Cacti, succulents & pets

(Succulentophile is giving way this week to Peter Bangayan’s preview of the upcoming garden and pet show in Quezon City.)

Many cacti and succulent plant hobbyists usually have a second hobby, and usually it’s having pets such as birds, tropical fishes, dogs, reptiles and other animals. In the upcoming Garden and Pet Show and Bazaar to be held at the Quezon City Hall Orchidarium, plants and pets will be featured side by side. The show will open on Nov. 11 and will run until Nov. 20.

What can you expect from the show? Exhibits of diverse kinds of cacti and succulents, many rare and beautiful pieces from different plant families. Globular cacti such as the large Golden Barrel or Echinocactus grusonii, which has become very rare in the wild but is quite common in cultivation, ferocactus, gymnocalycium (chin cacti), mammillarias, lophophoras (the hallucinogenic cactus used by Indians in their sacraments), and other rare and slow-growing ariocarpus will be on display. Tall or columnar-growing cacti such as cephalocereus, eriocereus, and espostoas or Old Man cactus with white hairs will also be well represented in the display. 

From the succulent plant families, aloes, agaves, alluaudias, didierias, euphorbias, haworthias, pachypodiums, sansevierias, stapeliads and many odd caudex-forming desert dwellers will be on display as well. Especially interesting will be "bonsai" succulents of caudex-forming euphorbias such as Euphorbia sakarahensis, Euphorbia decaryi, Euphorbia ambovombensis, Bombax ellipticum, Pyrenacantha malvifolia, and other uncommon succulent plant families. 

Lectures will be conducted to educate the public on the proper care for dogs, birds and exotic pets such as reptiles. Also, there will be informative lectures on caring for your cacti and succulents such as sansevierias, euphorbias, caudiciform plants, etc. Other topics include the medicinal uses of cacti and succulents, grafting, dish gardening and doing Ikebana arrangements with cacti and succulents.

Aside from the main exhibit and lectures there will be a commercial area for cacti and succulents, popular houseplants such as aglonemas, orchids, palms, cycads and herbs, among others. They will also be selling gardening supplies, pets such as birds, fishes and pet supplies. Those who are looking for gifts to give away this Christmas will find many kinds of gift items at the bazaar area. Prizes ranging from cell phones to small appliances like electric fans will be given away at 5 p.m. on each day of the show.

Lecture schedule is as follows: Nov. 11, medicinal and other uses of cacti and succulents by Dr. Nena Evidente; Nov. 12, dish gardening and landscaping with cacti and succulents by Serapion Metilla; Nov. 13, propagation techniques and grafting demonstration by Serapion Metilla; Nov. 14, sansevieras by Vangie Go; Nov. 15, keeping exotic pets such as reptiles by Tiffany Cham; Nov. 16, how to care for birds by Fred Salud; Nov. 17, caudiciforms and other unusual succulents by Anna Conde; Nov. 18, growing euphorbias by Vic Chin; Nov. 19, choosing and caring for your dog by Dr. Raymundo Lo; Nov. 20, the art of Ikebana using cacti and succulents by Serapion Metilla.

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