Before the rise of modern medicine, people used traditional medicine to treat common ailments or administer first-aid. Plants are among the widely used ingredients in such treatments. In the Philippines, there are a plethora of medicinal plants that can even grow in one’s backyard for their...
Some things developed in childhood never change. For Dr. Julius Ignatius Barreto Uy, 54, a dentist, passion for plants is something that has always been with him despite taking a different career that’s a bit far from what he originally wanted. Uy shares this passion with his Mom since he...
Several studies have noted how gardening has several health benefits that affect both the physical and mental well-being of those who engage in the activity. There are even reports on how gardening can help medical patients heal faster or feel less stressed about their afflictions. Evangeline...
Antonio Go Corado, M.D., 58, a general practitioner, has been fascinated with ornamental plants for three decades. However, when he discovered his love for photography, he left his ornamentals unattended for a while. Since the community quarantine has been imposed to contain the spread of COVID-19,...
Begonias are one of the most popular and highly cultivated house plants today. These are native to tropical regions around the world such as Central and South America, Asia, and Africa. Planted either as indoor or outdoor plants, these are known for their leaf forms and blooms that vary for each...
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...
Susan Marges Gonzales, a BPO (Business Processing Outsourcing) employee, recently decided to start working on the farmland that her late father left her and her five sisters in Indang, Cavite. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, she realized that a sustainable source of healthy food is...
As told to Vina Medenilla In the first part of this article , Cristina and Carlo Guerrero, owners of Athena’s Garden in San Juan City, shared the tale of how their garden has transformed from an unused, futile land to a thriving garden. Here, Cristina Guerrero, a professional biologist, has...
A retiree in General Santos named Rosana Sacay, 64, a mother of three, has converted about 20sqm of her 187 sqm home into an indoor garden. The front veranda and back area of the home, as per Sacay, “were converted into a sort of display area for all potted plants.” Her love for plants...
Since March 15, a nationwide lockdown has been implemented as a response to the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic. This decree confined the public inside their homes to keep them safe from the virus. Having been cooped up indoors for some time, many people have become restless and have decided...
Most of us are familiar with Gretchen Fullido as she graced our television screens to bring us the latest celebrity news in the segment Star Patrol on ABS-CBN’s TV Patrol. She is also known as a model, host, and a triathlete. There is, however, another side to Fullido that has piqued the...
Many gardeners, both seasoned and amateur, would testify that there’s no such thing as a ‘green thumb’, or the special skill of being able to grow plants successfully but rather, that gardening requires hard work and determination to get things to grow. However, there are times when...