Category: Therapeutic Garden

Plants of Our Past

Featured by Healing Present Nature & Wellness Center, posted in Container Garden, Food Garden, Gardening and Landscape Design, Outdoor Classrooms, Outdoor Classrooms, Therapeutic Garden

By Michelle Domocol @inflourish_
Back to Inflourish: Cebu Blog

In previous articles like Lola’s Bam-i Garden and Binignit Garden, I showed gardens that grow ingredients from a favorite family recipe or beloved holiday delicacy. Yes, the gardens were a convenient supply of useful herbs, spices and vegetables. There were also window into your personal history and culture. These same recipe gardens can transform into meaningful food heritage gardens in schools and communities. They can become outdoor classrooms or community gathering spaces. You can grow plants that represent monumental events from culture and food history.

Since plants are the basis of our life, history, and culture, garden can house a collection of edible ingredients, building materials, textiles, medicines, fuels, technologies, and more. In the a backyard, a school site, or community venue, people can showcase plants’ ancient functions and enduring roles. Through themed tours, oral history projects, student group activities, speaker presentations, or well-researched plant placards. Together, communities can use these heritage gardens to protect cultural traditions and foster curiosity about our environmental and cultural histories.

A well-designed history garden can transport you. Here are some possible activities to bring history lessons and collective memories to life:

  • Harvest garden ingredients and prepare cuisine such as local SuTuKil dishes with your community or students. During the meal, students can highlight how contemporary vinegar recipes, fermentation methods, and grilling techniques come from centuries-old Indigenous culinary preservation techniques.
  • During the holidays or the Christmas season, organize historical reenactments, community dances, singing events, community history tours in the garden. Tours will spotlight plants’ significant roles in the past.
  • Make garden murals and garden sculptures to illustrate significant people and events relevant to your socio-historical themes.
  • Share stories relevant about a particular history topic while gardening. Invite community members, relevant experts, elders, and grandparents.
  • Create art, baskets, sculptures, and handicrafts with the gardens’ plants. Add art demos or workshops by local artists (e.g., carpenters, payag builders, banig weavers, and bamboo furniture makers).

In the Philippines, families, educators, community gardeners, tour guides, and food historians, can pass down a plethora of food-related histories. The vast diversity of regional cooking styles, barangay-specific recipes, holiday feasts, precolonial food traditions, and eras of botanical trade and global culinary exchanges offer a deep well of knowledge and history from which to draw. Below is a sample garden design:

This history garden features raised beds and a pond with native and naturalized plants with surrounding vegetation clusters. Each plant can represent historic Indigenous food traditions and ancient maritime trade networks. Students, teachers, and neighbors can illustrate historical plant connections through community events and educational activities.

Remember, the Philippines is over 7,100 islands with a multitude of cultural groups and ethnicities. From this we can learn and honor a rich, layered tapestry of food histories. Here are just 2 historical themes and plant combinations to inspire you.

Precolonial Visayas: Learn about from precolonial Visayas represents ancient food traditions we still practice today. Research the fascinating maritime trade routes that shaped the civilizations of the Visayas and the neighboring Southeast Asian islands. Students or communities can also use this garden to research precolonial communal planting methods and their ancestors’ adaptability to environmental conditions. Plants connected to these historical events are kamunggay, alugbati, gabi, sibuyas, banana, coconut, rice, and native herbs. You can choose to focus on popular ingredients from one of the several Precolonial Visayan islands.

Manila–Acapulco Galleon Trade Route: Explore the intercontinental trade route between Philippines to Mexico that spanned the 1500s through to the 1800s. Discover the tumultuous history that transformed both Mexico’s and Philippines’ culinary traditions, buildings, clothes, economies, customs and laws. Learn about the ships composed of precious Philippine hardwoods that made these colossal journeys possible. In this garden, you can grow commonplace vegetables in the Philippines originally from Mexico. Some examples are mani, sayote, kamote, kamatis, cacao, abukado, atsuwete, and pinya. Or you can grow plants traded from the Philippines like rice, coconut, tamarind, and mango. You can also include Ylang-Ylang, mulberry, cinnamon, and ginger to represent the Asian perfumes, silks, and other luxury goods transported through this fascinating trade route.

I hope this inspires you to grow your personal heritage garden or support garden-based history projects in your community or school.

