11/09/2026
Take the most unassuming and unremarkable person you will see on the street, then throw him in front of an audience to talk about how he prepares his breakfast every single day. Because I'm pretty sure that was how I looked like when I spoke about orchids in this throwback photo from 2010. This was the period when I was a frequent sight in Philippine Horticultural Society (PHS), Philippine Orchid Society (POS), and Philippine Native Plants Conservation Society Inc. (PNPCSI) events and meetings. I have lectured, judged, spoke my mind in meetings, prepared awards, and even briefly studied in vitro orchid propagation under the late Ray Ong. I'd be in Jun Golamco's stall till 8 in the evening, or until almost midnight chatting with the late Leonardo Co at the PNPCSI's former office at the Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Center (NAPWC). All of these without being a formal member of all three. And then one day, I decided to skip a horticultural show. And the next one after that. Next thing I know, I was a recluse. In those very rare times when I'd be out looking for plants in a plant show, I'm wearing a face mask so that nobody will be able to recognize me.
I do sometimes wonder what the present plant menagerie would have looked like if I remained visible. Admit it or not, but people around us influence our choices. Would I have hyper-fixated on just one or two plant groups? Maybe the collection today is dominated by anthuriums and philodendrons? Plenty of variegated plants, perhaps? Or maybe I would have taken a liking for hybrid orchids? A dislike for foreign species in favor of a purely native plant collection? I now have plants so obscure that even long-timers wouldn't know what these are unless I tell them the names (things like ๐๐๐ค๐ฉ๐ฉ๐๐). I even possess plants that most people wouldn't be interested in, in the same way that I am not interested in having a ๐๐๐ก๐ฌ๐๐ฉ๐จ๐๐๐๐ for lack of space and proper growing conditions. I now grow succulents and aquatics, poisonous plants and edibles, the fragrant and the olfactorily horrific, the bizarre and the pretty. Maybe you want to see plants that don't have names yet. I see some of them here, everyday. I even have learned how to propagate the prima donnas. How? It's easy: just spend a LOT of time with your plants and sharpen your mojo. Avoid asking for detailed care tips every chance you got because our growing conditions are never exactly alike. And maybe this is why I became an almost eremite in the first place- while I still find human company enjoyable, I find solace with plants more irresistible. Seeds germinating is more satisfying than me going to Metro Manila to talk about things that don't come into fruition. Far fewer impulse acquisitions too from bad influences ๐ And, of course, I never cared about validation and growing my audience by fishing for comments or asking you to share my posts. However, I'd be interested if you want to send me something that not a lot of people grow.
There is science in growing plants. And silence too. And that is what I keep chasing these days.
