for the Philippines ? I’m looking forward to seeing some stunning color of the flora and fauna when I get to the Philippines. Especially with Orchids being a natural for Davao.
Hi Richard – These places that I’m talking about wouldn’t really be classified as Gardening “Centers” as they are really just roadside stands along the highway selling flowers and plants. There are Garden Centers in the cities, but the prices for the same plant might be 10x the price at these little stands on the roadside.
Yes, there are some very beautiful orchids in Davao City. For that, I recommend a visit to the Baguio District of Davao, where there are a number of Orchid Farms with thousands of Orchids growing!
Yes! I don’t have a green thumb either, but I love having a nice yard with lots of greenery! I bought a bunch of flowers up there at that place in Bukidnon, and it all died down here in the lowlands. Sigh. But next time I asked it it would survive in the city and got better advice.
I have a friend who has a lot of nice plants, and I commented that she had a green thumb. she replied, “No, I have a green tongue, I say “You water that! You put that there! You find out what to put on that!” Having someone else in the house who has a way with plants is a big asset!
Hi AmericanLola – Ha ha… I guess I could say I have a green tongue too! I like to tell everybody what to do with the plants and such! Ha ha… that’s a good one!
My mother in law says I have the green thumb because I can so easily raise plants from seeds, something she has trouble with. My Ampalya plant went hogwild and took over a huge section of the front garden… she was so jealous.
Hi Louis – I really wish I had your skill for growing plants! If I had planted the ampalaya it would have died before the seeds even broke the barrier of the soil!
Hello Bob – haven’t been to Bukidon. even Little Baguio, but am interested to visit these places.
Like you, am not gifted with green tongue as well.
Here, my officemate gave me a plant (planted himself) and its growing pretty good, but had never touch it, i just ask the Co’s gardener (Contractor) to take care of it – am afraid if i’ll touch it – i’t'll will cry for help.
Ops – correction @GREEN THUMB as well@
Hi marygrace – maybe when you are back in Davao we can all take a trip up into the Bukidnon or to the Baguio District! By the way, the Baguio District is not the same as Little Baguio, though!
Bob does it really shows am a little bit alien
– i though Lttle Baguio/Disctrict is the same.
A trip to Bukidonon is a Very good idea Bob! my mom will love it too.
actually the soil is really well suited for growing and I also have 4 years experience in farming a family farm back in the US so planting and rasing becomes something instinctive. I really don’t like Ampalya all that much, but I have 4 wonderful siling labuyo plants that my wife has told me are quite big now. I’m going to dabble a little at making a Philippine Tabasco sauce lol. 2 days left on my trip here in the US and I miss the Philippines so much I can’t wait to get back.
Hi Louis – I’m like you on the Ampalaya – it’s not for me. Now, hey, if you get the right recipe going for the Philippine Tabasco Sauce you may have a product that you can actually sell!
Bob, Can sweet corn grow there? I am also wondering if you can buy a good selection of vegetable seeds like you can here. Some day when I finally get back there growing a large vegetable garden is one of my goals. Corn, tomatos, squash, cucumbers, potatoe, carrots, onions, etc…… I am sure there are many vegetables that I know nothing about that I will enjoy also. Ron
Hi Ron – Yes, sweet corn is grown here. It’s pretty good, but not in the class as sweet corn in the States, in my opinion. The sweet corn that is normally grown here is a Japanese variety of sweet corn. There is a farmer in Buhangin, Davao who grows sweet corn, and he has a stand in town where he sells it. It’s really quite good, and I buy it pretty often.
I don’t recall ever seeing vegetable seeds in the stores before, but I haven’t really gone looking for them either, so may have just not noticed them.
Hi Bob
I love the exotic (for me) floral planting there in Davao and i used to live in Africa and had a special love for the bougainvillia, which my wife has a token presence in our place but insists it is a common planting in Phils, but actually it means so much to me and will never be common, anyway…..
A neighbour of ours had a beautiful climbing and flowering plant who’s common name is morning glory and she gave us a cutting from, we (me and my wife) are due back there in jan next year and it is doing well, so, am looking forward to seeing it……….
sorry Bob, no comment here just missing our home, hope to be there soon….. Hey Bob did i remember you said in an earlier post you used to live in SA, J’hbg, Germiston? northern suburb do i remember correctly? , me, i used to live in the south alberton, early 1980′s…. all the very best
Ron – Vegetable seeds are available in the garden section of hardware stores. I’ve never bought any so I don’t know about their viability. I do know tomotoes are almost impossible to grow unless you use the Philippine variety. Squash, once again use something that is already grown over here. Melons, there are many varieties grown so no problems there. Potatoes are best grown in the above ground method. Make a circle enclosure with fence and pland the potato eyes. As the plants grow taller bury them in a loose mixture of soil and leaves until you have the enclosure filled to the top. When the tops die back the potatoes are ready to gather. I’ve gotten as much as 2 bushels off one enclosure using this method. Onions, I never had any luck with onions in the states and not about to try over here. Carrots I see no problem with, as well as turnips (carlang). As for local stuff, there’s Kangkong, Kamote (sweet potato) as well as kamote tops, Ampalya (I hate it but the family loves it), Siling Labuyo (HOT peppers), Calamansi,
Kalamunggay. The list goes on.
Hi Rick – Thanks for sharing your comments. It’s obvious that you have a passion for gardening!
Hi Louis – In some areas tomatoes of all kinds can be grown. Father Franco up in Buda has probably at least a dozen varieties of tomatoes growing there, and I know that some are from Italy.
As for gardening, I’m more for the cacti variety nowadays (back home).
Off topic, I see that you’ve fixed up the site, Bob, and the site is showing up correctly and great in IE version 6.0.
Hi Jio – I like cacti myself! Yep, we did fix the IE6 problems on the site already! I hope it’s looking good for IE6 users now.
Louis, thanks for gardening tips! I might try the potato method, makes sense!
Hi AmericanLola – I have several friends who are farmers, primarily in Bukidnon, and several of them grow tomatoes. The method that I always hear is best for potato growing here is above the ground, in bags. They have like big gunny sacks that the potatoes are grown in. For me, I had never seen it before, but they tell me that it is a new method that potato growers around the world are using now.
Thought these links might interest some viewers.Tagalog and English list of Philippine Medicinal Plants at: http://www.stuartxchange.org/CompleteList.html How about Philippine Herbs Used in Small Animal Practise at : http://www.stuartxchange.org/HerbsAnimalsIntro.html
Hi Richard – Thanks for sharing that!