The plant map above exhibits ingredients that represent prized precolonial trade commodities and precolonial food traditions. Below are photos of vines, fruit trees, shrubs, and groundcovers from the design.

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Growing an Eco-Resilient City

Featured by Healing Present Nature & Wellness Center, posted in Container Garden, Gardening and Landscape Design, Green Roofs, Green Roofs, Raised Beds, Therapeutic Garden, wildlife garden

By Michelle Domocol @inflourish_
Back to Inflourish: Cebu Blog

Worldwide, climate scientists and urban planners know green landscapes make a city ecologically resilient. Urban forest pockets, vegetated parks, and a citywide network of greenspaces protect metropolitan residents, land, soil, air and water. Tropical cities integrated with significant swathes of greenery can:

  • provide residents with recreational and relaxing community spaces
  • cool down and regulate high city temperatures
  • absorb stormwater and mitigate flood damage
  • improving air and soil quality
  • act as a sound buffer against urban noise pollution

Enveloped by Cebu’s urban air and land pollution, inadequate stormwater management, and seasonal flooding, how can individuals receive the life-saving benefits of citywide greenery? How can we expand ecological resilience and protect our fragile island? One method involves building multiple dense residential gardens. Imagine if every apartment complex, gated community, parking garage, and mall in Cebu City grew decorative islands of container gardens at least 4 meters wide. Or imagine if those structures had vertical gardens on at least 2 exterior walls. The collective impact of urban gardens would increase our environmental benefits and eco-resilience.

The photo below may look like a forest of trees and shrubs planted in rural property. But it isn’t. This is a collection of container plants in an urban residential property that grew over 10 years. Never underestimate the power of humble houseplants. This garden no special fertilizer or complicated pruning schedule. The container plants are simply watered 2-3 times a week, grow well in Cebu City’s weather, and withstand the urban air pollution. Below I’ll share how this container garden contribute to the urban network of greenspaces. Hopefully, you, your family, and friends are inspired to build more densely planted urban forest pockets and wildlife gardens.

Whether you’re a homeowner, apartment dweller, or as part of a barangay community project, determine how you can build an eco-resilient urban landscape.

Re-Define your space and Re-Prioritize. The property below used to have a regular in-ground pool. The pool was enclosed by bare cement walls. The homeowners decided to convert the pool and build a garden for a few reasons. Nobody really used the pool. The pool required liters of chemicals and tedious labor to keep it clean and chlorinated. Also, the pool area was hot, lacked shade, and often flooded during the rainy season.

As a solution, I proposed they convert the pool into a sunken garden of container plants. It could be a calming venue rather than a waste of valuable growing space. I designed a series of connected, naturalistic container gardens. We chose fast-growing trees, shrubs, and groundcovers that flourish in containers. The pool was drained of its chlorinated water. Raised beds and container gardens were installed inside the empty pool and along the cement walls. Vines were trellised above the pool and vertical container gardens were attached to poles and tree trunks.

Over ten years later, the plants thrive and perform essential environmental functions. They absorb heavy rains and stormwater. The area never floods. Residents, visitors, and local wildlife frequently rest in the garden’s shade and cooler temperature. Year-round, the air temperature is much lower than roads and houses outside the property’s perimeter.

In your space, assess your site and its capacity to hold container gardens. If possible, explore if any space can be converted to display raised beds or groups of container gardens. Be Open to the eco-resilient benefits you can receive. Cleaner Air, Cooler Temperatures, Relaxation, and Less Stormwater Damage awaits you.

Steps lead to a converted pool full of lush raised beds and groups of containerized ornamental and native plants.
Image gallery image
Coconut Shell Planters
Fishnet Raised Bed
Recycled Bottles

Containers can range from fishnet raised beds, recycled containers, ceramic and plastic pots, hanging coconut shell planters, and other container types available in your area.

Explore vertical spaces in your urban site. Vines and climbing plants are incredibly valuable and prolific growers in our urban tropical climate. As the vines mature, they absorb pollution, increase privacy, and improve air quality.

If you’re interested on more tips for container plant care, check out these articles. Enjoy and I hope you are encouraged to grow your own urban eco-resilient oasis or add to your surrounding network of greenspaces.

