By Vina Medenilla In San Fernando City, La Union, a balcony located on the third level of a building is also a lush edible garden filled with fruits, vegetables, and medicinal plants. On a balcony that measures 4 ft in width and 35 ft in length, different kinds of vegetables, medicinal plants,...
San Miguel Corporation (SMC) wants its staff to become food self-sufficient and is even willing to convert certain spaces in its head office to small urban farms. In a statement, SMC said it is building its first urban farm within its head office complex in Ortigas to help build self-sufficiency...
A popular houseplant right now is the calathea. They are grown for their distinct and attractive foliage that comes in many shapes, patterns, and sizes. Calathea varieties mostly require regular watering, humidity, and shade. Given that their demands are provided, anyone can propagate...
Leaving a place that you call home can be difficult, but this doesn’t mean you’ll never find one in a different environment. Annalyn Opada-Rampe, 40, is a Filipina gardener who found a home in France where she has been living with her German-American husband since 2013. During her early...
Stereotypes and negative connotations in farming sometimes hamper possibilities for Philippine agriculture. Perhaps this is also why many Filipinos, particularly the younger generations, hesitate to pursue farming as a profession. Thankfully, there are still some who still prefer pursuing an...
Corn plants are typically grown in the fields. They are planted in rows that are usually two to three feet away from each other. But in the case of Nicole Obligacion, an urban gardener from Pasig, she grows them in raised beds on her balcony. Despite sounding like a challenge, Obligacion was able...
In almost the entirety of 2020, there has been a surge in the numbers of urban gardeners throughout the country due to the increased amount of time that people spend indoors to keep themselves safe from the COVID-19 pandemic. Through urban gardening, people in the metro have a sustainable...
Despite the pandemic, Slow Food International, a global organization that promotes local food cultures and heritage, pushes their 13th Terra Madre Salone del Gusto, their largest worldwide festival on food, environment, and food policies. Terra Madre 2020 is a mix of digital and physical...
Shirley Villamor, an enterprise resource planning (ERP) software consultant, started gardening with a limited understanding of the practice. In hopes of pursuing a hobby that’s different from the nature of her work, she ended up developing a garden to benefit her mental health. “Gardening is my...
Many gardeners turn their homes into a green space with the intention to make their pads cozy in the most natural way. For businessman Ramon Isla, 33, a dream to live in a place that mimics nature and its calmness was the main reason he began cultivating plants, including his giant golden pothos (...
Urban Garden Cafe and Bistro If ever you get a chance to go up north in Pampanga, we found a cafe worthy of a stop . Sleek and chic, Urban Cafe and Bistro is the newest aesthetic chill spot in Angeles City. It is hard not to love its interior. Designed by WA Architects, it features a warm,...
Small space didn’t hinder Imelda De Jesus, an urban gardener from Caloocan City, from pursuing her love for plants. What sets her garden apart from others is that she grows not only the herbs and veggies that we commonly see in home gardens, but also fruit-bearing trees that she mostly grafted...