Orchid entry from Cora and Anna Purificacion. (Photo by NOEL PABALATE)

Orchids are in full bloom at the ongoing 2010 Orchid and Garden Show, which opened late last week at the Manila Seedling Bank Foundation Compound in Quezon City. Organized by the Philippine Orchid Society (POS), the show highlights the colorful plants and landscape designs created by some of the country’s most avid plant enthusiasts.

Present at the opening were the POS members and officers and special guests Lucito Bertol, TV personality Bernadette Sebrano and orchidologist Dra. Helen Valmayor.

The show’s theme delves on how to protect Philippine orchid species from climate change. POS is pushing for modified cultural procedures for orchids to help the plants survive drastic climate changes. Among the measures imparted by the POS is the culturing of pseudobulbs (a modified storage stem), which can store water and food for the plant. This helps orchids survive even if the plants are watered just once every three days. In addition, growing areas can be modified to have plastic roofing during the rainy seasons to prevent rotting. With this, climate change will not actually be a problem for orchid growers and gardeners alike.

The society is also actively advocating and promoting orchid growing and gardening among city and rural residents as a leisure activity and as a potential form of livelihood.

The show also had a plant and landscape booth competition. Atty. Nani Perez of Malvarosa Orchids won most of the awards, winning the Best Landscape Booth. His orchid Grammatophyllum scriptum won the Best in Show, Best Philippine Orchid Species and Best Cultured Plant.  His Cattleya orchid, the Brassolaeliacattleya Chia Lin, also won Best Cattleya. 

Other major winners were Cora and Anna Ruth Purification, who  won in  six categories, Kelvin Nell Manubay ( Best Phalaenopsis) and First Bloom Orchids  (Best Vandaceous Alliance)

The show runs until March 8. For more information, please contact Ms. Jenny Rivera at 0917-8485468.