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Learning from Local & Regional Parks

Featured by Healing Present Nature & Wellness Center, posted in agroforestry, Gardening and Landscape Design, Outdoor Classrooms, Outdoor Classrooms, Therapeutic Garden, wildlife garden

By Michelle Domocol @inflourish_
Back to Inflourish: Cebu Blog

Local parklands in Cebu and Southeast Asia are cradles of botanic inspiration. Often, well-designed parks use regionally native or locally endemic trees and shrubs. Depending on the availability of their seedlings in public nurseries, you could use a few of these same trees or shrubs in your garden. They can be a spectacular eye-catching feature or hedge in your own gardens. Regionally native, indigenous, or locally endemic refers to a plant’s genetic origin and natural geographic distribution. In the scientific community, these terms have slight technical differences. Among some foresters, park managers, and horticulturists, these terms can be interchangeable. Native or Endemic can mean a plant originally grew in the coasts, forests, riverbanks, or other ecological niches in Cebu. Or maybe the plant was originally found throughout the mangroves or rainforests of the Philippines. Local, Native, or Endemic can also mean the plant naturally grows in Maritime Southeast Asian countries like Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia.

REMEMBER: make sure you have the time, water, and soil type to help your native plant thrive. For instance, you can buy the most locally native vine from Cebu’s uplands. But if it’s neglected and left unwatered on your concrete patio, the stressed vine may shrivel and die.

Be curious and inspired. Visit the lush splendor of local parks in Cebu and venture to the rest of Southeast Asia.

In general, choosing locally or regionally native trees and shrubs creates a strong, adaptable landscape. A combination of native plants function well with local climate and rain availability. As a result, they need less growing assistance from additional fertilizers or pesticides. When the trees or shrubs are well-established, local birds, bees, butterflies and beneficial pollinators can use these plants as a source of nectar and shelter. Often, the fallen leaves and roots of regionally endemic plants naturally mulch and enrich the soil’s health. Depending on the particularly adaptive species, they can have additional qualities like drought-resistance and wind-resilience. With a bit of research and a fun search through local parks, you can find extremely gifted trees and shrubs.

The examples below are popular regionally and locally endemic species suited to Cebu’s climate. They are best planted in the rainy season so they start out with a moderate amount of water and sun. Plants in this list also flourish in other islands of the Philippines and Southeast Asian countries.

  • PALMS & RATTAN TREES:
    • A- Arenga pinnata
    • B– Adonidia merrilli
    • C- Calamus erinaceus
    • D- Calamus javaensis
    • E- Caryota mitis
    • F- Oncosperma horridum
  • EVERGREEN & FLORAL TREES:
    • G- Aporosa benthamiana
    • H- Aporosa frutescens
    • I- Commersonia bartramia
    • J- Cratoxylum cochinchinense
    • K- Dillenia excelsa
    • L- Dillenia philippinensis
  • EVERGREEN & FLORAL TREES:
    • M- Diospyros buxifolia
    • N- Diospyros diepenhorstii
    • O- Syzygium zeylanicum
    • P- Syzygium incarnatum
    • Q- Syzygium antisepticum
    • R- Sterculia foetida
  • EVERGREEN & FLORAL TREES:
    • S- Sterculia macrophylla
    • T- Sterculia oblongata
    • U- Elaeocarpus grandiflorus
    • V- Elaeocarpus pedunculatus
    • W- Elaeocarpus petiolatus

Plant Photos: WikiMedia Images, NParks Singapore, Co’s Digital Flora of the Philippines; Design Illustrations: Michelle Domocol

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March Moments of Serenity

Featured by Healing Present Nature & Wellness Center, posted in Color Combo & Design, Container Garden, Food Garden, Gardening and Landscape Design, Herbs, Therapeutic Garden

By Michelle Domocol @inflourish_
Back to Inflourish: Cebu Blog

For many of us and our loved ones, March has been punctuated by international conflicts and frightful world news. Thankfully, nature is respite. Despite humanity’s conflicts, this month, in our forests and gardens, nature continues to bring warm yellow sunrises, flowering fruit trees in the afternoon, and moonlit evenings. The gardens momentarily shield us from the chatter of work pressure and overwhelming world events. I’m grateful for the ever-flowing peace plants offer in times of grief, anxiety, and confusion. Even neuroscience studies confirm our brains relax when we gaze at grand tree canopies overhead, slowly walk barefoot through a garden, or breathe in sweet floral aromas.

