Metro Manila Plant Festivals: 8 Exciting Reasons to Go

The Metro Manila Plant Festivals scene has never been more exciting. It’s the perfect “gimmick” place for those who are already tired of the nightlife (ahem). The best part of going is that most plants are for sale! Hello to urban dwellers! If you’re like this writer who has limited space (and a plantita sister!), then you’ll love the smaller plants you can buy from sellers. Here’s how you can enjoy plant festivals in Metro Manila.

Plants are Memory Enhancers

The Ellison Chair in International Floriculture, Texas, said that people can concentrate better when they’re around plants. The organization also mentioned the importance of plants for memory. Life here in the Metro is very busy. Having a good memory is a big advantage when you’ve got a lot on your plate.

Metro Manila Plant Festivals Make Happy People

Life is chaotic as it is. But, when you’ve found a hobby, it becomes more fun! Spoiler alert: my sister is the plantita. Yet, I find myself smiling when I visit these festivals. Nurturing a living thing and watching it grow is fulfilling. There are so many flora species you’ll see at these festivals. Some sellers have rare and collectors’ plants that will make you go Wow.

Festival-goers who are on tight budgets can also enjoy going to these festivals. As long as you’re patient because there plants you’ll see are a lot. It will also help if you have a type of plant in mind before going. For example, some bromeliads get big. These plants also have thorns. That said, you’ll need plenty of space to house them.

On the other hand, air plants take only a bit of space. Plants like peace lily, snake plants, and pothos can grow indoors. These plants are perfect for condo living.

Plants Heal

My aunt’s 40 days after passing is yesterday. It’s an untimely passing and a very sad loss in our family. We’ve been looking at photos even when she was still in the hospital. All we have these days are those photos, some videos, her memories, and each other. It helps there’s open communication between us. That’s part of our healing. My independent photo rummaging brought me to these photos. I took these in early 2019. I was only accompanying Jing. But looking at these today, I fondly remember how she and I enjoyed the plant festival. It was in Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife.

Jing’s hobby is also something dear to our aunt’s heart. She loved flowers and other plants. They say life is never the same when you lose someone you love. It’s very true. But, these babies give me a hint of hope.

Metro Manila Plant Festivals are Social and Educational Events

Extroverts thrive in these places. Big time plant collectors and sellers are almost always present when you visit. They like talking to their buyers. You’ll learn a thing or two about plants. Even beginners have fun at these festivals because tips are aplenty. As for me, I love the beauty of the many plants available. My favorites are San Francisco, agave, some sansevieria varieties, and a lot of purples, pink, and colorful types.

Plants as Energy Booster

I’ve never seen a low-energy plant enthusiast before. If you check Facebook plant groups, you’ll see that they’re always excited and busy planting. The more intense ones are focusing on making millions of peso hybrids. That alone would make anyone feel energized. On a medical note, planting can promote hand health. It can keep bones healthy. Visiting plant festivals also allowed me to do my walking routines thus a great way to sweat.

My Takeaways

These plant festivals opened up a lot of possibilities for Jing. She became more than just a plant lover! The collections she has are getting bigger. It also became an inspiration, not only for her but also for me. I’m looking forward to more plant festivals with her and hope that one day she can share her wonderful collections with others.