In this article, I also share excerpts from the Serene Garden from my book, Inflourish: Cebu Garden Designs. I hope this inspires you to briefly escape your phone apps. March in the garden to mellow out. Spend a peaceful day in nature or go build your own version of the Serene Garden.

In the Serene Garden design below, you can lounge amongst raised beds filled with bountiful Citrus trees, flowering Kamuning, Orchids, and other gorgeous greenery. This design can be installed on a backyard deck, roof space or patio. Beyond the greenery, a small relaxing pond is adorned with horsetail reeds and gabi. This garden elegantly combines edible vegetation with living décor. Apart from lounging, you can harvest seasonal Limes and Limonsito. Or pick a romantic bouquet of Saging-saging flowers, fern leaves, and Kamuning blossoms to brighten someone’s day.

Serene Garden design with detailed plant maps below.

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Genuinely Ginger Gardens

Featured by Healing Present Nature & Wellness Center, posted in Color Combo & Design, Container Garden, Food Garden, Gardening and Landscape Design, Raised Beds, School Gardens, Therapeutic Garden, wildlife garden

By Michelle Domocol @inflourish_
Back to Inflourish: Cebu Blog

Ginger is commonly known as a popular spice in delicious dishes like Kinilaw and drinks like Salabat. But for gardeners, landscape designers, and tropical plant enthusiasts, gingers encompass diverse plants from botanical families like Zingiberaceae and Costaceae. Gingers and their relatives can be striking features in Cebu’s potted gardens and footpath borders. You can grow gingers in lush, dense groups along a path. Gingers can grow from 3 to 6 feet. Depending on how you prune them, the swaying stems and plump green leaves can shade walkways and soften garden edges.

Gingers’ foliage are bejeweled with stunning floral displays. Their multi-colored blossoms resemble painted pine cones, graceful orchids, butterfly wings, bromeliad spikes, and many more marvelous configurations. In the image below, you’ll see a gorgeous sample of native and naturalized ginger flowers found in Philippine’s forests and gardens.

The flowers above belong to: A) a spiral ginger called Insulin plant (Helliana speciosa); B) Adelmeria alpina; C) Vanoverberghia rubrobracteata; D) Etlingera fimbriobractea ; E) Alpinia haenkei ; F) Zingiber zerumbet; G) Adelmeria gigantifolia; and H) Turmeric (Curcuma longa).

Growing Gingers. Gingers can be planted from small pieces of their roots. These pieces or rhizome segments must have buds to successfully grow. In Healing Present, we usually plant them during the rainy season. You can start them in individual pots or raised beds. Once the seedlings have strong stems, you can transfer them to different parts of your garden. Some gardeners, without many pests, press the ginger pieces directly into the soil. The pieces are planted about 3 inches deep and at least 7 inches apart. I like to grow them in dense clumps so they make a bold visual impact when they grow taller. In general, gingers prefer Cebu’s humidity, partial shade and indirect light. For the best results, grow them in soil that drains well.

Below are different locations where we planted ginger. Some gingers are in a shaded balcony or thriving under the canopy of a native cinnamon tree. Others are next to a garden wall that blocks direct sunlight. Other ginger relatives are in pots next to ponds. All these locations receive frequent rain or irrigation. They also block constant heat and direct sun exposure.

With pruning, gingers are pretty low-maintenance. Just remove any dead or damaged stems during the year. Those dead brown canes or stems make great additions to your compost.

Here are a few more design tips to help you integrate an abundance of gingers in your garden:

>> A stairway in Healing Present’s farm lined with a variety of ginger relatives like insulin plants, turmeric, and ginger lilies. The parallel islands of ginger are complemented with ferns and Saging-saging (canna lilies). Complement your ginger islands with moisture-loving accents like ferns, lilies, and ornamental bananas.
>>Don’t add a thin line or skinny row of plants along your walkway. Add wide bands or clusters of gingers. With regular, moist conditions gingers can grow to 4 feet or more in width. So it won’t take long to grow a wealth of ginger. Wider groups of gingers add verdant impact and visual harmony.
>>Since gingers love partial shade, consider adding them to a shaded path. In Healing Present’s farm, we frequently decorate a path with a passionfruit pergola overhead. Then, we plant gingers on both sides of the stepping stones.

Hope this inspires you to beautify your garden paths with some gorgeous ginger additions!

First image of ginger flowers courtesy of Wikimedia Commons and Co’s Digital Flora of the Philippines.

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